Wedding photography is so expensive! All they’re doing is pointing a camera and pressing a button for a day. I can’t believe how much they are charging for that! …I’ll just get my uncle to take some photos, he’s got a good camera.
Music:
—————-
“Fretless” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
“a432” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Links
======================
Flickr:
My personal website:
Wedding website:
*****************
If you like what I’m doing and would like to help me upload more frequently, you can support me on PATREON:
*****************
I'm going to be both the groom and photographer. Winning. #selfie
"Your wedding dress, you're not gonna wear that again… _______ PROBABLY?"
Man… that sounds scary.
I came across this video as a recommendation as I am a wedding photographer. I have had SO MANY say to me, your only taking pictures or I can get my friend to take pictures. Thing is also people are clueless to photography and what goes into it. Its a shame at times that some people still don't get it, however I can relate to so much in this video.
The worst thing about this is they won't even realize it until after they made the mistake. Someone should make a documentary about wedding photographers and have a wedding where there is a person with a camera and a professional wedding photographer taking pictures and then show the difference of those photos.
As a beginner to be safe , I started to get free shoots for their occasion as a second, back up or still photographer .
Jaimie:
I would love to send your video in every proposal I send to a potential client……because of iPhones too many people believe photography does not require any skill set and does not include the expense to the artist that it does.
I can help you to cut on one part, the batteries: Don't buy the Eneloop brand, you can buy an exactly the same battery in IKEA. They call it: "LADDA 2450"
You represent all Pro Photographer out there sharing this…
Thanks for this Video Jamie Windsor..!!!
Spot on Jamie, everything you said is so correct.
First part is really ok but middle part where you are counting your gear is stupid because your gear is your gear there are better photographers with les and cheaper gear and there are bad so called photographer with most expensive gear in the world but that does not justify nor make the price. and last part about investing in memories which are in those photographs is also ok.
Now imagine your car mechanic counting his building where he has garage besides all tools he have in order to calculate the price for fixing your car it is not cheap to own a building and pay taxes for it but neither he nor you are doing only one wedding or car fix for start and neither of you need to have that much of gear and tools but you want to have it in order to make your life easier not the clients life so please forget the gear and tools and buildings and trucks just do as good as you can and price your work as fair as you can. Not too low not to high just be honest and fair to everyone and charge them as much as you would want to be charged for same level and quality of service.
Everything he listed is true and I want to put extra emphasis on skill. Skill required to shoot a wedding and actually provide beautiful photos as well as editing those photos to make them look incredible takes years and years of practise. You are paying for a professional. It's the same reason doctors and dentists are paid well, it's years of study and practise to be able to perform surgeries or medical interventions. Skill needs to be recognized for what it's worth and I think this is still something a lot of people don't realize.
what kind of microphone do you use?
What IDIOT takes 4,000 images at a wedding? They must not know what they are doing, Spray & Pray brigade. Another silly video.
best video ever! might just point potential clients that ask for a discount to this
While I agree with you about the costs, but how would a photographer get to be a photographer without taking his first terrible photos?
Yeah I guess you could be a second shooter, but if you’re learning you’re still learning!
Cant get over those eyes. The ugliest bloke (generally speaking) with those eyes: Pussy magnet.
I just recently shot my third Wedding and although it was the best Wedding I've Photographed as in how much my work has improved, the fact that I previously had a Client thought I was worth pretty much next to nothing is unreal. It's awful when they praise your work but don't want to pay. I just can't understand it?!
Best video, ever!
I fully understand why wedding photographers get paid so much.
So, a little background about me before I share my story. I've been a "side-gig" photographer for a few years, starting out doing landscapes and sports, for local publications and this year I started with portraits and performance art. I have a full time job that's not photography so I'd never really consider myself a "pro" photographer, but I think I do okay.
I recently shot my first two weddings. Both couples were on shoestring budgets; before hiring me one couple was leaning towards just putting disposable cameras on all the tables at the reception, and the second couple was just going to forgo pictures outright. There's no way either were going to be able to afford an experienced pro. I've never even second shot a wedding before, and although "I do okay" works for landscapes (nature doesn't care if you screw up a photo), portraits (it's easy to re-shoot in a studio setting), and sports (well, not really, but I'm much more experienced here), I wasn't sure it would work for a wedding. I was up front with both of couples about my lack of experience and I offered them both prices far less than more seasoned pros would ever consider to reflect this.
I very much enjoyed shooting these weddings and I learned as lot as well, but I definitely need to reconsider whether I want to continue doing them in the future. I'm torn between charging more (which prices me out of this niche market I seem to have stumbled on) and offering less (which doesn't appeal to me artistically). So…we'll see.
Thanks again Jamie. Love your videos.
I had family shoot our wedding and spent the money we would have spent otherwise on gear which we took on honeymoon. The shots aren't perfect but I've seen worse coming from so called professional wedding photographers – even ones whose best work on their website was quite good.
The real reason I didn't want to hire a photographer wasn't the cost. It was the fact that almost no photographer will give all their RAW files including their misses and permission to edit them. Instead many waffle about their artistic vision and not wanting their brand tarnished with amateur editing and missed shots shown. I wanted to spend the next few years playing with edits. Having family shoot it meant I could. It was also the gamble on quality since I didn't know one I trusted. I didn't want to sacrifice and skimp on the honeymoon only to be disappointed with rubbish.
I've also used the same gear (and later gear) to shoot weddings for a couple of friends. I can confirm that it's a lot of work and expense if you try to get it right. I didn't do a perfect job by any means, but I did well. I shot one of the weddings with a severe migraine. It wasn't fun but I got through it.
I respect everything you said and feel the same BUT shouldn't that day be more for you and the bride to feel special together and not as much as to show off
people don't care, good enough is good enough for them, especially when theres plenty of people starving and will do it for almost nothing.
They spend so much on the food, but I would bet that 5 years on, if you asked anybody that attended the wedding what they ate that day, they wouldn't be able to remember. The photos however, last a lifetime, and also help you to remember the details that would otherwise be forgotten.
somebody make a text recap of this video. I want to print, frame and hang it in my studio so client can read it
This should be shown to the couples who want get married, really …
Same issue with graphic designers! People don't realise how much is invested in education, years of experience, professional equipment and software, and of course time spent designing something. The amount people want to pay sometimes seems like they don't even want to give you a minimum wage lol They have to realise they get what they pay for.
Won't shoot weddings for lots of reasons but including the ones you mention. Bride complains at price for what will be the lasting memories but doesn't blink at the price of the dress she will wear only once! Gear is expensive, shutters wear out. I shoot raw and is takes ages to process the number of images most people shoot at a wedding. If you are doing it as a business then jpeg probably makes sense.
The main problem is photography is seen as a hobby and not a profession. Like anything you get what you pay for. If people don't value your skills walk away, there aren't customers you want to entertain.
GOsh, that was so helpful! I run a wedding photography and film company called Strange Sadhu Weddings. I will definitely showcase your video on my social media pages! Thanks again!
Great – but unintuitive – video!
I am frequently asked to shoot events, and I have kit (along the lines of your inventory “dump”). Quite often, the request is for me to charge less than it would cost to merely rent the kit for the day!
The VAST majority of my time is NOT taking pictures, but post, liaising, admin etc.
Great channel!
I enjoyed watching the time on your clock jump around 🙂
I really like the frames on your wall. Where do you get your prints/frames?
YOU JUST REMINDED ME I GOTTA CHARGE MY BATTERIES FOR A SHOOT TOMORROW THANK YOU!
A lot of what u listed as pre work is what people don’t consider work. I’ve had this conversation before with people. They won’t get it and will use it to discredit you so just be careful of some of those points like packing formatting emailing and invoicing
Very good points made here. So much work goes into weddings that people don't appreciate
I always asked this question back when the couple ask if I could drop my rate ….. Why are you going to pay £5000 for flowers when they die, and yet begrudge paying me the going rate ?
Photos last … flowers die.
Or even hire an assistant. People really only see the tip of the ice berg
Tip no 1: Don't say wedding photographers are something "invested". I heard it from at least one famous YouTube channel which I forget by the way and wedding photographers preaerve the moment but aren't investments. Investments improve in value over time. Wedding photos don't.
As a professional photographer (non-commercial/weddings) I will spend the money to hire a great wedding photographer when I get married for those reasons.
I reluctantly took my brothers wedding photographs, I never wanted to do a wedding and hated every minute of it, whatever most wedding photographers charge DOUBLE IT and it still won't be enough
awesome!! great explanation