Shooting Weddings

mpmcleod

I have been told by a friend who caters weddings (5-10/ week) that she is seeing more and more photographers charge a flat fee for shooting a wedding and then give all the images to the clients. She heard they usually charged $400.

Is this becomming more common? Would they would offer to sell photos with retouching? In the old days the money was made on the back end through photo sales but I can imagine that in this digital age with people stealing the photogs work it just makes sense to make the money up front.

Anyway I was just wondering how common this practice has become?


thanks,

mercphoto

mpmcleod wrote:

I have been told by a friend who caters weddings (5-10/ week) that she is seeing more and more photographers charge a flat fee for shooting a wedding and then give all the images to the clients. She heard they usually charged $400.

Is this becomming more common? Would they would offer to sell photos with retouching? In the old days the money was made on the back end through photo sales but I can imagine that in this digital age with people stealing the photogs work it just makes sense to make the money up front.

I sure don't know much about wedding photography but I certainly would not do a wedding for only $400. Even I know that much! Too much work, too much liability. Likewise I can't see giving over the photos without retouching, but neither could I see doing the retouching for such a low fee. I'm going to guess these $400 wedding people are new to the business and probably not very seasoned.

Shay Stephens

There are two common business models right now. The traditional approach is where it's cheap to book the photographer and the profit is made (sometimes speculatively) on the backend through print and book sales. The second model charges an upfront fee for the photographers time and talent and may or may not include some or all the images.

The first one is getting harder to make a profit with as people place less value on prints and images these days. The second approach relies on the fact that people still value a persons talent and time and are more willing to pay for that. The customer usually winds up still paying the same with either model, but the perception of where that money goes is different these days.

As far as what a photographer charges, there is a wide range of markets that support various pricing levels. For the United States, $400 would be in the low end of the market in many places.

emjaydee

a couple of months ago I was looking around for a photographer for my wedding. I did notice many people were using more of a flat rate pricing model, but none of them were even close to $400. I think the cheapest I found that provided all the originals and had a decent portfolio was around $1500. I ended up paying around $2500, and he (and his wife) take as many photos as they can fit in, and retouch I think 120 of them.

Shay Stephens wrote:

There are two common business models right now. The traditional approach is where it's cheap to book the photographer and the profit is made (sometimes speculatively) on the backend through print and book sales. The second model charges an upfront fee for the photographers time and talent and may or may not include some or all the images.

The first one is getting harder to make a profit with as people place less value on prints and images these days. The second approach relies on the fact that people still value a persons talent and time and are more willing to pay for that. The customer usually winds up still paying the same with either model, but the perception of where that money goes is different these days.

As far as what a photographer charges, there is a wide range of markets that support various pricing levels. For the United States, $400 would be in the low end of the market in many places.

cmalana

emjaydee wrote:

a couple of months ago I was looking around for a photographer for my wedding. I did notice many people were using more of a flat rate pricing model, but none of them were even close to $400. I think the cheapest I found that provided all the originals and had a decent portfolio was around $1500. I ended up paying around $2500, and he (and his wife) take as many photos as they can fit in, and retouch I think 120 of them.

Depending on the market between $2k-$5k is average for professional quality work. The ones that charge around $400 are either learning or they shoot, burn a CD, and hand it to the couple. $400 is not sustainable from a business standpoint if you had quality equipment (depreciation), business insurance, postprocessing (calibrated monitors, good PC/workstations), back-up, etc.

Being in the wedding photography business, we understand where break-even is, and it's not even close to $400.

mist Photography | www.mist.com
Texas

ExposeTheMoment

cmalana wrote:

Depending on the market between $2k-$5k is average for professional quality work. The ones that charge around $400 are either learning or they shoot, burn a CD, and hand it to the couple. $400 is not sustainable from a business standpoint if you had quality equipment (depreciation), business insurance, postprocessing (calibrated monitors, good PC/workstations), back-up, etc.

Being in the wedding photography business, we understand where break-even is, and it's not even close to $400.

mist Photography | www.mist.com
Texas

My packages contain the following. And Im based in NH

Premium Package $4800

• 2 Photographers
• Unlimited coverage
• 2 Hours Of Rehearsal Dinner coverage
• 4x6 Photographs of every image taken at your wedding
• 30 8x10 Enlargements
• 50 5x7 Enlargements
• 1 12x18 Matted Photograph
• 7 DVD Slideshows with music
• 1 11x14 Art Leather Storybook Album (20 pages with 40 sides)
• 2 8x10 Art Leather Parent Storybook Album (20 pages with 40 sides)
• 4 5x7 Art Leather Grandparent Storybook Album (20 pages with 40 sides)
• CD of high resolution negatives
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family
• Proof album for 4x6 prints
• Engagement Photo Session with 1 11x14 or 3 8x10 Enlargements

Deluxe Package $3400

• 2 Photographers
• Unlimited coverage
• 4x6 Photographs of every image taken at your wedding
• 30 8x10 Enlargements
• 50 5x7 Enlargements
• 1 12x18 Matted Photograph
• 3 DVD Slideshows with music
• 1 11x14 Art Leather Storybook Albums (20 pages with 40 sides)
• 2 8x10 Art Leather Parent Storybook Albums (20 pages with 40 sides)
• CD of high resolution negatives
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family
• Proof album for 4x6 prints
• Engagement Photo Session with 1 11x14 or 3 8x10 Enlargements

All Day Package $2500

• 2 Photographers
• 8 hours of coverage
• 300 4x6 Photographs
• 15 8x10 Enlargements
• 3 11x14 Matted Photographs
• DVD slideshow with music
• 1 8x10 Art Leather Storybook Album (20 pages with 40 sides)
• CD of high resolution negatives
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family
• Proof album for 4x6 prints
• Engagement Photo Session with 1 11x14 or 3 8x10 Enlargements

Standard Package $2000

• 2 Photographers
• 5 hours of coverage
• 200 4x6 Photographs
• 6 8x10 Enlargements
• 1 11x14 Matted Photograph
• DVD slideshow with music
• 1 8x10 Art Leather Storybook Album (15 pages with 30 sides)
• CD of high resolution negatives
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family
• Engagement Photo Session with 1 11x14 or 3 8x10 Enlargements

Basic Package $1500

• 3 hours of coverage
• 100 4x6 Photographs
• 3 8x10 Enlargements
• DVD slideshow with music
• 1 8x10 Art Leather Storybook Album (10 pages with 20 sides)
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family

Negatives Only Package $1000

• 2 hours of coverage
• DVD slideshow with music
• CD of high resolution negatives
• Online Proofing/Gallery for friends and family

mpmcleod

cmalana wrote:

The ones that charge around $400 are either learning or they shoot, burn a CD, and hand it to the couple.

That is what I understood they were doing.

I was wondering how people were handling weddings these days. That seemed a bit cheap and junky. Thanks to everyone, the responses have been quite helpful.

Next question,
What does the "average" clients chose? Or what is the most popular price point?

Cason

ExposeTheMoment wrote:

...DVD slideshow with music

How many photos and how many songs are putting in the show?

ExposeTheMoment

RTP wrote:

How many photos and how many songs are putting in the show?

I use about 3 or 4 songs and about 100-150 pictures. I try and aim for a show no longer then 3 songs.

Blurmore

400 dollars sounds way too low...but you get what you pay for.


Right now I charge 1500 dollars.


For that they get corrected and edited full res copies on CD.
4x6 proofs of all shots on the CD, in an album of my choosing.
Web hosting on smugmug and option for family to order at decent prices.
Up to 8 hours coverage.
Engagement sitting.


Eventually I'm going to offer an Asuka book option for a fully custom designed coffee table style book for 600 dollars extra (this may sound steep but I know studios who charge 1000 for a pictobook style flush mount custom album)

I wouldn't offer my services without at least proofs or straight .jpg out of camera, you have absolutely no QC in that kind of option. 90% of the shots the couple will show their friends will be the 4x6 proofs, which I don't deliver unless they look killer.


Reasons I do this? I don't have retail studio space, I'm not much of a salesman, I think it is the wave of the future, selling yourself as a quality photographer rather than making money on prints.