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Wedding photographers – too expensive?

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I just read a post by a bride-to-be on a website, and in it she lambastes wedding photographers for charging too much for a wedding. That prompted me to write something for all those people who think wedding photographers charge too much.

This is how it goes:

We start working early, when the bride has her hair and make up done. We finish late, sometimes only leaving at midnight. During that time, we quite often skip breakfast and lunch, working right through to get those arty pics you brides love so much. We take photos of the bride, the bridesmaids, flower girls, dresses and jewelry. The flowers, the shoes, anything that remotely has anything to do with your special day, because we don’t want to miss a thing.

From there we take posed photos of the bride and the bridesmaids, at home, on the road, basically stopping wherever we find a really cool background on the way to the church. All this in order to give you, the bride, really amazing photos that you’ll cherish and enjoy for a long time.

After the trip, in the church, we work quietly in the background, taking photos of the ceremony. Quite often stumbling over and into guests who have taken it upon themselves to take photos of the wedding, totally ignoring the fact that the official, paid photographer is trying to his/her job. Nevertheless, we diplomatically avoid any confrontation with these guests and continue to work at your amazing photos. Sometimes this lasts up to two hours, including the signing of the documents and some posed family photos outside the building.

We then take the bride and groom out for about an hour or so, diligently working at getting those perfect photos you show to your friends, family and colleagues.

Off to the reception. There we work tirelessly to get photos of the guests and the bridal couple, every smile and laugh and embrace. We work through the speeches and the toasts, the entreés, dinner and dessert. We take photos of the first dance, the parents and bridal party dancing. All the while accommodating your inebriated guests who insist on having their photos taken with numerous people.

We take photos of the cake being cut, the garter and the bouquet being tossed. People eating, laughing and joking. We take photos during the reception, outside in the moonlight or wherever we think we can find another beautiful photo.

After the wedding, we drive home from wherever the ceremony was. More often than not, somewhere in the sticks.
I takes an hour or longer to get home.

We spend hours going through the +/- 2000 photos we took on the day, narrowing it down to the 200 most beautiful photos. After that, we start editing those photos, spending about 30 minutes per photo, getting it just right. 200 photos at 30 minutes per photo, equals 100 hours.

We take these photos on equipment we pay a lot of money for, edit them on computers and with software that cost a small fortune. All this to ensure that you, the bride, gets the perfect photos of your wonderful day. We go on courses and attend workshops, we upgrade memory cards and other equipment. We forgo a social life to get you your photos on time. Spend hours posting the photos to Facebook, our websites and other social media. All of which costs money in terms of data. We go the printers and drop off all your photos at your home.

Consider this: Of everything you spend money on for your wedding, your wedding photos will last the longest. The cake will be forgotten. The venue and the food and the flowers a distant memory. All you’ll have left of that day are your photos.

Do you still think we charge too much?

100 Things you should know about Photography

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100 Photography facts/tips…

1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn’t mean that they’re a good photographer.
2. Always shoot in RAW. Always.
3. Prime lenses help you learn to be a better photographer.
4. Photo editing is an art in itself
5. The rule of thirds works 99% of the time.
6. Macro photography isn’t for everybody.
7. UV filters work just as well as lens caps.
8. Go outside and shoot photos rather than spending hours a day on photography forums.
9. Capture the beauty in the mundane and you have a winning photograph.
10. Film isn’t better than digital.
11. Digital isn’t better than film.
12. There is no “magic” camera or lens.
13. Better lenses don’t give you better photos.
14. Spend less time looking at other people’s work and more time shooting your own.
15. Don’t take your DSLR to parties.
16. Girls dig photographers.
17. Making your photos b/w doesn’t automatically make them “artsy”
18. People will always discredit your work if you tell them you “photoshop” your images. Rather, tell them that you process them in the “digital darkroom”.
19. You don’t need to take a photo of everything.
20. Have at least 2 backups of all your images. Like they say in war, two is one, one is none.
21. Ditch the neck strap and get a handstrap.
22. Get closer when taking your photos, they often turn out better.
23. Be a part of a scene while taking a photo; not a voyeur.
24. Taking a photo crouched often make your photos look more interesting.
25. Worry less about technical aspects and focus more on compositional aspects of photography.
26. Tape up any logos on your camera with black gaffers tape- it brings a lot less attention to you.
27. Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight.
28. The more photos you take, the better you get.
29. Don’t be afraid to take several photos of the same scene at different exposures, angles, or apertures.
30. Only show your best photos.
31. A point-and-shoot is still a camera.
32. Join an online photography forum.
33. Critique the works of others.
34. Think before you shoot.
35. A good photo shouldn’t require explanation (although background information often adds to an image). *
36. Alcohol and photography do not mix well.
37. Draw inspiration from other photographers but never worship them.
38. Grain is beautiful.
39. Ditch the photo backpack and get a messenger bag. It makes getting your lenses and camera a whole lot easier.
40. Simplicity is key.
41. The definition of photography is: “painting with light.” Use light in your favor.
42. Find your style of photography and stick with it.
43. Having a second monitor is the best thing ever for photo processing.
44. Silver EFEX pro is the best b/w converter.
45. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Everywhere.
46. Never let photography get in the way of enjoying life.
47. Don’t pamper your camera. Use and abuse it.
48. Take straight photos.
49. Shoot with confidence.
50. Photography and juxtaposition are best friends.
51. Print out your photos big. They will make you happy.
52. Give your photos to friends.
53. Give them to strangers.
54. Don’t forget to frame them.
55. Costco prints are cheap and look great.
56. Go out and take photos with (a) friend(s).
57. Join a photo club or start one for yourself.
58. Photos make great presents.
59. Taking photos of strangers is thrilling.
60. Candid>Posed.
61. Natural light is the best light.
62. 35mm (on full frame) is the best “walk-around” focal length.
63. Don’t be afraid to bump up your ISO when necessary.
64. You don’t need to always bring a tripod with you everywhere you go (hell, I don’t even own one).
65. It is always better to underexpose than overexpose.
66. Shooting photos of homeless people in an attempt to be “artsy” is exploitation.
67. You will find the best photo opportunities in the least likely situations.
68. Photos are always more interesting with the human element included.
69. You can’t “photoshop” bad images into good ones.
70. Nowadays everybody is a photographer.
71. You don’t need to fly to Paris to get good photos; the best photo opportunities are in your backyard.
72. People with DSLRS who shoot portraits with their grip pointed downwards look like morons.
73. Cameras as tools, not toys.
74. In terms of composition, photography and painting aren’t much different.
75. Photography isn’t a hobby- it’s a lifestyle.
76. Make photos, not excuses.
77. Be original in your photography. Don’t try to copy the style of others.
78. The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more.
79. Any cameras but black ones draw too much attention.
80. The more gear you carry around with you the less you will enjoy photography.
81. Good self-portraits are harder to take than they seem.
82. Laughter always draws out peoples’ true character in a photograph.
83. Don’t look suspicious when taking photos- blend in with the environment.
84. Landscape photography can become dull after a while.
85. Have fun while taking photos.
86. Never delete any of your photos.
87. Be respectful when taking photos of people or places.
88. When taking candid photos of people in the street, it is easier to use a wide-angle than a telephoto lens.
89. Travel and photography are the perfect pair.
90. Learn how to read a histogram.
91. A noisy photo is better than a blurry one.
92. Don’t be afraid to take photos in the rain.
93. Learn how to enjoy the moment, rather than relentlessly trying to capture the perfect picture of it.
94. Never take photos on an empty stomach.
95. You will discover a lot about yourself through your photography.
96. Never hoard your photographic insight- share it with the world.
97. Never stop taking photos
98. Photography is more than simply taking photos, it is a philosophy of life
99. Capture the decisive moment
100. Write your own list