Demystifying the Cost of Wedding Photography
"Wow! You get paid (insert seemingly exhorbitant sum here) for one day's work and get to take the rest of the week off!"--from the occasional friend, relative or potential client.
"I could buy a camera and let my sister/friend/uncle take the photos for that price." --heard more than once from people bemoaning the general cost of professional wedding and portrait photography
"That's it? That's all you charge? I know I'm shooting myself in the foot here, but I've seen far worse work from photographers who charge far more." --a graphic designer who was pre-screening wedding photographers for her best friend, upon hearing my fees for 2004. And yes, I raised my rates for 2005.
I've heard the whole spectrum of responses to my quotes for wedding photography. While I know very well how I come up with my fees, I have to remind myself that it can be easy for the layperson to be confounded when trying to reconcile how we can charge what we do and still drive dented station wagons, drink sub-par malt beverages and clip toilet paper coupons from the Sunday paper.
Wedding photography is not the "posh life." Granted, most of us work for ourselves and set our own schedules, but any small business owner knows that this doesn't mean we work when we feel like it. But what a client pays is not immediately deposited into the photographer's personal checking account.
For the sake of this article, let's take a look at a fictional $3200.00 wedding package. This package includes unlimited photography (up to 10 hours), a 14-page flush-mount album, online previews, 400 printed 4x6 proofs, a digital slideshow on DVD, and an assistant. (This package isn't offered "out of the box" by my studio, but it's an example I've seen out there among my fellow wedding photogs).
Client Planning: 5+ hours
Professional Equipment Maintenance
My gear is professionally maintained as needed, which can be a frequent thing. Digital gear requires that sensors and optical elements be cleaned professionally at least once a season, and in-house before every event.
Wedding photography is a full-contact sport. Equipment gets dropped, bumped, toppled, doused, and in one case, I had a dog come up and pee in my camera bag during a portrait session in the park. All wedding photographers are accustomed to sending gear in for repair at manufacturer-certified pro shops, and budget accordingly. And if Fido fried the microprocessors in my camera...
New Gear
They don't make equipment like they used to, and in any case, wedding photographers use the heck out of their primary equipment. Whether I'm upgrading, augmenting or replacing equipment, each year I purchase at least $5000 in photo gear alone. I purchase from reputable dealers, and do not buy "gray-market" equipment. Rarely do I buy used, since I want to know maintenance history of any piece of gear upon which my clients and I will depend.
Rented Equipment
Sometimes it just makes sense to rent certain items. I depend upon rental shops such as Pro Photo Supply or Calumet when I need a few extra strobes, that specialty lens or an item that's out of my current budget. While gear rentals are an expense, it keeps my general overhead low...but does make me get up at 7am on my day off to make sure it's all returned by the rental shop deadline.
Computers! Software! Peripherals!
While we digital photographers are saving a bundle on film, we're spending twice that on computer components, upgrades, storage and software. This is something the average Joe can relate to, but also note that computers that are rated to handle, process and store thousands of 50mb files don't come cheap. I have a notebook for on-site downloads and client presentations, and am about to upgrade my studio desktop...though ideally, I'd have two. Our monitors must be top-quality, and they require pricey calibrators and color profiling. And I'm not even going to go into printers, other than to say that I'm currently outsourcing all but proof index sheets to save time and expenses.
I use three or four photo-specific software programs to edit, convert and retouch my images. Each of these programs is upgraded at least every 18 months.
Photographic memory is another biggie. Microdrives are expensive, cranky and delicate. I use both Compact Flash and Microdrives for image capture, and at about $150/pop per gig of reliable memory, well...
Education & Experience
Sure, I studied photojournalism in college, and spent a lot of time and money on books, seminars, workshops and one-on-one training. I put in my hours as a wedding assistant, sometimes compensated, often times not. My first few weddings were more an investment for me than a source of income, as I hadn't refined my technique and workflow for maximum efficiency. And like any good professional, I'm always learning how to improve my photography and postproduction skills. I spend several hours each month researching and testing new techniques, and several hundred dollars each year--at least--on technical instruction. Of course, there's also the learning curve involved with new technology and equipment, since I never use a client's wedding day to try out a new camera or strobe.
Promotion
Many brides find their photographers in event directories, local wedding guides and glossy magazines. Others visit online wedding websites. All of these charge quite a bit for advertising, and are useless unless the photographer has a professional website and gallery. Most photographers get the most business from client referrals, but as a general rule, a wedding photographer has to have a presence in online and print marketing avenues to gain name recognition.
What else? Oh, yes. Postcards, business cards, brochures, letterhead...all these are part of a professional's expenses.
I also belong to several professional organizations for many reasons--networking, learning, contests that challenge me to improve my work, and...let's be honest here...directory listings and peer referrals. Membership, though worthwhile, is spendy.
Outsourced Work
In addition to my assistants, a professional will factor in any outsourced work. Album manufacturers, proof printers, website designers, online preview/shopping cart hosts, postproduction assistants, CPAs, legal consultants...all of them take a bite.
General Business Expenses
Utilities, office supplies, vehicle maintenance, fuel, bookkeeping software, merchant account fees, light bulbs, insurance...you get the idea. And those sensible shoes I wear to keep my dogs from barking in the 11th hour of your wedding...and dry cleaning...and coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee...
Other Factors to Consider
Ever see the Discovery channel series on crab fishermen? If you have, you know why they make thousands of dollars in a few days' time. While most wedding photographers aren't subjected to the risks of drowning in arctic seas, our work is quite seasonal. There's the boom between April and November, and the relative hang-time the rest of the year (when we busy ourselves with album consultations, new client consultations, training and non-wedding projects). There are only so many weekends in the year (though weekday weddings are becoming more common) and many of us limit the number of events we book due to time constraints and concern for both quality of service and personal sanity. I'm shooting for 30 weddings for 2006--and several of those will be half-day events that, because they are less work-intensive, generate less income.
Like crab fishing, wedding photojournalism is physical. Carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, bad backs, bum knees, sore feet--all of these are casualties of 14-hour event days and the subsequent hours in postproduction. Whether or not we have assistants to help, we still have to carry several pounds of gear on our bodies for hours at a time, ignoring our chiropractor's demands for weight distribution in favor of accessibility. Am I whining? Perhaps, but few people realize just how much we dedicated shooters invest in each wedding.
Summary
At least half of every wedding package is earmarked for tangible products that are delivered to clients as well as the costs of doing--and improving--our businesses. The rest trickles into our personal banking accounts, to pay the bills that keep us happy, fed and eager to continue doing what we love. Whenever somebody tells me, "You're so lucky to work for yourself," I remind them that the opposite is true: A wedding photographer with a similar workflow will have as many as 40 bosses every year, not including the client's intended spouse and wedding planner. Of course, the only person keeping me on task on a day-to-day basis is me...and Me is one heck of a slave driver.
The "Lucky" part is dead-on. I love what I do, or else I'd be doing something else. I miss a lot of my friends' and family's social gatherings, but I meet the most interesting people all the time, and have found new friends among my clients. I get to travel. I get to eat a lot of cake. I get to observe and document a lot of joy (and a little hilarity). I get to hang out and talk shop with some of the most talented and creative photographers in the profession. Every job is different from the last, and the opportunities for learning never end. I'm rarely ever bored. I've avoided the prairie-dog colonies that we call office cubicles, and my home office looks out on six urban-dwelling chickens and a determined tomato plant rather than a parking lot. And later this afternoon, I get to meet with two really cool people whose wedding just might become my next favorite.
Rarely will a photographer accumulate great wealth from wedding photography. Not without writing books, conducting seminars and inventing new gadgets, and even then, well. But every full-time professional wedding photographer, in order to continue to do what she loves, must be realistic in her pricing so that she can remain competetive in skill, customer service and workflow. Her prices should reflect the level of service and quality of products she offers, with a great emphasis in experience and self-confidence. When I come across photographers who charge far less than they should--judging from their portfolios and sample weddings--I wonder how much confidence they have in their own abilities, or how committed they are to continuing their career. I wonder if they've got a reputation of poor customer service, forcing them to keep their rates low. Perhaps they have a day job to pay their bills, or photography is simply a weekend hobby. In any case, I wonder if they'll burn out and be gone by the following season, or if they'll realize the value of their work and time, and change their prices accordingly.
On the other hand, I have no problem announcing my standard rates on my website. Most clients who know what's up will bookmark my gallery and give me a call, while those who don't have the same perspective I've tried to give you here will quickly move along until they find something that fits their idea of a reasonable rate. While I'll customize a package for a client, I simply won't haggle over component fees. I don't overinflate my products and services, and any client who doesn't see the value in what I (or my contemporaries) offer is best off looking elsewhere. Sacrifices we wedding pros make to cater to such clients comprimise the clients who are eager to book us at our established rates, and simply forces us to either work below minimum wage or eliminate the crucial improvements to our businesses. That just won't fly.
Anybody who might have any specific questions about points mentioned above, or neglected entirely, is encouraged to contact me at 503.892.2944, or online. Copyright Michelle Burke Photography 2005.
"I could buy a camera and let my sister/friend/uncle take the photos for that price." --heard more than once from people bemoaning the general cost of professional wedding and portrait photography
"That's it? That's all you charge? I know I'm shooting myself in the foot here, but I've seen far worse work from photographers who charge far more." --a graphic designer who was pre-screening wedding photographers for her best friend, upon hearing my fees for 2004. And yes, I raised my rates for 2005.
-----
Wedding photography is not the "posh life." Granted, most of us work for ourselves and set our own schedules, but any small business owner knows that this doesn't mean we work when we feel like it. But what a client pays is not immediately deposited into the photographer's personal checking account.
For the sake of this article, let's take a look at a fictional $3200.00 wedding package. This package includes unlimited photography (up to 10 hours), a 14-page flush-mount album, online previews, 400 printed 4x6 proofs, a digital slideshow on DVD, and an assistant. (This package isn't offered "out of the box" by my studio, but it's an example I've seen out there among my fellow wedding photogs).
Event Specific Investments:
Client Planning: 5+ hours
- Shot lists, schedule framework, questions, referrals, site recon and travel, any requested in-person follow-up consultations and factoring in the 25-30% of clients the photographer meets, but who book elsewhere)
- 10 hours' photography
- 3 hours' setup, breakdown, packing, unpacking, light checks, local travel
- Initial Downloads, Edit, Burning: 2 hours
- Postproduction (minor cosmetic, color/density, file conversion) 45 hours
- Average 75 images/hour capture, 10-hour wedding = 750 images
- Web Optimization/Burning or Upload for 750 Online Previews: 2 hours
- Album Consultation: 2 hours
- Album Design: 1 hour per page (often outsourced)
- Album/Manufacturer Quibbling & Consultations: 1 hour
- Client Layout Proofing, first revision 3+ hours
- Print Selection & Delivery to Printer: 2 hours, plus expense of 400 unique 4x6 machine proofs
- DVD Slideshow: 2+ hours for 100 images, formatted and burned. Custom screen/label graphics, printing, materials, music synchronization.
- $100-$250/day, depending upon experience and complexity/length of event.
General Overhead:
Professional Equipment Maintenance
My gear is professionally maintained as needed, which can be a frequent thing. Digital gear requires that sensors and optical elements be cleaned professionally at least once a season, and in-house before every event.
Wedding photography is a full-contact sport. Equipment gets dropped, bumped, toppled, doused, and in one case, I had a dog come up and pee in my camera bag during a portrait session in the park. All wedding photographers are accustomed to sending gear in for repair at manufacturer-certified pro shops, and budget accordingly. And if Fido fried the microprocessors in my camera...
New Gear
They don't make equipment like they used to, and in any case, wedding photographers use the heck out of their primary equipment. Whether I'm upgrading, augmenting or replacing equipment, each year I purchase at least $5000 in photo gear alone. I purchase from reputable dealers, and do not buy "gray-market" equipment. Rarely do I buy used, since I want to know maintenance history of any piece of gear upon which my clients and I will depend.
Rented Equipment
Sometimes it just makes sense to rent certain items. I depend upon rental shops such as Pro Photo Supply or Calumet when I need a few extra strobes, that specialty lens or an item that's out of my current budget. While gear rentals are an expense, it keeps my general overhead low...but does make me get up at 7am on my day off to make sure it's all returned by the rental shop deadline.
Computers! Software! Peripherals!
While we digital photographers are saving a bundle on film, we're spending twice that on computer components, upgrades, storage and software. This is something the average Joe can relate to, but also note that computers that are rated to handle, process and store thousands of 50mb files don't come cheap. I have a notebook for on-site downloads and client presentations, and am about to upgrade my studio desktop...though ideally, I'd have two. Our monitors must be top-quality, and they require pricey calibrators and color profiling. And I'm not even going to go into printers, other than to say that I'm currently outsourcing all but proof index sheets to save time and expenses.
I use three or four photo-specific software programs to edit, convert and retouch my images. Each of these programs is upgraded at least every 18 months.
Photographic memory is another biggie. Microdrives are expensive, cranky and delicate. I use both Compact Flash and Microdrives for image capture, and at about $150/pop per gig of reliable memory, well...
Education & Experience
Sure, I studied photojournalism in college, and spent a lot of time and money on books, seminars, workshops and one-on-one training. I put in my hours as a wedding assistant, sometimes compensated, often times not. My first few weddings were more an investment for me than a source of income, as I hadn't refined my technique and workflow for maximum efficiency. And like any good professional, I'm always learning how to improve my photography and postproduction skills. I spend several hours each month researching and testing new techniques, and several hundred dollars each year--at least--on technical instruction. Of course, there's also the learning curve involved with new technology and equipment, since I never use a client's wedding day to try out a new camera or strobe.
Promotion
Many brides find their photographers in event directories, local wedding guides and glossy magazines. Others visit online wedding websites. All of these charge quite a bit for advertising, and are useless unless the photographer has a professional website and gallery. Most photographers get the most business from client referrals, but as a general rule, a wedding photographer has to have a presence in online and print marketing avenues to gain name recognition.
What else? Oh, yes. Postcards, business cards, brochures, letterhead...all these are part of a professional's expenses.
I also belong to several professional organizations for many reasons--networking, learning, contests that challenge me to improve my work, and...let's be honest here...directory listings and peer referrals. Membership, though worthwhile, is spendy.
Outsourced Work
In addition to my assistants, a professional will factor in any outsourced work. Album manufacturers, proof printers, website designers, online preview/shopping cart hosts, postproduction assistants, CPAs, legal consultants...all of them take a bite.
General Business Expenses
Utilities, office supplies, vehicle maintenance, fuel, bookkeeping software, merchant account fees, light bulbs, insurance...you get the idea. And those sensible shoes I wear to keep my dogs from barking in the 11th hour of your wedding...and dry cleaning...and coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee...
Other Factors to Consider
Ever see the Discovery channel series on crab fishermen? If you have, you know why they make thousands of dollars in a few days' time. While most wedding photographers aren't subjected to the risks of drowning in arctic seas, our work is quite seasonal. There's the boom between April and November, and the relative hang-time the rest of the year (when we busy ourselves with album consultations, new client consultations, training and non-wedding projects). There are only so many weekends in the year (though weekday weddings are becoming more common) and many of us limit the number of events we book due to time constraints and concern for both quality of service and personal sanity. I'm shooting for 30 weddings for 2006--and several of those will be half-day events that, because they are less work-intensive, generate less income.
Like crab fishing, wedding photojournalism is physical. Carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, bad backs, bum knees, sore feet--all of these are casualties of 14-hour event days and the subsequent hours in postproduction. Whether or not we have assistants to help, we still have to carry several pounds of gear on our bodies for hours at a time, ignoring our chiropractor's demands for weight distribution in favor of accessibility. Am I whining? Perhaps, but few people realize just how much we dedicated shooters invest in each wedding.
Summary
At least half of every wedding package is earmarked for tangible products that are delivered to clients as well as the costs of doing--and improving--our businesses. The rest trickles into our personal banking accounts, to pay the bills that keep us happy, fed and eager to continue doing what we love. Whenever somebody tells me, "You're so lucky to work for yourself," I remind them that the opposite is true: A wedding photographer with a similar workflow will have as many as 40 bosses every year, not including the client's intended spouse and wedding planner. Of course, the only person keeping me on task on a day-to-day basis is me...and Me is one heck of a slave driver.
The "Lucky" part is dead-on. I love what I do, or else I'd be doing something else. I miss a lot of my friends' and family's social gatherings, but I meet the most interesting people all the time, and have found new friends among my clients. I get to travel. I get to eat a lot of cake. I get to observe and document a lot of joy (and a little hilarity). I get to hang out and talk shop with some of the most talented and creative photographers in the profession. Every job is different from the last, and the opportunities for learning never end. I'm rarely ever bored. I've avoided the prairie-dog colonies that we call office cubicles, and my home office looks out on six urban-dwelling chickens and a determined tomato plant rather than a parking lot. And later this afternoon, I get to meet with two really cool people whose wedding just might become my next favorite.
Rarely will a photographer accumulate great wealth from wedding photography. Not without writing books, conducting seminars and inventing new gadgets, and even then, well. But every full-time professional wedding photographer, in order to continue to do what she loves, must be realistic in her pricing so that she can remain competetive in skill, customer service and workflow. Her prices should reflect the level of service and quality of products she offers, with a great emphasis in experience and self-confidence. When I come across photographers who charge far less than they should--judging from their portfolios and sample weddings--I wonder how much confidence they have in their own abilities, or how committed they are to continuing their career. I wonder if they've got a reputation of poor customer service, forcing them to keep their rates low. Perhaps they have a day job to pay their bills, or photography is simply a weekend hobby. In any case, I wonder if they'll burn out and be gone by the following season, or if they'll realize the value of their work and time, and change their prices accordingly.
On the other hand, I have no problem announcing my standard rates on my website. Most clients who know what's up will bookmark my gallery and give me a call, while those who don't have the same perspective I've tried to give you here will quickly move along until they find something that fits their idea of a reasonable rate. While I'll customize a package for a client, I simply won't haggle over component fees. I don't overinflate my products and services, and any client who doesn't see the value in what I (or my contemporaries) offer is best off looking elsewhere. Sacrifices we wedding pros make to cater to such clients comprimise the clients who are eager to book us at our established rates, and simply forces us to either work below minimum wage or eliminate the crucial improvements to our businesses. That just won't fly.
Anybody who might have any specific questions about points mentioned above, or neglected entirely, is encouraged to contact me at 503.892.2944, or online. Copyright Michelle Burke Photography 2005.
posted by Michelle Burke at 9:07 AM
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