Why are Wedding Photographers so expensive?
Your planning your wedding and you know that one of the most important details of your special day are the Wedding Photos. After all, you’re only getting one shot at this, and you don’t want to risk blowing this to fate by hiring a person just starting off on their first wedding. You’re better off giving your $500.00 camera to grandpa and hoping for the best. And when your wedding is all over, you will only have one thing to remember your memories, your Photos or Wedding Album. And that frayed and dirty wedding dress.
So to answer your question on why Professional photographers charge so much. The key word is PROFESSIONAL.
Just take these things into consideration:
• EDUCATION: In order to have the best, they need to study with the best. Training is ongoing and never ends. This costs money, BIG money.
• GEAR: Professional Cameras (a pro always has several backups) Glass (lenses) at least 3 to start with some prime lenses start off at $2,500.00 or more. Sure you can use a kit lens, but expect kit results and your need that extra costs to shoot in low light conditions. On and off camera lighting, Tripods, cases to carry the gear, Memory cards, batteries, filters, cords, Diffusion bounce reflectors, etc, etc. You get the picture. This isn’t cheap.
• Monthly rental space for the office, insurance, phone service, supplying the office furnishings, Cable, ( yeah, we watch T.V. too in our off time) Water, electricity, sewage, Brochures, logo design, advertising, dvd discs, website design, website hosting, Sample prints framed on the office walls, Search engine optimization to get higher rankings on the net ( very time consuming and EXPENSIVE), business cards, Postage, Photo paper, Printers and ink, and let’s not forget the 5 hour energy drink to keep you up at 3pm working on photos.
• Taxes, taxes and more taxes. Uncle Sam or CRA somehow thinks they are entitled to almost 40% of your income. As per Federal taxes, State Taxes and local taxes. And don’t forget about the end of the year tax bill. Ouch!!!
• Computers. Mac or PC, these babes cost big money. Also a great sorting and light software like Lightroom and let’s not forget Photoshop to help remove those pesky pimples. Along with add on software like Onone Software, Alienskin software, or any other multitude of plugins to make the life of a photographer go that much easier to edit and correct your photos. Oh and did I mention the HUGE LEARNING CURVE in learning any of these software’s and the costs.
• Storage. If you want future copies of your work, external hard drives and or Online Cloud Based systems are a must to keep and store your photos. This is also a costly feature.
• TIME: What is your time worth as a person at your job? We have to do presentations to new clients on the phone and in person, consulting before the wedding, prepping before the wedding, driving time to the location, SHOOTING THE WEDDING, uploading and cataloging the wedding, color correction, editing and culling the images, Photoshop corrections, designing a website for Clients to view photos, design a DVD Slideshow to showcase the best photos, uploading to an online gallery for clients to share their photos online. several hours in office for showing the clients the photos, ordering prints, Packaging, designing the album, accounting, runs to the post office and delivering the final product.
Professional Photographers are just that—Professionals. You wouldn’t hire a guy off of Craigslist to do your brain surgery or build your home. We are no different than a dentist, doctor, or electrician. As a personal photographer we often become a friend, someone who documents your many life moments that will mean the world to you. When that home is burning and you race into the house to save your prized possessions it is almost always your PHOTOS that you save. Memories last a lifetime. Don’t risk it to chance.
If you would like more information on Wedding Photography feel free to give us a call. We are ‘best of Wedding photographers in Vancouver BC and our prices are half the cost of most studios.