Wedding photographers and why they’re so expensive
When the word “wedding” gets added to anything, the price seems to automatically quadruple. While this might seem a bit ridiculous and outrageous to some, it’s important to sit back and think about all the time and effort that goes into a wedding and that is probably why those prices seem to be so much. This post is going to shed some light on wedding photography specifically.
In the Midwest/southeast part of the US, standard wedding photography is around $4-$6,000. There are also Vanity Fair and celebrity photographers that charge WAY more - I’m talking like $15,000 and up. But, why? Why is “just taking some pictures” so expensive?
Time
Time is huge. Not only is your photographer (tog) or team of togs at your wedding the amount of time you booked but there is before and after the day that is included.
Usually, before your wedding day, you and your tog will talk (either on the phone or in person) about what it is you’re looking for and wanting for your photography. This can be anywhere from a couple of hours to a good amount of time.
Then, on the day of, there is of course the time spent at the wedding shooting; but, there is also the time spent getting to and from (some wedding venues might be further than an hour away from the togs main location). Most wedding togs will be at your event all day (over 6 hours).
Finally, after the wedding. This is when the magic happens. Your photographer is going to upload all of your photos to their computer and begin work. They will edit your photos for hours upon hours to make sure you are getting the best photos possible. After all, it is your day and you deserve the most amazing photos to remember it by.
Most weddings will have over 100 images taken an hour… and while some will not turn out or are duplicates, the tog still will have to go through them one by one to edit. Editing massive amounts of photos can take hours, days, or even weeks. Granted, the length of editing also depends on how much editing is needed/wanted or the specific style. Nonetheless, much time goes into delivering you the best gallery.
So from the hours before, during, and after, photographers usually put in well over 100 hours worth of work into your day. If they were working for $15 an hour, that would be $15 x 100 = $1,500. Most wedding togs are experienced so should be charging more than $15/hour which is where the higher prices come in. So, when you see a full day of wedding photography for $4,000… think of it as more of a $40/hour for 100 hours.
Equipment
This one is another big chunk of money. There is of course the camera body — most wedding togs have two camera bodies. Then the lenses — most have more than one lens and the specialty lenses can be up there in price. Then there is lighting — flashes and continuous lighting stands, etc. Memory cards, camera batteries, editing software, gallery delivery system, insurance, and more.
All of the above adds up to a pretty penny. Usually well over $5,000 worth of equipment and software. Now, we know that technically gets “paid for” after a few sessions or events, BUT, upgrades are needed, new items need to be purchased, and subscriptions run monthly usually. All of these things also go into the photographer’s cost.
Experience
One major part of the price you’re paying is experience. The higher the price tag, usually the more experienced your tog is. Everyone has to start somewhere and there is nothing wrong with that. However, most wedding photographers are very well seasoned — whether in wedding photography or other types — they know what they are doing.
So while you might not have over $1,000 to spend on your photographer, just know that you are paying for the experience as well. (Not saying there are not great inexpensive photographers, simply stating most case scenarios.)
More than a photographer
I must also mention that your wedding tog is more than just a photographer. They can also help plan with you (not as extensively as a wedding coordinator, but we do help build timelines and can give general advice). They will also be planning their shot list for you as well so that all the photos you could ever want will be taken.
Then, day-of Photographers keep everyone on track, train conductor if you will. They are your personal dress fixer to make sure your photos always look amazing (especially if you have a long or wide train). They’re going to make sure every detail on your person looks amazing for photos so they will fix necklaces, hair on your face, etc. Additionally, photographers will also be your personal assistant. Not in a literal sense, but more so because they are with you pretty much 24/7 that day, they will be able to get you what you need while making sure your photos are turning out. For instance, if you’re wanting with your bouquet or have a long train, they will make sure to help carry or remember them. They make sure you have what is needed for the photos.
Additionally, they are going to keep you on time. Since you paid for a specific amount of time, they are going to make sure they use their time efficiently. Wedding togs whole goal is to make sure your wedding photos are amazing, so helping make the day great goes along with that too. By making your day easier, it helps make their jobs better too.
Breakdown
So, let’s break it all down. Let us say your tog puts in 100 hours of work, has $5,000 in equipment costs, drove their vehicle to your venue, paid for gas and food, and has been doing weddings regularly for at least 2 years. Let us say they also only charged $2,500 for 8 hours of shooting coverage (that 8 hours is included in the 100 hours of total work). So, first, you would take 2500 and divide that by 100. That brings their hourly pay down to $25 per hour.
This may vary slightly from tog to tog, but this is a good representation of why photographers cost so much. Hopefully, the next time you see someone sharing their wedding photography prices, you will understand a little bit more about why they might seem so high.
