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Why are wedding photographers so expensive?
- Thread starter stoltzf4
- Start date
revnort
Tasty Pants
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This. Seriously a good photographer will make your event awesome. You want to remember this day in the best way possible right? The pictures will shape those memories. It's only one day, and you'll hopefully be looking at them fondly for the rest of your life. Your kids too.
Ask to see their work. Does it look contrived or does it actually capture emotion? Personally I prefer the shots of a wedding and a reception to the posed wedding party BS, but that's all part of it I guess.
th3_d0c
SupermotoUSA #603
I am not going to lie, but 3k is not that much for a wedding photographer.
I have a few friends that are 10k and above and comparing their photos to people that shoot for under 5k you can see a MAJOR difference. A lot of it is timing, and getting the right moment, or knowing how to set you/the bride up in the right location for poses, where to pose, etc.
Also, are you paying your photographer for a second person to shoot? Getting other parts of the wedding while he/she is taking photos of the wedding party? What about when everyone is dancing making sure you are getting photos everywhere?
Also, look through their old books of weddings, do they take those random little photos of simple things like flower pedals over the invitations? Place settings? The sign book, etc? There is a lot of it, and it is all the stuff your wife is going to want. Ha.
I have a few friends that are 10k and above and comparing their photos to people that shoot for under 5k you can see a MAJOR difference. A lot of it is timing, and getting the right moment, or knowing how to set you/the bride up in the right location for poses, where to pose, etc.
Also, are you paying your photographer for a second person to shoot? Getting other parts of the wedding while he/she is taking photos of the wedding party? What about when everyone is dancing making sure you are getting photos everywhere?
Also, look through their old books of weddings, do they take those random little photos of simple things like flower pedals over the invitations? Place settings? The sign book, etc? There is a lot of it, and it is all the stuff your wife is going to want. Ha.
Start by asking yourself what you want out of the images and go from there. If you look at a pro's portfolio and say, "yeah, that's neat, but $3k?!?"...it's probably because you're at the Ferrari dealership when all you really want is an Accord.
Here are a couple doods who do good work:
http://hofferphotography.com/
http://www.holzphoto.com/
Look through their stuff. Do you say, "shit yeah, that's what I want", or do you say, "meh, wateva". If you're really struggling, shoot me a message with some criteria and I might be able to do a little fishing and put you in touch with someone. Sometimes you can find good people who really want to fill a weekend, or the location happens to be super convent, etc, and they'll give a good price.
Here are a couple doods who do good work:
http://hofferphotography.com/
http://www.holzphoto.com/
Look through their stuff. Do you say, "shit yeah, that's what I want", or do you say, "meh, wateva". If you're really struggling, shoot me a message with some criteria and I might be able to do a little fishing and put you in touch with someone. Sometimes you can find good people who really want to fill a weekend, or the location happens to be super convent, etc, and they'll give a good price.
mike23w
Giggity
$10k isn't worth it.
you're going to pay an extra $7k (over the $3k) so you can have pictures of flower petals over the invitations? and remember, half these people will get a divorce. lol.
that extra money will be spent much better on something like upgrading your honeymoon.
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morthrane
Help I'* being Oppressed!
Why don't people just pick a handful of photographers, let them photograph the event freelance, and then pay for the final product?
Seems to work for trackdays and photogs camping oft-crashed highway corners
Seems to work for trackdays and photogs camping oft-crashed highway corners
stoltzf4
Member
This is totally new to me and I am seeing that there is a lot more to this than I thought...ignorance on my part. And yes, my fiance is very keen to capture every moment and have great shots. I have to remind her that we are paying for this ourselves and we might want to buy a house one day
Watch out, Kev, it's a slippery slope that ends with someone cutting off their own ear!
mike23w
Giggity
I have to remind her that we are paying for this ourselves and we might want to buy a house one day
but pictures are forever! wtf are you going to do with a house anyway?!?!
it just seems utterly ludicrous to spend this kine of $$ on fucking pictures. pictures! not an experience, not a house for the family, etc etc. just pictures
revnort
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morthrane
Help I'* being Oppressed!
I thought (as a forever bachelor) that the point was to inflict the pictures on everyone else...
This from a painter!?
I paint for my own expeirance, not the end result. besides, I don't charge near what photographers do (if anything, lots of paintings ive given away for free). that the painting is liked after is a nice benefit, but not the reason.
Ill admit I find photography to be uninteresting. I don't take pics for the most part when I travel because I never look at them. but I look at my friends paintings and drawings I have all the time
anyway my question is an honest question, how often do you look at wedding day photos? is this something women do a lot?
Climber
Well-known member
This is one of those cases where you'll probably get what you pay for.
I haven't shot any weddings, but I shoot a ton of volleyball and Track & Field. There is quite a bit of time that goes into going through all of the pictures, processing them then either posting them or thumbnailing them.
Also, with each track meet that I shoot, I get better shots as I learn. You'll want somebody who has shot at least 20 weddings and knows what shots are going to be the memorable ones. Just having somebody who has good equipment wandering around taking the pictures that they think will be memorable isn't going to work, unless you aren't interested in pictures that you'll want to frame and put on the wall. Believe me, your (future) wife will want those pictures.
Just my
I haven't shot any weddings, but I shoot a ton of volleyball and Track & Field. There is quite a bit of time that goes into going through all of the pictures, processing them then either posting them or thumbnailing them.
Also, with each track meet that I shoot, I get better shots as I learn. You'll want somebody who has shot at least 20 weddings and knows what shots are going to be the memorable ones. Just having somebody who has good equipment wandering around taking the pictures that they think will be memorable isn't going to work, unless you aren't interested in pictures that you'll want to frame and put on the wall. Believe me, your (future) wife will want those pictures.
Just my
I'm with you on this. $3K for pics is insane IMO.
I'm not married yet, but I'm gonna take a stab at your question anyways. My guess is 5-10 times in our lifetime (i'm not joking). I've looked at my parent's wedding pics maybe 1 time. Same goes for my good friend that got married a few years ago.
Surely your recognize the connection between the images and the recollection of the experience? Five years later they will look at some pics and say "oh remember that guy?? he shit pants made out with granny!!!". Something they wouldn't have remembered without the visual trigger.
Ive done a few weddings and its a PITA, you're running around for 8+ hours, carrying tons of gear (which costs a lot of $$$) and end up editing thousands of pictures. Its not easy and you don't have a chance for any reshoots, it has to be done right the first time.
Btw a lot of wedding photographers bring an assistant with them, so take that into account as well as gear costs, editing and whatever form they want the pictures in and your time.
Btw a lot of wedding photographers bring an assistant with them, so take that into account as well as gear costs, editing and whatever form they want the pictures in and your time.
Last edited:
frozenuts
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Somebody call in a monkey?
I am not going to speak for other photographers, but here is why I charge what I charge and why every other wedding photographer charges about the same.
1.) If you charge too little, people do not take you seriously. Even your friends and family will find someone else that charges more because if you charge too little you must suck.
I have a day job. I don't need to charge what I charge to pay the rent, feed the dog, or buy hookers and blow. It is extra cash that allows me to do what I enjoy and am damn good at. I charge what I charge because I have to to keep busy. The people that charge waaaay more do so because people pay it.
2.) Editing sucks. Your five hours (I would be there longer, you have to be to tell the story) is a couple full days of editing. Remember that day job I have? That means I have to go to work for 8 hours then come home and edit until it is time to go to sleep after some weddings. Full time photogs often have 2 weddings/portrait shoots/engagement shoots a weekend. Taking pics is like taking the moto out and railing your favorite spot. Editing is finding out that you have an spun bearing after you get home and have to tear the motor apart to fix it.
Something else to think about...
In addition to looking at the portfolio, make sure you take time to meet the the photographer. I do a free engagement shoot. This allows me to see how the couple interacts, how easy going they are, and if our personalities gel. If we don't seem to be working out months or years before the ceremony I don't want that kind of stress the day of. If they don't want to do engagement photos, already had cousin Bobbi do them, I still insist that we do something. If they decline, I do not work with the couple. No money changes hands until they say they like the engagement photos.
I am not going to speak for other photographers, but here is why I charge what I charge and why every other wedding photographer charges about the same.
1.) If you charge too little, people do not take you seriously. Even your friends and family will find someone else that charges more because if you charge too little you must suck.
I have a day job. I don't need to charge what I charge to pay the rent, feed the dog, or buy hookers and blow. It is extra cash that allows me to do what I enjoy and am damn good at. I charge what I charge because I have to to keep busy. The people that charge waaaay more do so because people pay it.
2.) Editing sucks. Your five hours (I would be there longer, you have to be to tell the story) is a couple full days of editing. Remember that day job I have? That means I have to go to work for 8 hours then come home and edit until it is time to go to sleep after some weddings. Full time photogs often have 2 weddings/portrait shoots/engagement shoots a weekend. Taking pics is like taking the moto out and railing your favorite spot. Editing is finding out that you have an spun bearing after you get home and have to tear the motor apart to fix it.
Something else to think about...
In addition to looking at the portfolio, make sure you take time to meet the the photographer. I do a free engagement shoot. This allows me to see how the couple interacts, how easy going they are, and if our personalities gel. If we don't seem to be working out months or years before the ceremony I don't want that kind of stress the day of. If they don't want to do engagement photos, already had cousin Bobbi do them, I still insist that we do something. If they decline, I do not work with the couple. No money changes hands until they say they like the engagement photos.
wannabe
"Insignificant Other"
I'm a photographer, but I flat refuse to shoot weddings. It's a shit load of work, and people complain all the time that you're charging too much. Almost every wedding photographer I know also pays for extra insurance in case they get sued by the bride because she didn't like how the pictures turned out.
Honestly, $3,000 is on the low end for a good experienced professional wedding photographer. You could easily spend less finding someone on Craigslist who says that they shoot weddings, but do you honestly want someone practicing at your wedding, or do you want someone who has been there and done that?
If you're lucky, you'll find a good photographer who has some crazy ideas, and your wedding picture gets into almost every national newspaper like this one did.
Honestly, $3,000 is on the low end for a good experienced professional wedding photographer. You could easily spend less finding someone on Craigslist who says that they shoot weddings, but do you honestly want someone practicing at your wedding, or do you want someone who has been there and done that?
If you're lucky, you'll find a good photographer who has some crazy ideas, and your wedding picture gets into almost every national newspaper like this one did.