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With so many photographers saturating the wedding photography market, I thought I would take the time to help out my fellow photogs in dispelling myths I have heard in my career, and help bring a little clarity to our work. Sure, we all wish we could grant every wish like Glinda from Oz, but this is our livelihood, and a business.

1) You can Photoshop that out, right?

Can we, sure. Do we want to? Not necessarily. While we love making your photos look their absolute best, we spend a lot (and do mean a lot) of time in our digital darkrooms after your wedding day. If we can move a piece of trash before shooting, we'll do it. If your makeup artist can clear up that tiny blemish with a touch more makeup, we would prefer that. If we can get Uncle Joe to step out of the way just a bit more, then yes, please help us move him along! It saves us more time, and gets photos back in your hands even quicker.

2) You charge HOW MUCH for 8 hours? I wish I made that much money!

Consider all that goes into our contract with you – 1, 2, even 3 meetings before your wedding day to understand your wants, needs, and must-haves. We may rent special equipment, extensive drive time, shooting time, meals, hotels for locations that are out of our normal area, and paying a second (and sometimes third!) photographer(s). We have to buy our gear, pay taxes, maintain insurance, run a website, and advertise. Even after shooting your event, we still have to edit, and that can take 10, 20, even 30 hours if we have to Photoshop a lot (see above!) Most mid-level wedding photographers charge approximately $2,000 and spend an average of 66 hours per wedding from client meet and greet to deliverables. After all expenses are paid, we rarely see more than $12–$14/hour take home. So why do we do it? Because we LOVE what we do.

3) Can't you just discount your prices, I mean, you're just taking pictures.

First, see #2. Second, you would be upset if you paid $3,500 only to find out I gave the next couple a "once-in-a-lifetime" deep discount for the same package at only $2,000 just weeks after your wedding. My prices are my prices, and it's all dictated by what we discuss to make your dream photos happen. Could we trim down a package and maybe take out a few things? Sure, we're flexible, but don't naturally assume that we can simply discount because you're a great client. We love all of our clients, or we wouldn't have agreed to work with you. We have to cover our costs and we simply aren't "just taking pictures."

4) I want my photos to look like all of these Pinterest ideas I just sent you.

Good, great, we love to see your ideas. One thing photographers thrive on is creativity. We all have our own style, posing, light effects and more. One thing that makes (most of) us cringe, is replicating someone else's work. You hire a photographer based on their style, their existing work, and that you trust their professional opinions. It's what we do! If you have an idea, it's great to share it with your photog, but it helps get us on the same page as your vision. If your photog is light and airy, and you show them something dark and mysterious and high-end, most likely they aren't the vendor for you!

5) You photograph every part of the day, including dinner, right? I don't want to miss anything.

We promise to get all the important parts of your day, but we prefer to draw the line at dinner. Not only does it give our team a chance to reload and recharge (not to mention finally use the restroom), but your guests don't want a flash in their faces while they are enjoying their steak dinner. We prefer to halt shooting when the food hits the head table, and we take 15-20 minutes to freshen up ourselves, so we can be ready to dance the night away with your guests, capturing the fun! We are always in the wings waiting to start back up, and if at any time you absolutely need a shot, we're there, just let us know.

These are just a few of the common questions, myths and misconceptions we hear, if you have others you would like us to comment on, please share in the comments below!

XOXO,

~Deb