Moving forward

This week I was able to get some business cards ordered, which is progress, but the list of things I need to purchase is truly overwhelming. Website, new HD monitor, color balancing hardware, new camera body.... the list goes on and on.. I did get a couple of orders this week for some pictures. At least that is money flowing in the right direction, but it equates to a drop of water in the ocean.
Sometimes I wonder if I can really make money at this. I know people pay for portraits and weddings all the time, but I am not sure I am good enough to compete. Especially when I see what some photographers are doing! Every time I go out to take pictures for a potential client I am hit with this fear that I won't get anything I can use.. not one good shot! That would be so humiliating. I was told recently by a very good photographer, that she has had shoots that she had to redo, so I guess it can happen to the best. In a way that takes some of the pressure off, because even a pro like my friend has had it happen, in a way it makes it worse, cause I can pretty much be guaranteed it will happen to me! Oh well, enough of my insecurities. I'll put that worry aside for a time when I am charging a lot of money. Right now, for what I am charging, people are lucky to get me. That brings up another thought. It's interesting to see the reaction when I tell people the price of my prints. Some people don't even blink and others are shocked that they are so expensive.... if you call $17.50 expensive for an 8x10. Sure it is more than they would pay at Walgreens if they took their little digital photos there to print. But the real bulk of my time is spent in Photoshop, removing blemishes, adjusting colors, lightening teeth etc. People just don't realize the time involved. The last wedding I did took me about 24 hrs of Photoshop work AFTER I got home, add that to the two trips to the church, and the 6 hrs of shooting during those two days.. I am up to 30 hrs of work. My time is what people are paying for. I can't really say that to them, but I sure do think it.