I’ve had a lot of people lately ask me why we (wedding photographers) charge what we do. That question is followed usually by a “when all you do is press a button” or something similar. Here’s my one statement comment that I usually say to that in person, “There is way more that goes into your day than just pushing a button.” That’s the short version.
Truth be told, being a wedding photographer is tough. I’m grateful for everything that I’ve had and will hopefully get in the future. I believe in Karma. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Simple and sweet. My goal for this post is to educate more than anything else. I do apologize in advance if this seems a little hostile. I truly don’t mean for it to be hostile. Here goes.
“Truth be told, being a wedding photographer is tough.”
You can’t just wake up one day and decide to be a wedding photographer. It’s true that art is all subjective. It really is. It takes a lot to stand out in a sea of wedding photographers though, but sparks fly when a bride and groom and their photographer see things eye to eye and have the same vision. More than anything else it takes a lot of knowledge, practice, and study. Regardless of it all, you can’t expect someone to pick up a DSLR and them know what they’re doing. Especially with something as important as your wedding day. The kiss lasts about 1-2 seconds. You need to have someone that can get the shot you want. Someone you can trust.
In come the numbers. Here’s on average what goes into getting, shooting, and editing a wedding on our end.
1. We get a wedding inquiry (Yaaaay!) and set up a date to meet up where we talk about their day.
2. We drive to and from the said location and discuss everything about your day. (Usually a tank of gas. As of now we’re looking at about $35.)
3. Now we have to check out the venue and reception to check for lighting and make sure that we have the proper equipment for it. (Another $35 Total: $70)
4. We rent some of the equipment that we need. (Usually ranges anywhere from $250-$450. For the benefit of the doubt, I’ll go with $250. Total: $320)
5. We keep in contact with the couple (usually the bride) and send them to other vendors if they are looking for other services.
6. I’ve got to make sure that I have my liability insurance up to date. ($180 Total: $500)
7. I usually get my image sensor cleaned on all four cameras(rented and owned) (4x$35=$140 Total $640).
8. The total cost of my equipment is pretty high being a wedding photographer. Here’s a quick breakdown. Remember, this is equipment that I own, and I’m starting on a negative balance.
- 2 Nikon D700‘s=$5,400
- 2 Nikkor 50mm= $1,000
- 1SB-700= $330
- 4 SanDisk Compact Flash Cards= $248
- 1 Lensbaby Creative Effects Kit= $540
Subtotal Cost: $7,518 Total Cost: $8,158
9. Now we go into software and equipment that goes into post-processing.
- Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection= $2,600
- PC=$900
Subtotal:$3,500 Total Cost: $11,658
10. Day of the wedding comes and we drive out and work for about 6 to 8 hours on site. While we’re here, we cover you the entire time except for the time that you have your meal. While you’re eating though, we’re quickly editing photos to start up a slideshow so you and your loved ones can get the first look at some of the shots that we took. Most of the time we shove whatever food we can find, if any, down our throats so we can knock this out in the 45-60 minutes that we have available to us before the reception continues. All is said and done and we return to our home and start editing almost immediately, if not the next day.
11. Average time to edit a wedding is about three weeks, though we usually say four weeks so we have a little wiggle room. Please keep in mind that Marta and I both have full-time jobs during the week. If it weren’t for those we’d probably knock them out in a week or so.
Alright…that’s pretty much it. I might have left a few things, but bear with me.
In comes the numbers again. Let’s play the numbers game with hours and money.
All in all, we spend about 45-120 hours on a wedding, all depending on a number of shots taken and the amount of work that goes into post processing. Let’s say that all of number 8 and 9 doesn’t matter. It’s alright, everything is accounted for. We spend 6 hours at the wedding and let’s say editing is a breeze, so we knock it out in 45 hours. A total of 51 hours. We had two main packages starting out. $1,000 and $1,500, the latter came with everything in the former and a DVD of images. Most people go with the latter package just because of the DVD. Let’s do the math here people. This is in a perfect world, by the way.
$1,500 Client goes with Package 2
$640 Cost of running the business
51 Hours worked
$1,500-$640=$860
$860/51=$16.86/hr
$16.86/2=$8.43/hr
The reason I divided by two is because Marta and I work together on all weddings. We’re a team in life and in business.
Even if it was just one of us, we’d have to hire a second photographer and pay them for helping us. Second photographers usually get paid based on whatever the primary photographer wants to give them. The average is $250.
Please keep in mind that the hours worked does not include the hours we spend networking, blogging, social activities with clients, or any taxes. If it did, we’d be getting less than minimum wage.
So I ask…does $8.43/hr seem fair for something that you’ll make a career from? As of today, the minimum wage in the State of Florida is $7.67. We all know that $7.67 is not enough for day to day living. I don’t think $8.43 is either.
Please keep all of this in mind no matter if you book with us or any other photographer. We’re all adults here. If you need help with the price, we can all usually set up a contractual payment plan. It’s not hard. It’s simple math. In the end, it’ll help have a stress less wedding.
“…the $500 wedding photographers would[n’t] go and put in as many hours to make sure that everything is perfect.”
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Yes, you can go on Craigslist and find cheap wedding photographers. $500 for wedding photographers sounds great, but I really do doubt that you’ll be able to get top notch photography from it. I also doubt that the $500 wedding photographer would go and put in as many hours to make sure that everything is perfect. I’m pretty sure your wedding, your most important day for you, is a turn-and-burn day for them. They want to get through your wedding and go on to the next one. Remember that years from now people won’t be commenting on your Facebook about how awesome the food was or how great the music was. Pictures last a lifetime, and not the lights, the music, or the cake.
Well, I hope that the information that I gave here was a little insightful on why wedding photographers charge what they do. I really don’t mean to be hostile here, but educational. I hope that I opened your eyes. Even if just a little.
Thanks,
Rudy
