On this episode of The Messy Middle, TMA Community Manager Ali Payne sits down with photographer Ellen Wagner to talk through the common hang-ups standing between photographers and a successful photography business. Ellen spent years balancing a full time pharmacy career with a growing photography business before she ever believed photographers could charge more than a few hundred dollars per session. If you’ve ever stared at your pricing guide wondering whether anyone would actually pay what you’re asking, you’re not alone.
The Mindset Behind Charging What You’re Worth
Ellen is candid about the disbelief she carried early in her business. “I definitely believed that nobody would pay over a thousand dollars for a session. There was a time where I believed nobody would pay more than four hundred dollars for a session.” That belief held her back until she realized something important: the people who hire you for your creative eye aren’t comparing you to the cheapest photographer down the street. They’re paying for the experience only you can offer.
She’s also clear that raising your prices works best as one decisive jump rather than a slow climb. Going up in small increments just extends the time you spend underpriced and unsure. Ellen recommends raising your rates while business is busy, not waiting for the slower months when bookings naturally dip everywhere.
Confidence, she says, is the real lever. “People will pay what you ask when you are confident in what you are delivering to them.” That confidence doesn’t appear overnight. It builds through practice, through saying your new prices out loud until they stop feeling unfamiliar, and through remembering that a no from the wrong client makes room for a yes from the right one.
From $150 Sessions to a Thriving Business
Ellen worked as a full time retail pharmacist while she built her photography business in the background, fitting client work and editing into nap times and the quiet hours after her daughters went to bed. She didn’t take a tidy, linear path to profitability. She made a deliberate choice to charge true, sustainable rates a full year before she ever left her pharmacy job, so that by the time she made the leap, she already had a client base willing to pay those rates.
When she didn’t have the portfolio to support higher pricing, she built one. Rather than discounting her work, Ellen offered free sessions to families she felt could be a good fit, and let the results speak for themselves. “It takes one yes to get that going.” That first booking, the one that came out of nowhere during her busiest season, became the moment her business started to shift.
Why You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
Much of what kept Ellen stuck wasn’t really about money. It was the guilt of prioritizing her own goals, the isolation of building a business without anyone who understood it, and the quiet fear that she wasn’t experienced enough to call herself a real photographer. Ali points out how common all of this is for photographers balancing motherhood with a growing business, and how much lighter those hangups feel once you realize other people are working through the exact same thing.
That’s part of why community matters as much as the education itself. Having mentors and fellow photographers who have faced the same pricing fears, the same confidence wobbles, and the same full calendars makes the path forward feel a lot less lonely and a lot more doable.
Listen and Learn More
Ellen’s story is proof that the jump from underpriced to profitable doesn’t require a dramatic before and after. It just requires deciding you’re ready, and having the right people around you while you figure it out. Listen to the full episode for more of Ellen’s perspective on pricing, confidence, and building a business that fits your real life.
Find Ellen Wagner at ellenwagnerphoto.com or on Instagram at @ellenwagnerphoto.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
