Photographers & their outrageous prices! DESTIN, FL

Heavensent437

I know that this is art for many photographers, but really $7,000??? I cannot believe it. Average is appx $3,000 and I just can't believe it. Anyone else experiencing this craziness?

I'm in the Destin, FL area, so if you know of any less expensive, but amazing photographers in the area please let me know!! Thanks!!!

MsAmanda923

You might want to post this on your local board... They might be able to help you out more :0) HTH

jungleland

Is it outrageous?  How can we answer that question when you have not told us what photographer is charging that... Perhaps if you shared that info, we could view their work and form an opinion as to whether or not they are worthy of commanding such a high price...

ceeceed80

I agree that 7k is insane but 3k is a pretty decent average. Most people say that their photos are the most important thing to them, yet but yet it seems like most people aren't willing to pay for it. 

I just read an article a few days ago that stated that photography should be at least 10-15% of your total budget. 

If you look at the time, effort, post production and things included in your photography and break it down, it's probably a pretty regular hourly wage for the amount of time a photographer spends not only with you but working on your wedding/engagement photos after the fact. 

tmccabe12

There are many amazing photography companies in FL that aren't $7,000.

-KMD Creations
www.kmdcreations.com

Gismo123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_photographers-their-outrageous-prices-destin-fl?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:30Discussion:75228e58-4cd9-4683-9b65-6e6560ccce28Post:49856406-dc14-4793-a66e-84d27a3a2916">Re: Photographers & their outrageous prices! DESTIN, FL</a>:
[QUOTE]I agree that 7k is insane but 3k is a pretty decent average. Most people say that their photos are the most important thing to them, yet but yet it seems like most people aren't willing to pay for it.  I just read an article a few days ago that stated that photography should be at least 10-15% of your total budget.  If you look at the time, effort, post production and things included in your photography and break it down, it's probably a pretty regular hourly wage for the amount of time a photographer spends not only with you but working on your wedding/engagement photos after the fact. 
Posted by ceeceed80[/QUOTE]

Well said!!!!  As a Portrait photographer myself, I can tell you that at a wedding the photographer is probably going to take at least 1,000 images.  Think about how long it's going to take just to sift through them!  lets say out of the 1,000....they decide to keep 600.  They then have to go through EACH photo and make appropriate corrections(color, lighten, darken, etc)....if it needs it(if the phtoographer is good the photos won't need much touch up).  You figure it takes an average of 10 min. per photo(may be more or less depending on photograph) Multiply that times 600 which would equal 6000 min's which is 100 hours, divide the $3000 by that and get $30/hr and I didn't even include the actual wedding day shooting or putting a book together, if you're getting one, or parents's books which normally contain different images or enlargements, or the cost to them to have the prints printed in the first place. 

What I'm trying to say here is that a photographer's work doesn't end after the wedding ends...it goes on for weeks after it!  So basically $3000 sounds decent to me anything lower would be insane for the photographer to offer....unless all you're getting is a CD and nothing else.

amandablythe

They are having a Destination Wedding Photography Giveaway at www.amandablythe.com and the Florida Keys is one of the qualifying locations!!!  Contest starts on 1.1.11 - If you're getting married in Hawaii, be sure to enter if you still need a photographer!

Peacefield

I hesitate to call any price insane.  Let's face it, no one charges a price that someone isn't willing to pay because they see value there.  You see $7k as insane because your finances permit paying maybe $2k-$3k.  But a couple on a budget who are trolling CraigsList for a $500 photographer probably think that $2k is insane.  I assume you are fully sensible to the reasons why you would never hire a CL photographer and understand the value you're getting for $3k.  But the same could be said for someone with the resources and the taste that require a $7k photographer.

inkulio73

You can have "less expensive" or "amazing" but not both.  Really depends on your definition of both, I guess.

melissaatfresh

As a photographer I charge $3000 a wedding which, as posted above, works out to be a pretty low hourly rate when you consider all the time I invest in making sure my clients receive amazing photos of themselves....and also the fact I give all digital negatives to my clients rights released so they can print them themselves.

I do agree that $7000 just for coverage is too expensive....but then some people don't mind paying that so....each to their own. 

There is the right photographer for you out there for you....just keep looking