Why Wedding Photographers' Prices are “Wack”

Why Wedding Photographers’ Prices are “Wack”

Nikki Wagner · Jan 26, 2012

Earlier today my friend and fellow photographer posted a link to a craigslist ad from a woman in Seattle looking for a wedding photographer. The woman was upset because she thought that $3,000 for a wedding photographer was “wack” because all we do “is hang out at a wedding taking tons of photos and editing them” and that we are “making so much money its crazy.”

I first read this post earlier today while I was running errands and my head almost exploded. I immediately started drafting a horribly mean and punishing response in my head, but by the time I got home, I realized that this is probably a common misconception and that maybe I should try to explain why photographers charge what we do for our work.

Before I post my response, I want to thank all of my brides who appreciate my work and think that I am worth the price. This response is not meant to offend anyone. I understand many people are on a budget — especially in this economy — and I understand planning a wedding is both expensive and overwhelming. I always try my best to work with my couples and offer customized and discounted packaging options for those who are on a tighter budget.

I just want to state again, that being a photographer doesn’t mean that we wake up in the morning, photograph a wedding for 8 hours and then go home and our job is done. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to support ourselves as full time photographers don’t just work as photographers. We are also small business owners, which also comes with the job of doing all of our own marketing, sales, accounting, scouting, art directing, managing our offices and studios, being our own webmasters, doing our own post production, designing, blogging, being students, being mentors, researching, etc…

Sorry for the novel. Here was my response:

Dear Bride,

I am a wedding photographer in the Erie, PA area. Wedding season only last about 4 months here, so I photograph an average of 20 weddings per year for an average of $2,500/wedding (which totals about $50,000/year).

That being said, I am a small business owner, so I pay all of my taxes, totaling about $15,000/year, which leaves me with a gross income of around $35,000
Of that $35,000 I pay $600/month in rent for my small house and garage which I converted into my studio (which is where I would be editing your wedding images). $35,000 – $7,200 = $27,800
Then I have my car, which I would use to get me to and from your wedding, which I pay $400/month for the lease, plus $200/month in car insurance. $27,800 – $7,200 = $20,600
To get to your (and my other brides) wedding consultation, second wedding pre-consultation, the wedding itself, and to and from the printers I spend $840/year in gas money. $20,600 – $840 = $19,760
I also have $500/year insurance in case you sue me, or if any of your drunk guests would happen to break any of my equipment. $19,760 – $500 = $19,260
You also probably found me through my website, which I pay $30/month for hosting, and another $30/month so that you can view your photos online and share the images with your friends and family. $19,260 – $720 = $18,540
Or perhaps you found me through my advertisements in the newspaper or local bridal magazines, or a bridal show that you attended that I paid to have a booth at. $18,540 – $1,000 = $17,540
I also pay $250/month for my own health insurance in case I were to get hurt at your wedding. $17,540 – $3,000 = $14,540
I pay $200/wedding for a second shooter for your wedding, so that you can have more images and different angles, as to make sure you get the best images possible at your wedding. $14,540 – $4,000 = $10,540
I also need to have a new pair of shoes ($100) every season because my shoes get worn out and dirty from season to season. $10,540 – $100 = $10,440
I need high speed internet so I can upload all of your images online, my home phone for my business and my cell phone so I can communicate with you. $10,440 – $2,500 = $7,940
Oh yes, and I also pay a lawyer to make sure my contracts are iron clad and an accountant to make sure that I am paying all of the taxes I need. $7,940 – $500 = $7,440
Sometimes I attend workshops and seminars to teach me how to better my business, and make my client happier (that would be you), as well as keep up on the trends and learn new techniques so that I can make sure you have the best quality images available.

That would technically leave me with about $7,000/year to feed myself, buy groceries, pay for my heat and electricity, clothe myself, etc. But, usually I end up reinvesting whatever I have left on upgrades and new equipment:

During your wedding, I bring my professional equipment that I use so that I can make sure you have the highest quality images.

I have 2 Canon 5D Mark II cameras (because you always need a backup in case of a camera malfunction, which would ruin your big day’s photographs) which cost $2,500/camera = $5,000
I also have quality lenses which can capture your special moments in low light situations:
Canon 24-70 f/2.8 lens = $1,200
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens = $1,300
Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens = $500
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro = $600
…and I have speed lights to catch the fun moments at your reception:
2 x Canon 580EX II = $1,200
Also multiple battery backups and memory cards, lens filters, light stands, umbrellas, light boxes, external battery packs and a bag to carry everything in = $1,500
Because this is equipment, sometimes I need to have it serviced or cleaned to make sure it is all working properly = $200

After spending 8-10 hours at your wedding, I then come home to my home office and spend about 20-25 hours editing your images, creating your album, blogging about your wedding, posting pictures on Facebook, ordering you prints and burning your DVDs.

I edit your photographs using a 27-inch iMac computer = $2,500.
I edit your photographs on Adobe Lightroom ($200) and Adobe CS5 ($400 for the upgrade and $900 for the new program).
I print your DVDs on a printer which costs $300 and which uses $200/year in ink.
I buy the DVDs and jewel cases you’re getting printed for $300/year
I archive all of your photographs on 2 x 2TB external hard drives = $500.
I also back up all of my photographs online so if there was ever a fire in my office, you would never lose your photographs = $400/year.
I also have office expenses as far as buying paper, staples, envelopes, packaging, filing cabinets and files, etc…
I also spend time and money ordering your prints and albums, paying for shipping, going to the post office etc.

All of that being said, I’m usually in the hole at the end of the year, and take on many family portraits, senior portraits and corporate jobs in order to make ends meet.

Photography is my passion and my livelihood, and it is also expensive. Yes, it seems like a lot of money for one day, but one day isn’t all we spend on your photographs or on our business. You will spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress or flowers or a venue or on catering which you are going to have for only one day, but your photographs will be the only thing you have to remember that one day for the rest of your lives.

I’m extremely insulted by your craigslist post and hope this sheds a little light on why we charge $3,000 for one day of your memories that are going to last you forever.

– Nikki Wagner, Photographer

About the author: Nikki Wagner is a wedding, portrait, and event photographer based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Visit her website here.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=8102854 Di Zhang-Photography

so true i wonder what that ignorant craiglist lady said in response to this article.
Noelle

lol this is funny. Glad I am not the only one seeing what is wrong here… So, you only shoot 20 weddings a year? The rest of the time you sit on your ass writing articles like this? How about getting off your a§§ then and getting another job (I’d say a real job, but usually photographers HAVE a real job, as they do not only do 20 weddings a year).
Indy Photog

Actually, the best way to sum up her response is that a photographer that does 20 to 25 weddings a year can expect to net 30 to 45% of revenues, and the rest goes to business expenses/capital depreciation. If she has a brick and mortar studio, it’s on the low end, if she works out of her house and does portraits on-location or in her basement, it’s the higher end. Those expenses are exactly correct, but what she is underestimating is the time for marketing. Blogging, Facebooking, Pinteresting, updating her site, studying other sites for ideas, going to bridal shows, talking to graphic designers about her logo or site design, printing sample albums, all of these take a good 20 to 30 hours per week in the off season, which is about 4 months, from mid December to mid April. Before you comment that her numbers are a bunch of rubbish, try just one year of wedding photography, then come back and comment. At the $3K level, it takes a lot more effort to get your photos to that high standard, and also a lot more effort to convince people to pay those high prices.
Indy Photog

It seems the only folks these days who don’t have to explain why they make so much are professional athletes and entertainers. Doctors save lives but are valued far less than someone chasing a ball around a field.
Knows Photogs

So… why can she only work 4 months a year when “peak” wedding months for venue’s cover 9 of the 12 months of the year? Also important, she can make good money doing other types of photo shoots! She even mentions this later in her letter.

There is no need to limit herself and her livelihood by only doing wedding work in the four months she has designated wedding season or to weddings in general. Other photographers don’t. It seems like she is ignoring the bulk of photography work that other photographers thrive on. These same photographers (making a very healthy salary) then charge very high wedding prices just because they can. I know, I know a few and have talked with them. They literally just like the extra money and people will pay for the reasons the angry bride mentions.

In truth she should be working on weddings non-stop with slow periods in July, August, and December since a little snow or rain in PA doesn’t stop weddings (I have family there). This should give her a very good amount of revenue (far more than her quoted $35K). All the everyday photo shoots, graduation pics, proms, and other revenue generators just add to that.

This photographer just needs to learn how to market herself better and where to look for work. Maybe she is new to the profession or just got out of college.
Ndrs82

But don’t you also get to deduct a lo of what you’re bitching about here bc you’re a business owner, in particular gas an utilities and such? And what kind of car are you driving that has a lease that high??? I’m understanding that you need reliable transportation but when you see commercials for Toyota an Hondas leasing at half that make one wonder…
Ndr82

And equipment.
Sam J

The funny thing is so many think people think the can do a better job than a proper photographer, they can’t. I think most people need to get a grip and pay for the service. When photographers start they need to be cheaper to get going but the real pros are worth every penny
dddd

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand having a small business and the costs that go along with it – HOWEVER, you made the choice to have a $400/MONTH LEASE?! You don’t HAVE to have a car that is that expensive to get you from point A to point B – so that’s very skewed. Plus, tons of people have car payments as well, but unlike a photographer, we cannot claim mileage and car payments on our taxes although it gets us from home to work. There are alot of things that are skewed here, but at the same time I fully understand where the photographer is coming from in prices. $2,500 – $3,000 is VERY average for a wedding photographer, but it is hard to think about it full scale that the amount is coming out of someone’s pocket that probably makes that in an entire month, if not two.
Jes

You pay for what you get. If you want crap pictures taken on your wedding day, hire some nobody, have a family member take the pictures, or some high school kids that is taking a photography class. I promise you will get what you paid for, crap pictures. It’s your wedding day! I paid a lot for my photographer, but I budgeted on other things, flowers, cake, other decorations. I don’t regret for one minute having amazing pictures to look back at and remember the most incredible day of my life, the day I married my best friend. I am so tired of hearing people complain about nothing. If you don’t like the cost, then don’t pay it.
http://arcadiusphotography.com/ Arcadius Kul

nice calculation – I need to rise my prices I think :)
http://www.crystalmadsen.com/ Crystal Madsen

I hate when people tell me my prices are too expensive. that is crap. i value my time and ork. I will never lower my prices only go up from here.
Dave

I value my ork too. Never underestimate your ork.
Ingemar Smith

That’s really not true about only pros owning the negatives.
Ingemar Smith

You’d NEVER see good use of light in a wedding photographer’s portfolio???? This thread is done. People are saying ANYTHING.
Ingemar Smith

You work 365 days a year?? Interesting.
http://www.facebook.com/catherine.fiehn Catherine Fiehn

If this bride complaining about the 3000K is happily married in 25 years, I will offer her 3000k to buy back her wedding album. I bet I could get up to 5-6 figures before she would even consider it and even then probably tell me no.
http://www.crystalmadsen.com/ Crystal Madsen

Thanks for the correction Dave
Rita

Everyone values different things. Just because you value a “disk of negatives” doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t look back and cherish the treasure of having an album to go along with it.
digitalphototeacher

Your prices are Wack, just like you said. If you only shoot 20 weddings a year, you can’t expect to make a living. If my business only had 20 clients, I would be out of business in a month. Please don’t work part time and then whine to the rest of us that break our backs 40 to 60 hours a week in real jobs. If you lowered your prices, you might find that you could do 100 weddings a year and make better money. You also might come close to working the same hours as the rest of us and you might draw more sympathy.
Dave

Hmmmm….”digital photo teacher”. If you know so little about the business that your comment proves, then you perfectly illustrate the adage: “Those who can’t, teach”
weddingshoesaus

Wedding Shoes Australia we’ve made finding and buying the perfect wedding shoe an enjoyable, hassle free experience online. We stock classic colours including white, ivory, and silver in a huge range from open or closed toe to flat, kitten or high heeled bride shoes
Meghan

2,500 for internet? … you might want to look into some other companies… also, I am not sure that working four months of the year for your living entitles anyone to any complaint whatsoever. Fair enough if you can do it, but… I am having trouble feeling any sympathy for the photographer here. And I am self-employed in an artistic profession as well. Your client has rent, car payments, and all the other expenses of life to pay as well as you do, and very likely without the luxury of eight months of free time. What the Craigslist poster wrote is simply true – you charge so much for wedding photos because you can, because it is good money and you know it. not because you “need to”. Nonsense. It is not as if you went into wedding photos because it is your passion, you do it for the money and if you are taking classes in your time off, it surely is not to perfect your wedding work. Self-indulgent bullocks. The Craigslist post wouldn’t have hurt so much had it not hit home. Also, why is that second photographer you mentioned as an expense getting $200 for their precious time, when they have car payments, insurance, and all the rest to pay as well as you do? Because you’re the one paying, not some bride, that’s why.
Dave S.

During the rest of the week / month you are out working on getting the clients doing research into and scouting possible new venues, keeping your technical skills with your camera and software sharp… etc. other than brain surgeons and bomb disposal experts there aren’t a lot of jobs that you get one and only one chance to get it right, you can never ask the bride to walk down the aisle a second time because your settings were wrong…
Aaa

It seems you are confusing your ‘business expenses’ and ‘personal expenses’. Perhaps running a small business properly instead of combining everything into one pile of money you would be better off.
Shay

Good article, but why bother addressing this to a bride? If you have to explain your prices, she’s not your bride. Stop trying to justify your living and making excuses! Costs are high for every business! Get out there and get stuff done! (From a fellow wedding photographer who doesn’t need to justify her $4,500 wedding packages because my brides just get it).
http://www.facebook.com/danbradster Daniel Brady

Those are business expenses. Ask your accountant to take them into account so you pay tax on profit instead of revenue…saving you $5000+ per year…
Liam Stultz

Yup, I feel bad for you, I wish I only had to work 20 days a year.
http://www.facebook.com/ChristyWhiteheadPhotography Christy Whitehead

Amen!

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Why Wedding Photographers’ Prices are “Wack”