Why does wedding photography cost so much
Wedding photography costs can vary widely based on several factors:
Professional Expertise: Experienced photographers charge more due to their skills, creativity, and reputation. They invest in training, equipment, and ongoing education to provide top-notch service.
Time Investment: Wedding photography isn’t just about the event itself. Photographers spend time planning, shooting, editing, emailing, meeting with clients, calls, creating timelines, gear servicing, education, marketing and delivering the final product. A single wedding can demand several days of work.
Gear used by wedding photographers can vary based on personal preferences, style, and budget. However, many professional wedding photographers invest in high-quality equipment to ensure they can capture the special moments of a wedding accurately. Here's a general overview of the typical gear a wedding photographer might use:
Camera Bodies:
Full-frame DSLR or mirrorless cameras are common choices. Popular models include Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Nikon D850, Sony A7III, and others.
Cost: $2,000 - $5,500 per camera body.
Lenses:
Fast prime lenses for low-light conditions and creative portraits, such as a 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8.
Zoom lenses for versatility, like a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 70-200mm f/2.8.
Cost: $500 - $2,500 per lens.
Flash and Lighting Equipment:
External flash units for indoor or low-light situations.
Off-camera flash triggers, softboxes, and diffusers for creative lighting.
Cost: $300 - $1,000 or more.
Camera Bags:
Durable, padded camera bags to protect and carry equipment. Cost: $100 - $300.
Backup Equipment:
It's common for wedding photographers to have backup cameras, lenses, and flashes to avoid disruptions in case of equipment failure.
Cost: $1800
Editing Software:
Aftershoot $700, Adobe Suite $529, Website $66, Mileage 10,000 / .70/km
Pictime $555, Calendly $100, Google ( dropbox), $192 Cell phone, 792, Agree $156/year
Computer and Storage:
High-performance computer for efficient photo editing : Cost: $1,000 - $3,000 for a computer,
External hard drives or cloud storage for backup. $100 - $300 per hard drive. ( 3 per year)
Film: $1000x20 weddings is average.
Sd cards: $70/card, 2 per camera, two cameras per wedding. $7000
Batteries; $30 per camera ( 150-250)
Workshops/ accessories, styling kits : $500-$1000
second photographer/assistant; 60/hour
AVERAGE YEAR: $30,000
Keep in mind that these are rough estimates, and prices can vary based on the brand, model, and availability. Additionally, professional photographers often continuously upgrade and expand their gear to stay current with technology and meet the demands of their clients. This doesn’t include cost of living, merely just the cost to run a photography business
4. Equipment and Maintenance: Professional-grade cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, and editing software are costly. Plus, they require maintenance and regular upgrades to stay competitive.
5. Typical time to edit a wedding 20 hours: Editing and Post-Production: Beyond capturing the images, editing is a significant part of the process. This includes color correction, retouching, and creating a cohesive story or album. Editing services are .45 cents per image = 450, Culling .10 cents per image = 200 Total : $650 per weddings of 1000 images or less.
6, Insurance and Business Expenses: Photographers have overhead costs like insurance, marketing, website maintenance, and administrative tasks that contribute to the overall pricing.
7. Expertise in Handling Pressure or expertise per year ( inflation alone is 3.12%): Weddings are high-pressure events where moments can’t be missed. Photographers need to handle various situations with finesse and still deliver quality shots.
8. Cost of living, mortgage, groceries, car, internet, clothing, co-dependants. $2,329.94 per month, 27,600 per year.
Wedding season is typically May- November, There are only 4 Saturdays in a month. so there are 7 working months with 4 dates per month. 28 dates to cover cost of living and business costs totalling 60K with out including savings or retirement plans.
OTHER FACTORS PHOTOGRAPHERS NEED TO SAVE FOR:
We don’t pay into benefits, and things cost us the full amount up front. We aren’t paying into maternity leave, retirement plans and often we are taxed quite high.
This is just a small glimpse into the industry, remember, while it might seem like a substantial investment, wedding photos are cherished memories that last a lifetime. Investing in a skilled photographer often yields priceless, timeless memories captured beautifully.