You probably have read already somewhere the advice to have professional photos taken if you are looking for love with a beautiful Russian woman? Yet, you probably haven’t done it.

Here is another piece of information for you to consider: 1 in 4 Russians had professional photos done in the last 2 years. And it’s not the women who most often use services of professional photographers, but the men!

21% of Russian women and 27% of Russian men had professional photos taken in the last 2 years

Yes, we are also surprised to find out that it is local gentlemen who hire a professional to take a picture more often than the ladies.

However, it makes sense. Russian girls love taking photos of themselves and many of them do it well. This is why they don’t feel the need to hire a professional photographer.

Guys, on the other hand, aren’t as skilful with taking selfies, so they just pay someone to take a decent portrait. We all know that professional photos make you look great!

Most people only had professional photos taken once (19% among men and 14% among women). 5% of ladies and 6% of gentlemen used the services of a professional 2-3 times, while 2% of guys and 1% of girls did it 4 times or more, WCIOM reported.

By age, it is the people aged 18-24 and 45-59 that do it more often than others (29% did it). However, if youngsters 13% of youngsters did it more than once, among the group 45-59 only 5% did it 2+ times. Residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg did it more often than small town dwellers (30% in capitals, 18% in villages).

At the same time, 11% of those who had taken the photos professionally didn’t pay the photographer for the services: It was a gift or a free offer.

How much does it cost to have photos taken professionally in Russia?

It depends whether you are a man or a woman.

The median price per photo session paid by men was 300 rubles (USD 5), while women paid 1,000 rubles (USD 16).

However, some people obviously paid much more. The average price among women was 3,486 RUB ($54), while men paid on average 2,255 RUB ($35).

The difference between “median” and “average” prices is in the method of calculation.

• Median value means that 50% of values in the sample were higher and 50% were lower. This is the usual method of calculation for real estate prices in the area, so that unusually high prices for special properties don’t dramatically change the value that an average house is likely to achieve.
• Average value means that all values in the sample are added up and then the result is divided on the number of figures that were summed up.

This is why unusually high prices per photo session paid by some men and women change the average value per session, while the most typical amount Russians pay for such service is only $5-16.

Obviously, some people paid hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars per session. But this is not a typical price to hire a professional photographer in Russia.

Why do Russians need professional photos?

• The most typical cause to get a picture is for documents: 72% of men and 47% of women mentioned this reason.
• 28% of women and 16% of men participated in a family photo session.
• 18% of females had ordered an individual photo session (as compared with only 2% of males). Young people tend to do it more: Among the group aged 18-24, 33% had ordered an individual photo session.
• 15% of females and 10% of males had to get pictures for work, while 26% of women and 11% of men did while attending an event.

People prefer shooting in a natural environment outdoors (36%) as compared to photo studio (5%). However, most respondents said it doesn’t matter where the shooting is conducted (57%).

If they were given an opportunity, most people would like a photo session with family.

Read also:

• Photos, video will decide results in your dating Russian women
• Elena Petrova: ‘Photos and videos are crucial to your success’
• How to make a video for your dating profile on Elenasmodels.com
  
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