XP: Photography Prices

acanon526

I am curious what other brides have paid for a professional photographer. I realize prices depend on location, time of year, etc. I am getting married in May of 2014 in Asheville, NC (FYI this is becoming a very popular wedding destination, so prices tend to be higher in the area). I am wondering if the quote below seems reasonable to others? 

Basic Package: 

up to 5 hours of photography

• disc of all edited images 

• engagement session 

• $2000

AmadnaJayne85

I think thats a tad high

AprilH81

That is about average (probably on the cheaper side of average) for what I see in Columbus, OH for a good photographer.

Chipmunk415

I live in Tallahassee, FL. Not exactly a wedding mecca, but there are several very old plantation homes in the area and just north in Georgia that people like and book regularly. As a result, we do have some high priced photographers.

I asked for quotes for 4 hours of coverage, give me a disc and copyright release. Most were around 1800. One guy was 500, but looking at everything else he offered, he undercut the top known photographers by about 5 grand. While his prices were great, I was very nervous of hiring a guy that undercut that much- what exactly might be wrong with him or his photography that he charges so little?

I have decided to go with a guy who shut down his official business about 6 months ago, but will occasionally freelance. The fact that I want only 4 hrs instead of the 6 to 8 we see these days made it agreeable for him. He's charging me 800 for the entire time, and I get a disc of all the images.

A lot of the cost seems to be coming from overhead. Perhaps see if there are freelancers in your area. They might be cheaper. 2000 is a bit much for 5 hours and a disc.

 

As another possible option, look at the colleges near Ashville. There may be students in some of the fine arts and media programs who are interested in photography, and may be willing to work with you for a reduced rate and a reference.

anajax

There's no way of knowing if this is a high or low price without seeing the quality of the work the photographer produces. It could be robbery if the work is awful or a tremendous steal if the work is amazing. Feel free to share the link and I can give you a better idea on whether you are getting a good deal (I am familiar with the NC/VA market).

Bubbles2014

I live in New Zealand, so the prices tend to be different here, but we are paying $1395 for

- 5 hours of photography
- 200 prints
- CD of all images with shared copyright (they can use them for advertising purposes, we can use them for person purposes)
- Around 6 large canvas prints

We can add more photography time for $150 per hour, and we will probably add on another 2 hours. Our engagement session is on Sunday and is $150 with the photos on CD.

Hope that helps!

acanon526

Thanks for the responses everyone. Here is a link to her website: http://www.carrieturnerphotography.com. I really appreciate you taking a look! 

Majide

We are paying $650.

Full day of photography

Two assistants

DVD of edited photos with the rights.  No watermarks (which is important to me - my sister's photographer had watermarks on all of her photos).

Engagement photos were $75, took about three hours (and she would have stayed longer, but we had to go to work ), she brought one assistant.  We got a DVD with rights, about 130 pictures, and then additional copies of all of them in black & white as well. 

No prints, but we are both the type of people who keep an eye out for deals at Shutterfly and such, and would be just as happy buying them there.

She is giving us a discount since we went to high school together, but I think it's just that she isn't charging for travel.  We'll end up tipping her that much anyway because she has been awesome to work with.

anajax

Based on the work I think the pricing is somewhat fair but I also see some red flags in terms of SUPER inconsistent editing and composition. It also appears from her work that this photographer doesn't have a ton of wedding experience so that may explain the low-ish pricing. If it was my wedding I would likely keep looking for a different photographer. You can expect experienced professionals in the Asheville area to be in the $3,000 range for an engagement shoot and ~8 hours of wedding coverage.

kellymike10414

Paying $4000 + tax

- husband and wife

- length of wedding including getting ready at 2 locations (YAY!!!)

- online gallery posted within 30 days

- disc of ALL images (about 100-125 photos per hour) in color, black & white, and vintage

- no logo or watermark on photos (another YAY!!!)

- usage rights (had HUGE issues with this with many studios)

- engagement session (2 hours, gallery, disc, 2 locations, 2 changes, usage)

To me there was no cutting corners when it came to photography. I changed one of my appetizer dishes to crab instead of lobster, and did pulled pork sliders instead of bacon wrapped scallops for my cocktail hour. I saved money where I could to make this happen and still my whole wedding is costing me about 18-20k.

acanon526

@anajax I very much appreciate your opinion. As someone who does not have an "eye" for photography, I know what I like but in terms of recognizing skills (composition, editing, etc) I am a little lost. Would you mind looking at another photographer's work? She is actually a friend on mine and is willing to give me a good price. I like the idea of using a photographer who knows us as a couple. While I do like her work I just don't know the quality. 

http://www.meghanrolfe-photography.com

anajax

@acanon526 I'm happy to help! Looking at Meghan's work, I think she has talent and potential but is not quite there yet in terms of professional quality. Editing is inconsistent, the photos look a bit blurred/not sharp (may be an indication of lack of experience or lack of professional quality gear), and many photos are either over or under exposed. The biggest issue though is that she does not appear to really have significant wedding experience. From her site, blog, and facebook page I gather that she shoots a lot of family portraits, maternity, and kids, with a few weddings sprinkled in. It's strange to me that she doesn't even show any reception photos in her galleries - that's a big part of the wedding day and might be a sign that she hasn't quite mastered the candid nature of reception coverage.

Weddings are an entirely different type of photography. Even the most skilled and experienced portrait photographers don't always translate into great wedding photographers. A lot of experience is required to get the timing down to capture candid, emotional moments and deal with the fast pace and varied lighting conditions that weddings present. I would personally not hire Meghan just yet, and ESPECIALLY wouldn't if she was my friend. With a lack of experience there is a higher chance something could go wrong and then you're not only unhappy with your photos but you have some conflict in your friendship.

The most important thing in your search for a photographer is to identify what is most important to you and look for those qualities in the photos they show on their site and blog. If candid moments and emotion are really vital for you then look for a photographer who shows those moments. If portraits are most important from your day then look for a photographer who takes stunning portraits.

Let me know if I can help with other potential photographers.

ETA: canon I sent you a PM with some more details!