Weddings... I don't get it.

[tempra]

...you've got the advantage of a Hook Norton 4X when the situation gets really tough ..... and I'm not talking zoom range here folks

Oh for a proper pint in a proper pub (like the Lamb and Flag) .... but you speak certain truths in your splendid post Sir - sub specia aeternis or whatever.

Now when I were a lad, aarrrr, thar was forest on tham thar farms .....

Nothng wrong with a pint of hooky when the going is good either! :thumbup:

 

[THORHAMMER]

weddings are a means to an end for some people, it can allow someone to break out of their day job and into full time photography, and its hard and it takes training. So, when you get to the point you can command and lead the shooting of a wedding you have reached a certain level, its a good feeling, but there is always mroe to learn of course...

its a lot harder to break right into commercial or fashion work when you are working all day. Weddings can be a bridge for some people, I think its a fair and honest trade just like any other type of shooting.

Some people just love shooting them ... money aside.

 

[Garbz]

Just looking over this I had a thought as I agreed to shoot a wedding for someone tomorrow for $120. I am no pro. Laymen tell me I shoot fantastic photos, but thankfully there's pros out there to offer real criticism and it does not take much looking to realise most wedding photographers are much better than I am.

So now I am doing a wedding tomorrow at a ridiculous discount. But I am not undercutting anyone or stealing anyone's business other than fellow amateurs. The reason being is if it did not agree to do this wedding there simply would not be a wedding photographer, and no pro would be willing to work for $120. Those people who genuinely want decent wedding photos would not take me on, and would be more than happy to hire a pro.

I think the only wedding photographers who harbour hostility to the amateurs in the industry are the ones who don't understand their target market.

 

[mortallis288]

As a newb, and a wanna-be wedding photographer later on in life, i wanna do weddings because i enjoy making people happy. I hate going to weddings my self, but when you think about the expression on their face when they see their precious day that you took for them and they say thank you means more to me than money.
But that doesn't mean i don't wanna make money, i am going to school as a finance major with a minor in marketing. But i am not gonna come out of school making the money i am going to need to support a family doing wedding photography when i have no business. So yes a lot of "newbs" want to do weddings and a lot of people are way to underqualified to think about doing weddings. But some of us "newbs" aren't all that bad

 

[Leo]

I just didn't happen to buy a digital camera and decide to be a wedding photographer. I was first handed down by my dad a Nikon FE, started taking pictures back then about 20+years ago. Then I traded it in with a Minolta 5000si. I started taking weddings for friends and families and my niece even commented as to how my pictures came out better than the pro she hired. Anyway I moved to San Antonio TX from California, and my sister in law is in the Wedding/Debut business. She sells souvenirs, invitations, centerpieces, etc. My wife then joined in the business and startes selling formal gowns. Long story short they kinda forced me into getting into photography. I took some photography classes at one of the adult evening classes and then I started taking pictures of weddings and debuts. I enjoy taking pictures and I just love to see my customers happy with the pictures I took. Of course I had a few customers that were not happy with my pictures. I think that just comes with the nature of the business. You can't please everybody. You can also count me as a Budget Wedding Photographer. Being that I am close to the Southside of town. Majority of my customers are not well-off. So charging them less than what they can actually afford is an attraction to them. Yes I am devaluating myself. But if I charge $1500 per wedding or debut, I will be driving my customers away. I started with $300 per wedding and debut. Yes that is dirt cheap. But only because I did not have any portfolio. Presently I charge $500 and is still on the cheap side. Anyway, even if I only charge $500, I am only doing it on a part time basis. Do you think I am tired of taking debuts/weddings? Yes actually I am tired of taking wedding/debuts. Sometimes I get burned out but the joy of seeing customers happy with their pictures is priceless. To me seing them happy is worth more than the money I charge them. Shall I continue doing this, absolutely. Just as long as they keep on hiring me.

 

[ClarkKent]

And then there are a few of us who like taking pictures. For me..I just like taking pictures. They could be photographs of just anything really. Then I started to get more serious about what I was photographing. So then it sparked my interest to see what all the hype was about. For me I do it for the learning aspect, and seeing what I have been taught in picture form, and knowing that hey, I did that, and it put a huge smile on someones face. I like to do weddings not only for the money, but for the experience. I have worked with a pro a couple of times, helping with lights and what-not. And I have done some simple ones on my own. And I have to say, I think its actually pretty fun. Its the one thing that I can enjoy doing. Sure there are going to be a couple that may or may not like your work, thats given in every buisness. I come from a long line of retail sales, and for me...some you make happy,, some you don't. For the ones you don't make happy, all you can do is your best.

 

[Iron Flatline]

I went to a wedding this weekend, and I'm glad I'm not the person who had to shoot it.

 

[Jon, The Elder]

Ya' know Chris, you may have just discovered a very important transition in this part of photography.

I think the only wedding photographers who harbour hostility to the amateurs in the industry are the ones who don't understand their target market.

In the beginning of 'wedding' photography, Grandpa/Grandma had a formal shot taken in a studio (think hand colored or sepia print).

1930-1950's cameras became 'portable' and the wedding scene got expanded to the ceremony + reception shots. The 'pros' built up packages and formalized the album concept. An entire business concept evolved. By its nature, film was fairly expensive to work with.

Since 1999-2000 Digital has phased in. The cost factor for equipment and processing of images has dropped to insignificant amounts. The "consumer" can now enter a former market that was once the domain of "Pros" exclusively.

Overhead, which was a limiting factor in business, has been reduced a significant amount. In most businesses, this is often used as a profit increasing factor, rather than a price reducing tool.

Unfortunately, many newcomers to wedding (and other) photography have no previous experience in business practices. The first thing that comes to mind is gaining advantage by using price as a buying tool.

Like it or not, the wave will continue until a new level of pricing will become the norm. There are just too many people that enter the wedding photography market on a regular basis.

 

[rmh159]

Man so much hot air in here.

Jk... though I will say I think RMThompson has a few good points and the elitist mentality that's often on these posts is a little annoying. Such is life.

I'd like to blow a little hot air onto this thread too and say that the people that comment on how newbs with dSLR's are ruining the business need to stop smoking the drugs and take another look at the market. Most people don't want to drop a few grand on pictures and are more than happy to sacrifice some quality for the huge savings. Good cameras are becoming easier to come by and more people will have them... not just pro's. Those that charge several grand will need to rething their strategy and figure out what else of value they can add to justify the high cost.

Businesses make this mistake all of the time and go out of business while they whine about the new guy who's doing it cheaper and faster than them.

 

[DSLR noob]

If I ever shoot a wedding, it will be as a guest with a camera, not as "THE photographer".

Another thing pertaining to your 2nd question, it seems like anyone who sees a DSLR (or SLR) at all thinks that you are a professional. I got out my entry Rebel XT with the ceapo nifty fifty at a car show and 5 or 6 people asked what magazine I worked for, 20-ish people wanted to give me their number to shoot their cars on another date and pay me. I told them I'm no professional, and I'm a 17 year old hobbyist, and 3 people still agreed. i'm scheduled to shoot a Miata in mid august.

 

[shorty6049]

well i ended up reading the first 20 or so post on here and then just got sick of the meaningless arguement. from MY point of view, nobody was taking shots at anyone else, and some people just got a little too hot under the collar for no reason which just snowballed this whole thing... I dont shoot weddings and i doubt i ever will. Why? because they dont sound like fun. Sure i like taking pictures at weddings, but thats because there's no pressure. I cant get hired for a wedding and tell the couple afterwards "well, i got a few good ones...." I'd rather keep photography as a hobby so i dont risk loosing the enjoyment of it.

 

[table1349]

I'm loving this thread. From the first post I knew that this was train wreck waiting to happen. This has been one of the most fun threads to follow.

 

[StreetShark]

Well I'm to lazy to read all this but When my cusin gets married I'm gonna shoot for fun. The main resion for this is the experiance and the fact that I like to shoot what I see.

 

[Mike_E]

Hi all, me again. I was going over this thread again when it struck me why I like doing the occasional wedding. It's the same reason I like climbing rocks or white water canoing or taking a chicayne on the top of your shocks. You might crash and burn but manOman, what a rush!

Those of you who are doing weddings for little or no money needn't worry about it as the people who can and will afford the higher price won't be asking for a cut rate price in the first place. They will have a higher expectation for the finished product and will already be looking at a price point for that quality. As for a "pro" bitching about being under cut all the time- don't sweat that either. As any true Capitalist knows there will always be a churn in the supply/demand stream and it's their job to stay afloat, not yours.

mike

 

[quackzed]

... i just dont see how someone can take 2000 $$$ in good concience for a day or two of work... what's up with that. sure, you have a good eye... but sheesh. seems like many 'pro's' hide behind all this expensive equipment and just look down their noses at amatuer photographers because in order to be a 'pro' you need camera x and y and z and etc...
doing weddings is good dough. simple. and personally, i don't think your paying for anything other than equpment quality... buy the best camera and your a pro... it's not science ... but the prices some wedding photographers charge is rediculous, no wonder people want to get into it!!
and also no wonder people turn to amatuer photographers for a better deal.