Why Does Wedding Photography Seem So Expensive?

  Did you know that the average bride in New York, where we were from, spends $4,500 on her wedding photography? It is one of the most costly purchases of her entire wedding day. Think that’s outrageous?

At first, I fully admit that I did. After I ventured into this business, however, I realized that it ends up being a fair price.

So what is it that you’re paying for? And why is it so expensive?  What most people don’t realize is the incredible cost of being a professional destination wedding photographer. The following is a list of services/things that we have to purchase/provide:

• Insurance – equipment damage/theft, liability, travel, etc.
• Equipment – we are constantly updating our lenses, cameras, cards,   software, lights, power supplies, and countless other photographic tools. To give a great example, I just purchased an additional lens that I needed for some specialty work that cost me just shy of $1,400!!! Google the price of Photoshop CS3. I guarantee you’ll begin to see a trend in pricing. Did I mention repair/upgrades?
• Editing time – post production work on weddings takes, on average, a full 40 hour work week. Time is money, as you well know, and you are paying for the best when dealing with professional destination wedding photographers.
• Post production outsourcing – there are times when one person just can’t do it all. In cases like these, photographers find it necessary to outsource their editing work. Photo re-touchers can cost hundreds of dollars per hour and to get your pictures back in a timely fashion this is necessary at times!!!
• Product - professional specialty photographers provide their clients, in most cases, with a top notch product. They do not get the bulk discounts that large studios are able to obtain or give (minus the personal touch we provide), which drives prices up slightly.
• Assistants - many photographers, including myself, never do a shoot without an assistant or two. These people are what makes the shoots run smoothly. I’ve found that you truly get what you pay for with your help, and as such, offer my assistants more than fair compensation for their time. Having an assistant ensures efficiency and photographic quality. My assistants help me with everything from lighting, equipment carrying, image management there on  location, and even some photography work.
• Travel – gas prices and car repair. Enough said
• Advertising – awareness is a huge part of this business. It’s so easy to be lost in a sea of photographers out there. This makes it imperative to make yourself known as best as possible.
• Literature – photographers must keep pamphlets/brochures, business cards, and other forms of literature on hand and in large quantities at all times. Most printing facilities have a minimum print requirement of 500 items, for each item.
• Taxes – Oh yea, we get nailed with taxes in so many different ways.
• Studio space – a studio space can cost thousands of dollars a month  to rent, heat, cool, insure and maintain!  The studio we rent is just under 2000 sq ft.
• Additional photographers – I strive to provide the best. As such, I must be able to compensate handsomely for my photographers’ work. My assistant photographer, Tim,  works with me and receives the ENTIRE second photographer fee.
• Gifts – independent photographers strive to have personal relationships with their clients. We want them to feel special and appreciated. On wedding days or shortly after, we typically spoil our clients a bit with an added “thank you.”
• Education – professional photographers who stay educated continue to evolve with technology and techniques out there, making them better and better. Seminars, formal classes and other means of education are very costly, but necessary.
• Experience and Background – who a photographer has worked with adds value to the product because it soars their demand. It’s the reason why dear friends of ours, photographers Bambi Cantrell and Dawn Shields,  charge the prices that they do for a shoot.

In the end, it is EXTREMELY important to remember that you get what  you pay for. I mean this sincerely and as a warning. Your wedding day is going to be one of the most important days in your life. You can never capture it again. This is the reason why on our website I refer to my photography services as ‘investments’ – it is a once in a lifetime purchase that preserves your memories, and can be shared again and again throughout your lifetime.

Can you really put a price on that?

I have to give it up for Amy Aiello, she authored the core article.  Great explanation Amy!