TIPS: Why does wedding photography cost so much?
Wedding Photography, Mansfield Traquair
Hard drives and screen calibrating software
You've looked around for wedding photography and you think you've found your perfect wedding photographer. They shoot and edit in a style that you love, but then you see how much they charge and wonder why on earth it costs so much for a few hours taking pictures.There are many factors that make up the cost of a wedding photography package. I'm going to let you in behind the scenes to see what exactly you are paying for.Time - Yes I may only be shooting for a few hours on your wedding day, but for every hour that I shoot, it takes a further 2-3 hours to edit the images, so for a 14 hour day at a wedding, it will take me 30-40 hours to select and edit the final cut of beautiful images for you to cherish.Equipment - Camera equipment is not cheap, or if it is it's not really suitable for wedding photography. As a photographer I need a selection of top quality lenses to suit different venues, lighting conditions and situations. Not only that but I need to have spares, in case one is broken or malfunctions. I also get my equipment serviced regularly to keep it in tip top shape.Training - Wedding photography is ever changing. New ideas for creative images come along and I like to stay on top of this. I attend training seminars, mock shoots and courses to keep my skills fresh and learn new techniques to continually improve and to keep me at the top of my game.Insurance - Professional public liability insurance is a must these days, as well as contract insurance to make sure both you and I are protected. Oh and don't forget that equipment I mentioned; that needs to be insured as well!Computers, Webhosting & Software - To make the most of the images I take, I use professional photo editing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop, which requires updating periodically. I have screen calibrating software so your image colours are true. I also hold numerous backups of my images on different hard drives to reduce the risk of losing them.Experience - As with most professionals, the more experienced you are the better your skills become. Someone just starting out may offer to shoot for very little, to gain experience and to gather together a portfolio. As I have gained in my skill set I am able to offer more to my clients.Add-ons - Products such as albums, if they are great quality, come at a price, but it also takes time to put an album together. Retouching or cropping of images may be required, as well as making sure the collection of images are presented in the best way possible.Overheads - Even as someone who is self employed I have the usual overheads of any business. These include advertising and marketing, heat light and power, travel expenses, accountancy fees, etc, etc.Ultimately everyone has a budget for their wedding, you need to decide how important your wedding photography is to you, and what you are happy to pay for it. I hope this post give you some idea as to what goes in to making your images amazing and why it can be an expensive part of your day, but I hope, totally worth it!
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