Photographer Prices RANT!

falsara · July 2014

So I have been researching photographers FOREVER. It's one of the most important things to my FI and I. My mom is also a published Photog so I know that you can have beautiful photos without spending $2000 on them. Me and FI have been looking all over the place, TK, yellow pages, the bridal alliance in the county where we're getting married and I have to say that prices are outrageous to have decent photos. Yes you can find someone to do 6 hours for under $1500 but you go to the website and it looks like they haven't done a wedding since '96. UGH. Why does it take almost $2000 to have a good quality photographer with a photojournalistic style for 8 hours, and all you want besides their time and talent is a CD or USB drive with all the photos and the print rights. We have refrained from asking my mom because I want her to be my mom on the day of the wedding. This has been bothering me sooooo much. I've tried so hard to stay in my budget so that we can afford other things that we want. We've already compromised so much to stay in our budget and it just feels like it's not helping us at all. I'm beyond frustrated! I felt like crying because I look into a photographer (who naturally doesn't have their prices listed on the site) and I love their pics, but then I email to get their price list and I get it back and its too expensive. I keep getting shut down no matter what I try. I know some photogs charge $800 for photos, but that only gets you 5 hours or less, and FI refuses to do a first look to cut down on cost. SO frustrated, ready to kidnap a photographer! Ok rant is over, I will finish my glass of wine. ETA - TK ate my paragraphs

lc07 · July 2014

You'd be amazed at how expensive it is to run a full time business. If it is someone's full time job $2,000 is not much considering they can only do so many a year and the astronomical expenses associated with business ownership. I spent well over that amount for photos and just cut back on other things like videography and honeymoon and my dress.

I know it can be disappointing to find things that are out of budget. I REALLY wanted to take a honeymoon. It just wasn't in the cards with the other things we found more important.

WinstonsGirl · July 2014

I feel your pain. We paid well over that for ours, but they were worth every penny. I did have to talk DH into them, but they did my Brother's wedding too, and in comparing them to others I've worked with as a BM, I knew I wanted them well before I even met DH. Good luck with the search. You'll find someone

JCbride2015 · July 2014

Oh girl. Your pain is real. Yes, it's hard to run a business for $2000, but it's also hard to discover things are not in the budget.

We got lucky with our photographer ($1500 in NYC, including an e-shoot) but that's because he's not charging wedding prices yet. He was a journalistic photographer and is transitioning into weddings. He also doesn't use an assistant, so we have a single shooter. Maybe you can find a great photographer who doesn't traditionally do weddings. You're not in the NYC area, are you? If you are I can PM you his info.

falsara · July 2014

I understand its expensive to run a business. It's just hard when I already have had to give up a lot including things like our honeymoon, and my dream of having it outdoors for both reception and ceremony. I never thought I would ever get married so we're trying to do whatever we can in our budget. I understand at the end of the day I will be married to the most amazing person and things like blue tablecloths or Oreo cupcakes wont matter. I am truly blessed that my family has amazing connections to things like DJs and Liquor store owners but sometimes I wish that my mom could split her photographer half from her mom half.

@JCbride2015 - unfortunately not in NYC, the wedding is in MI Thanks for the offer though!

chibiyui · July 2014

I'd also point out that photogs with photojournalist styles/skill sets are not the common wedding photog, and as such are going to charge more than a more traditional skill set.

Are there any local schools with a good photography program? Those 2k wedding photogs have to start somewhere you know.

lovesclimbing · July 2014

http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/

That's a good link with a breakdown of the cost. It simply is not worth it to charge less.

CrazyCatLady3 · July 2014

lovesclimbing said:

http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/

That's a good link with a breakdown of the cost. It simply is not worth it to charge less.

This. When you break it down the photographers are really making quite a modest living. Lots and lots of time goes into your wedding photos other than just showing up on the day and snapping away. Not sure if you have picked a date yet, but if photos are important to you, you may want to allow yourself more time to save for the wedding.

MyNameIsNot · July 2014

It sucks that you can't afford what you want, but photographers just are expensive. In addition to the 8 hour wedding day, a decent photographer will spend 3-4 times that on editing and retouching, plus photography equipment is expensive.

You may find a better deal if you stop looking for a "wedding" photographer. Perhaps your mother knows someone or you can find someone that normally doesn't do weddings, but would make an exception for you.

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 · July 2014

I feel your pain with pricing. When I first looked, I thought I could grab a photog for 600-800. I was so wrong... Nothing came close. And photogs guard the rights of their photos so I had a hell of a time finding someone willing to give me a USB full of them, And no one wants to tell you pricing up front! Have a friggin' pricing page on your site, photographers!!! Ultimately, I had to reshuffle my budget and pay $1600. My photog has a lot of extras in that price, so I have come to terms with it and ultimately realized I was getting a great deal for what I am paying.

You can try entering contests at bridal shows. A friend of mine won a $4000 photog package. You might get lucky! Does you mother have friends in the business? Maybe she can ask? Does your venue have a preferred vendors list?

I found mine by doing google searches in my area.

Just a word of warning: get a contract, no matter who you choose! I was told of a photog that bailed 2 weeks before a person's wedding. They were a friend of a friend from this person's work and just decided they couldn't go to the wedding for whatever reason. The bride had to find anyone that was even remotely available during the middle of a busy wedding season and paid dearly for them.

OliveOilsMom · July 2014

While wedding planning, I was most definitely sticker shocked at the prices for the photographers that I liked. We ended up rearranging our budget to accommodate the local pricing of photographers.

Have you tried asking your mom for recommendations? She works in the business and maybe she can ask around to find someone in her style of photography within your budget. You don't need to have your mom work it, but she might be able to help you find someone.

penguin44 · July 2014

I was having the same problem as you. I actually found my photographer on craigslist. He was just starting out on wedding photography, and had done more commercial stuff in the past. We ended up being really lucky. His prices have already gone up a bunch since we booked him less than a year ago.

Oh and he gave us a discount because we said we saw his ad on craigslist. We worked out a deal with him because all of his packages included prints and an album, and we were just interested in the digital copies.

Also, we did a first look 2 hours before the ceremony, we only had our photographer for 6 hours, and we still ended up with him photographing dancing for at least an hour. You don't need as many hours as you think.

JCbride2015 · July 2014

This is sort of lame advice, but have you tried posting on your local board? I know my photog is a good deal and has an amazing portfolio, so if I see NJ brides on the local board looking, I will post his info. You might be able to find a student or a new photographer that way.

KeptInStitches · July 2014

The only way we were able to get a photographer for under $1500 was to find a guy who does this on the side. When it's your fun money instead of your rent/mortgage money, you can charge less.

wandajune6 · July 2014

I found mine on thumbtack.com. She's an experienced photographer who is newer to weddings. We loved her work and agreed to be in her portfolio- something that got us an amazing rate ($800 for an e-shoot and 7 hours).

You won't get great rates shopping the big companies but search out smaller shops just getting started. Sure, there's more risk but it is more affordable.

Jells2dot0 · July 2014

I'm in awe that some people were able to find photogs for less than $2k! That's awesome! I thought I found a steal when mine charged $3000 AUD for her package. I did end up paying another ~$2k in transportation, lodging, and prints, but that was because of where I chose to be married. And you don't even want to know how much I paid for my first wedding and then had to throw the prints in the trash :-/

I think there are some elements of a wedding that are worth the money and some where the wedding industry let pricing get out of hand. Photography, IMHO, is one area where I feel it's worth sinking a little extra money into the budget.

FiancB · July 2014

Photography was extremely important to me but I set my budget at $2k and ended up paying exactly like that for an amazing couple and 8 hours. I got really lucky- they were normally more expensive than that but I found them at a wedding expo, and the date was coming up and wasn't filled yet. So maybe try that- there are a lot of deals to be found at those.

I agree while it's a huge expense, I don't blame them for charging it one bit, especially these days when everybody wants millions of Pinterest-worthy pictures of every little thing and expect post processing. I do some hobby photography and for every hour of shooting I do, I do at least a couple hours of post processing even if it's pretty simple. People take longer because then I feel a compulsive need to wipe out zits and shiny foreheads and things like that.

It seems like everybody charges similar prices, whether they're good or not. I am so happy with my photographers. I talked to one at the same show that cost almost as much but doesn't do any postprocessing because he "gets it right in camera" (EYE ROLL). And my friend paid 1600 for hers from a couple that sends out their postprocessing to a company, and her pics turned out awful. I touched them up myself, but they were nothing special in the first place.

Weddings are really tough. A lot of photographers absolutely hate them.

theartistformerlyknownas · July 2014

I'm in MI and thought 2200 was a steal for our photographer. Wedding photography is SO much more work than many other styles/events, and it means a lot to me to get quality.

charlottesmom0626 · July 2014

I feel you on this issue, but it's one of those things "it is what it is."

Mine is almost triple that cost. I had a hard time finding any journalistic wedding photographers. When I saw my photographer's website said he was booked out for the next year, I booked him as soon as we secured the venue. That meant changing around a lot of the budget to afford the price, but pictures are so much more important to me.

vulpiepop · July 2014

I hear you...We had budgeted $1k for a photographer but found that it was nearly impossible to find a photographer for that much in our area. I called about 10 different studios (1 of which wouldn't leave me alone, calling me at all hours of the day, even though I had told them that they're out of our budget). Eventually I found one for $700 from a studio that specializes in photography for budget weddings. Hoping they'll do a good job; their portfolio was pretty good at least. It's a lot of digging around for sure.

jenna8984 · July 2014

lovesclimbing said:

http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/

That's a good link with a breakdown of the cost. It simply is not worth it to charge less.

I feel like this is a little misleading. I am not a photographer so I could be wrong here but I don't know any who do it full time. Mostly all of them do it on the side of a 9-5. Also I feel like those times are really rounded up...I mean 4 hours of email & communication with a single couple? That seems outrageous to me. It takes 5 minutes to send an email and the average couple shouldn't have more than 5 emails to the photographer. I do understand that equipment is expensive and it does take time to process and edit the photos but I still think they are making a huge profit. That being said, I do think great photos are important and I interviewed some who's portfolio were terrible so I wouldn't just chose the cheapest either. I was very fortunate to have a friend gift me her talents in exchange for a fully paid trip out here so we both win.

chibiyui · July 2014

jenna8984 said:

lovesclimbing said:

http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/

That's a good link with a breakdown of the cost. It simply is not worth it to charge less.

I feel like this is a little misleading. I am not a photographer so I could be wrong here but I don't know any who do it full time. Mostly all of them do it on the side of a 9-5. Also I feel like those times are really rounded up...I mean 4 hours of email & communication with a single couple? That seems outrageous to me. It takes 5 minutes to send an email and the average couple shouldn't have more than 5 emails to the photographer. I do understand that equipment is expensive and it does take time to process and edit the photos but I still think they are making a huge profit. That being said, I do think great photos are important and I interviewed some who's portfolio were terrible so I wouldn't just chose the cheapest either. I was very fortunate to have a friend gift me her talents in exchange for a fully paid trip out here so we both win.

Think about it though. Some brides are sending several emails a week, and it's not always something you can just respond to. Sometimes you have to look stuff up, go back through previous correspondence, scan and attac. Etc. Email is fast yes, but reply's aren't always.

Equipment is crazy expensive, and editing can take forever.

A lot of people I know who photog on the side do it that way because they can't make a living off just wedding photography.

falsara · July 2014

You guys are all great. I am working on trying to find someone who doesn't normally do weddings or who is just starting out. I actually emailed a Photojournalist who hasn't done a single wedding just to see if he would be willing to do one but hasn't been contacted. I think I'm also going to see in UM has a photog program with some students who need some experience. In the end if we have to rearrange our budget even more, than we will.

I do understand timelines as far as editing goes. I know for the senior pics my mom took of me she was on her editing program for hours. I also think that some people do take more time than absolutely necessary to edit photos. People are who they are because of their imperfections, and photogs shouldn't try to edit those out of every single shot they take.

lovesclimbing · July 2014

jenna8984 said:

lovesclimbing said:

http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/

That's a good link with a breakdown of the cost. It simply is not worth it to charge less.

I feel like this is a little misleading. I am not a photographer so I could be wrong here but I don't know any who do it full time. Mostly all of them do it on the side of a 9-5. Also I feel like those times are really rounded up...I mean 4 hours of email & communication with a single couple? That seems outrageous to me. It takes 5 minutes to send an email and the average couple shouldn't have more than 5 emails to the photographer. I do understand that equipment is expensive and it does take time to process and edit the photos but I still think they are making a huge profit. That being said, I do think great photos are important and I interviewed some who's portfolio were terrible so I wouldn't just chose the cheapest either. I was very fortunate to have a friend gift me her talents in exchange for a fully paid trip out here so we both win.

Looking back at it, I do think four hours for emailing is a little over the top for an average couple, but I'm sure some people may take up that much time. And that was a photographer making the list, so I would guess that she has had brides micromanaging everything and emailing/calling all the time.

I do know photographers, several actually, for whom wedding photography is their full-time sole job. I do also know photographers who do it on the side.

Even if they do it on the side, they still need to make enough to make it worth their time. Doing a wedding on top of a 9-5 job, they are cutting into time with their family, friends, etc. and their weekend and it needs to be worth it.

Even on the side, they'll still have about the same amount of hours, maybe a little less, but a similar amount. If they are taking a lot less time, your pictures will not look as good and as such, there will be a lower price tag attached.

If they're making money at it, they really should have a business license and then they'll have all the business expenses that go along with it.

For our wedding, we paid about $1,000. This was for a relative of mine who did not have a lot of experience and had only done two other weddings. But, I had really really liked what I'd seen, so we used her.

hellosweetie1015 · July 2014

See, this is one of those things that is making me itch.

My brother's best friend is a student photographer, but he's got a phenomenal eye, his portfolio is gorgeous, and he knows me well enough to know what I'm going to like and not like. He also did my sister's prom pics this past year, and refused to let my mom pay him.

I won't be having that, because my wedding is likely to be at the beach. There will be time taken off work. His expenses will be paid, for sure, but I'd like a number to put in the big fat photography hole in my budget, and it's like pulling teeth.

charlottesmom0626 · July 2014

CaitTDid23 said:

See, this is one of those things that is making me itch.

My brother's best friend is a student photographer, but he's got a phenomenal eye, his portfolio is gorgeous, and he knows me well enough to know what I'm going to like and not like. He also did my sister's prom pics this past year, and refused to let my mom pay him.

I won't be having that, because my wedding is likely to be at the beach. There will be time taken off work. His expenses will be paid, for sure, but I'd like a number to put in the big fat photography hole in my budget, and it's like pulling teeth.

I tried to contact local colleges for photography students to do our engagement shoot...and they were charging the same as professionals! I was a bit suprised and decided to not book any students... But seems like you know the right people

hellosweetie1015 · July 2014

taylorann0626 said:

CaitTDid23 said:

See, this is one of those things that is making me itch.

My brother's best friend is a student photographer, but he's got a phenomenal eye, his portfolio is gorgeous, and he knows me well enough to know what I'm going to like and not like. He also did my sister's prom pics this past year, and refused to let my mom pay him.

I won't be having that, because my wedding is likely to be at the beach. There will be time taken off work. His expenses will be paid, for sure, but I'd like a number to put in the big fat photography hole in my budget, and it's like pulling teeth.

I tried to contact local colleges for photography students to do our engagement shoot...and they were charging the same as professionals! I was a bit suprised and decided to not book any students.

Yeah... no, I'm not going through the college thankfully, so I won't really have this to worry about. I can't even get a number out of him. I think he's going to be going to the beach with us this upcoming weekend though so I will corner him if necessary.

ginnysilver · July 2014

Hi guys!

I am Ginny from Retrospect Images, the photographer who wrote this post: http://retrospectimages.com/blog/why-are-wedding-photographers-so-expensive-a-breakdown-of-the-costs-to-photograph-a-wedding/ which many of you are referencing. I found this thread as I was receiving a large number of hits to my website from it. So happy to see this post was linked in this dicussion. Please note that I am located in CA so pricing differs from state to state.

To reply to some folks who believe this is an over calculation- it is actually an under calculation in all areas.

Email communications with couples takes up 4 hours at a minimum- this would be for the couple who has an initial inquiry, meeting planned via email, has two check in emails and a few questions leading up to the day, a final meeting scheduled via email, and post wedding emails regarding sneak peeks, final gallery, and shipping info. On average most clients require about double that time in email as often we provide timeline guidance back and forth, vendor referrals, engagement session planning/location planning, and much more. Much of this requires researching time online and 4 hours is the lowest possible amount of time.

I would say that the majority of my clients do not understand all of the time which goes into one wedding before speaking with me- which is why I wrote this post. 90% of the wedding photographers I know are full timers because the job requires SO much work around the clock. Those who do it part time are new to the industry and just getting their feet wet, or have not been successful in their full-time transition and have needed to go back to their fulltime job- usually because they were not charging enough to make ends meet!

During Wedding season I work from 10am-2am most days with about no days off and about 3 hours each day for myself/family sporadically where time permits throughout the day. During off season (Dec-Feb in California where it is wedding season almost all year) I work a typical 9-5 5 days a week.

I completely understand the frustration in the cost of wedding photography, but it is so important to understand what to realistically expect a professional to cost so you can make accurate expectations/plan accordingly.

To put it in perspective- try equating the cost to some of your other expenses. Your dress may cost 1k-3k. I would really hope that your photographer who is capturing the entire wedding day who is in charge of preserving your memories would be worth more than the dress you wear once, or the dj playing the music for a few hours, or the appetizers. But, that being said everyone has a different set of priorities when it comes to wedding budgets! Not everyone may want to cut costs in other areas to afford professional photography and that is completely ok- just know that professionals have quite a large number of expenses and time invested in creating the photos which capture your day.

If you are searching for below market rate photographers- please do be careful. Ensure that they have ample experience photographing weddings (which is much different from other forms of photography). Make sure they have liability insurance (most venues require proof) and equipment insurance. Make sure they have a business license and pay their taxes. Make sure they have backup equipment. And make sure you love their work and trust in them!

Best wishes in your wedding planning everyone!

Aray82 · July 2014

Have you tried your local boards on TK? I found lots of suggestions for reasonable vendors on mine (and I'm getting married in a pretty pricey area near NYC) and found my photographer by a recommendation from my cousin. No e-photos, $1500 for 8 hours, retouches of any 20, and a USB with all the rights. Anyone whose work I looked at below $1500 was laughably terrible. Like, our flower girls could take better photos on an iPhone level of terrible. You do get what you pay for to a certain extent.

You could also check with friends and see if anyone knows someone who is starting out, an art student or whatnot. I have a friend who just invested in equipment and is trying to break into the family photo business. Her work is quite lovely, and she's giving very good deals while trying to get her portfolio up and her name out there. My uncle is re-starting his photography business too and he did great work for my first communion pictures, but I also felt the same way you felt about your mom--just wanted him to be my uncle and enjoy the reception.

falsara · July 2014

@Aray83 - Unfortunately the wedding is in a place that doesn't have a TK local board. The city that's closest to it that does have a Board is over an hour away and Detroit is not cheap on weddings. Plus the only reason we're having the wedding in that area is because family lives there, not because we do, so unfortunately no friends to hit up and the two cousins who have been married in the last ten years,1 of them never got her photos, and the other one I didn't like the quality of the photos.

iloveotters2014 · July 2014

cwradford said:

I understand its expensive to run a business. It's just hard when I already have had to give up a lot including things like our honeymoon, and my dream of having it outdoors for both reception and ceremony. I never thought I would ever get married so we're trying to do whatever we can in our budget. I understand at the end of the day I will be married to the most amazing person and things like blue tablecloths or Oreo cupcakes wont matter. I am truly blessed that my family has amazing connections to things like DJs and Liquor store owners but sometimes I wish that my mom could split her photographer half from her mom half.
@JCbride2015 - unfortunately not in NYC, the wedding is in MI Thanks for the offer though!

My wedding was also in MI and I spent a little under 2k for photography (including engagement photos). I pretty much got a steal when it came down to it. A big part of my job is working with photography, so I am pretty picky when it comes to photography. Most of the photographers that I would even consider charged 4-6k in the metro detroit area. I really really lucked out and found a photographer just starting out that I went to art school with a few years back. She cut me a pretty fantastic deal.

I'm not sure what area you are in but maybe you can find students or recent grads from CCS or if you are on the other side of the state Kendall?

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