{For Brides} Why wedding photographers are SO expensive….
I am usually the last person to post something negative or controversial. I just prefer to keep the peace and be an up lifter!
But earlier today, I read something that
had me LIVID. So this post is not one of my usual posts. I was actually
supposed to be writing Wednesday Weaknesses right now, but it can wait.
What I am about to say is FAR more important.
So…onto what it was that I read, that
made me so angry. This morning, a fellow photog posted this listing that
they found on Craigslist, on Facebook:
ATTN: Wedding Photographers
WHY is finding an amazing wedding photographer so difficult? :/
I am a Bride who is getting
married this summer and have yet to find a decently priced, exceptional,
amazingly talented, fun photographer.
WHY because the word
“WEDDING” is involved photographers think they can change you $ 3,000.00
for wedding photos? Oh, because no bride is going to go without so they
are going to pay it, because they HAVE to. They are ripping people off
for all they have! Why when you want to get married it costs you AT
LEAST 15 grand after all is said-and-done? Its such CRAP!! I love all
you $ 3,000.00 photographers out there but i think your prices are WACK.
All your doing is hanging out at a wedding taking tons of photos and
editing them.. and thats owrth 3 GRAND!!! You’re making so much money
its crazy. I just wish people would be more realistic. I mean the
“average” persons salary for 1 freaking month is somewhere around 3
grand. (Thats making 19$ an hour) So you’re going to take someones WHOLE
MONTH paycheck for one flippen day of photos? Just because you
CAN!!?????? So that maybe they will not be able to feed themselves or
pay any other bills they have, right? It makes me SICK!
I know im speaking for more
than just myself right now. Alot of brides out there think the same
thing. & I bet all you fancy photographers wont even read this.
oh-well.
Maybe there are cheaper photographers that will read this and LOVE to take my photos
Maybe there are cheaper photographers that will read this and LOVE to take my photos
Now before I go into my perspective….I
want to address two things. First, I value difference in opinion…..I
don’t expect everyone in the world to think that us wedding
photographers are worth what we charge. I respect that. What I don’t
respect, is someone who has NO idea what they are talking about, ranting
about how I make my money and discrediting the amount of work that
REALLY goes into it. Second, I am in no way “complaining about how much
work I have to do” or “crying about how hard I have it”. Not at all! I
LOVE my job. I am simply re-claiming some respect for the craft and
explaining some things that some people aren’t aware of.
Piece for piece, here is my response:
WHY because the word “WEDDING” is involved photographers think they can change you $ 3,000.00 for wedding photos?
Because, weddings aren’t just every other day. YOU as a bride, should know this.
I wake up the morning after every
wedding, feeling like I got ran over by a train…..weddings hold a much
higher level of stress than just an everyday shoot. You get one chance
to capture it. You have to have the right equipment to get the job done,
and not to mention backups….in case those fail. Anonymous Craigslist
bride…do yourself a favor and please do not discredit your wedding day
this way. The word “WEDDING” means a great deal actually. So yes, we are
entitled to charge more for this highly stressful service, because it
is a wedding! But it is quite silly to label this to photographers only.
It goes for every wedding service! I mean unless you regularly spend
hundreds of dollars on a single bouquet of flowers or $1500 for a dress?
I love all you $ 3,000.00 photographers out there but i think your prices are WACK.
You know what I think is wack? The cost
of my rent! Oh and my car insurance…..ooh and not to mention, my phone
bill! But guess what? I still have to pay them! And I do it with my
camera. I think maybe you forgot that this is my career. Not just
something I do for fun, that I can charge next to nothing for. Each
photographer’s prices are derived from a specific formula that involves
their cost of running business and cost of living. Believe it or not, we
don’t just say “Ooh a wedding! I think I will charge……hmmmm…..$5000!”
We are trying to survive, just like you. The high priced photographers
cost more for a reason. And if they were charging the prices you seem to
be pining for, they wouldn’t be able to stay in business.
All your doing is hanging out at a wedding taking tons of photos and editing them.. and thats owrth 3 GRAND!!!
This is just silly. Craigslist bride…..if
you really think that is all we are doing….please oh please just go to
Costco and buy your cousin a Canon Rebel and let him do the job! Since
ALL we do is hang out, shoot a few pics, then edit them….piece of cake!
Cousin Kevin will do just fine!!! You’ll even get to keep the camera
after….SCORE!
I mean the “average” persons salary for 1 freaking month is somewhere around 3 grand.
Keyword is SALARY. We are not on salary.
That one wedding that we “make so much money on” might have to feed us
through the slow winter season when we have NO weddings. There is no
financial security in this field. We either have the bookings or we
don’t. And even when we don’t, the bill collectors still come for
theirs!
Also….have you ever considered how much
of that $3000 really becomes ours? After taxes and the HEFTY chunk the
IRS takes from business owners… that income is nowhere near what you
think it is. Then there is business insurance, websites, advertising,
editing software, the thousands of dollars worth of equipment, and the
costs of maintaining it. The list goes on and on. And then the cost of
our time…..we blog, edit, email, process orders, shoot engagement
sessions, market, etc. There is so much more time to shooting a wedding
than actually just being there on that wedding day. We work our booties
off to give you a great experience and photos for a lifetime. A business
is like a baby….it constantly needs your attention and care!
Also, this “average person” probably
works a 9-5 during the week, then is free to enjoy their weekends with
their family. Well we also work that 9-5, doing all of the inside work I
mentioned. Then on the weekends….we are at your wedding, still working!
Don’t get me wrong, I love being at your wedding. Seriously, some of
the best times of my life are when I am shooting my awesome brides and
grooms. But please, just respect our time and be mindful of these
hurtful things you’ve said about how little we are worth.
And finally…..
You’re making so much money its crazy.
Sweet!!! This is great news!!!!
Craigslist Bride, if you are reading this, please email me!!!! Cause I
know I should totally be rich by now….with all these weddings I’ve shot.
But I just can’t seem to figure out where all of that money
went….hmmm….can you help me find it? You seem to know more about my
finances than I do!
Moral to the story is. You do not have to
value me at $3500+ if you don’t want to. But you DO need to know the
facts before you can judge my lifestyle and my financial situation.
Being a wedding photographer has been the BEST thing to happen to
me….and I hope I can do it all the way until retirement! But it has also
taken every ounce of myself to keep it going. It is a lot of work and
to see myself and other photographers degraded by statements like the
above, is frustrating. We have put years and large amounts of money into
mastering our craft, becoming better artists, and learning!
You don’t have to agree with it….but at least respect it.
To close out, here is the very first
photo released from a top-secret shoot I did in Ireland. The rest will
be up in a couple of weeks! Keep your eyes peeled!
WOW
