 Robert F. Wilson |
Pricing for a Friend's Wedding A friend of mine has asked me to photograph her wedding. It will be casual, and she wants some of the usual shots: cutting the cake, hands and rings, etc. Then she just wants shots of the feel of the day. It will be an outside wedding by a lake. I have told her I will probably only shoot digital (D70), but take my N-90 just in case. She wants to pay me, and that is where I need help. I thought I would take the photos and then just burn them a CD and then they can take it to a printer and get what they want. What would be a good starting price? West Michigan area. I mainly shoot fine art so this would be my first wedding. Thanx.
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Maverick Creatives |
Difficult to answer. You are being offered payment as a direct result of your equipment and the ability to operate it. As it seems you are eliminating 60 percent of the normal wedding photographers' duties (lab trips, proofs, albums, thank you cards, enlargements, editing, etc.), you may want to consider an hourly fee. $25.00 per hour? $50.00 per hour? $100.00 per hour? Don't forget to include the time for editing, arranging and burning the CD. Regards Gary
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Michelle Ross |
I did a wedding in March for a friend's daughter. They asked me to do it (I don't do weddings typically) and offered to pay me $500. All they wanted was a lot of photos(traditional and then lots of candids) on a CD that they could take and get printed themselves. Since this was my first (and probably only) wedding, I thought this was an OK price. However, after going through the images, I just didn't feel I could give them the images straight from the camera, because some needed lighting adjustments, composition adjustments, cropped, etc. I was at the church by 1:30 and didn't get done until almost 9:00 (which was partly my choice; it could have been done by 8:00), and I can't tell you how much time I spent working on the photos. It was good practice and experience, but if I was a "busy" photographer, the $500 wouldn't have been enough. However, since I was just starting out, I felt compensated. I think that it would be best to kind of estimate how long you will be there the day of the wedding and then, as Gary said, figure in the time it will take you to do any editing, etc., and burning to the CD, and then either quote her an hourly rate and give her an idea of how long you think it will take, and what your "worth" is. Then price it by the job. I'm not sure how experienced you are in photography as a whole, but I think I would charge no less than $50/hour rate for the whole shabang, and I'm guessing that it will take a minimum of 5 hours for the wedding (pre and after shots), and depending on how advanced you are with editing skills, it could easily take you another 5-10 hours of editing. So you are looking at $500-$750 just to do the wedding and then she can take care of printing the prints, album, etc.
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Tamara Lynn |
it'll take you 2wice as long to edit then to shoot it. So if its a half day charge $600 (as a amatuer) and a $1,000 (if you shot alot of weddings). This is just the photography, edit and burn. I would also charge $500 for the CD, but they are your friends, so thats up to you.
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Leah Marshall |
Have you ever done a wedding before? I have- and friend or no friend-you will find that it is alot of work and resposibility. You have the hardest job of everyone . You have to successfully capture moments that will not be repeated and be inconspicuous at the same time. You must be prepared to shoot under any lighting and weather conditions and make it work. You must organize and pose groups and constantly be alert to the goings on, so you dont miss anything. I would not shoot anything for under $500. And I would just burn a CD and hand it over and let them worry about prints and albums. Trust me a 3hour booking turns into 6 hours when you count your travel, set-up time, and if you planned to look at the images and delete the horrible ones- that is at least an hour downloading and looking through hundreds of photos. What do you think its worth? $50 an hour is not enough. I say at least $100 per hour and a minimum of $500 even if its only a 3 hour deal and thats is just for a CD.
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Leah Marshall |
I also have to add...if you were planning to actually look at each digital photo and edit them - it will take many many hours. For a cheap wedding - I would just shoot and burn , or use film and have the finisher make corrections.
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Penni Royston |
You could also upload the pictures to a site like orderpicture.com or photoreflect.com and your friends could order the pictures online. This will also give you an extra income on each picture they order.
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kathleenkparkerphotography.com - Kathleen K. Parker Contact Kathleen K. Parker Kathleen K. Parker's Gallery |
I have shot a number of weddings and ONLY shoot digitally. Here in New Orleans there is a lot of competition. Many couples spend a lot of money on the event and have not a lot left over for the photos. That is where I come in. I believe you, the photographer, have to carve your niche. I also believe if you are new to this area of photography that you have to give people more than they expect. So I charge a set fee per hour that I am actually shooting the wedding event and require a minimum of two hours. Most people opt for three hours....but NOTE---this fee also includes the time involved in editing the photos. So I charge in the 200-300 per hour range for weddings. This way there is no keeping track of time later. Clients pay me half on wedding day and half upon receipt of CDs ... no printing, no keeping of the negatives, no proofs etc, and I retain usage of the photos for my gallery etc. WE sign a little contract, too. Very simple one. To date everyone has been satisfied and actually very happy that they went this route. So many have complained to me about the costs of wedding photography and the hassles later with picking photos and all that. I also tell the client that they will have the CDS in 4 weeks. They have them in about 2 to 3 and are very happy when that happens. Then they can get things printed as they wish, when they wish, and so forth. They are free to do whatever they like with their photos. I also shoot with a partner most of the time, so we split this fee. If you are new to wedding photography,this partnership photography is a good way to learn and to feel secure that you will get great photos. Brides love it. We have fun and eveyone comments on how they like the different photo styles each of us has. So consider that...you will also be much less nervous. Yes you will make half as much, but you will also be feeling great and free inside. And if a camera should misbehave, as it has done to each of us, the other photograher can pick up the slack there, and you never miss a shot...well almost never. :-)
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Maria Melnyk |
Experienced professional wedding photographers who work for studios get paid $300-$400 dollars for a wedding, and do not get paid at all for their first wedding or two. I can't justify taking $500 from a friend if you've never shot a wedding before and haven't been trained in it. I didn't charge anything for the first wedding I shot, and it was also for a friend. She just paid me for the film and processing. The education I received from this was worth far more than $500. And when I went to work for studios, already as an established photographer, neither studio paid me for my first wedding with them. (I was sent out as assistant photgrapher the first time, but I still worked my tail off for 12 hours each time.)
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Maverick Creatives |
Kathleen is offering good advice. I also use a second Photographer. We alternate between Formal and Candid shooting. Let me add that the world of Wedding Photography is rapidly changing. Gone are the days when the familys must budged thousands for "pictures" of the event. Welcome to the world of Digital. In the past, wedding photography was considered an art. It is still an aquired art, but not as costly to produce. Mr. Photographer always got into his "Model T" and put on many many miles back and forth from the lab. choosing and directing the print process. His alternative was to spend hours and hours in his darkroom. Today, with the advent of computer programs we can cut the time down considerably. Assistant photographers are still used by many, however, when the opportunity arises, and your experience level is conveyed to the family, there is no business or ethical reason not to tackle the project on your own. Good Luck and welcome to the new and controvercial world of professional photography. Regards
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Tamara Lynn |
Two heads are better than one, just like two cameras. On a model shoot there is only one photographer and his mule/slave. You have photogenic people that know what to do and know how to pose. But at weddings, there is so much more going on so quickly and its better to have more angles.
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kathleenkparkerphotography.com - Kathleen K. Parker Contact Kathleen K. Parker Kathleen K. Parker's Gallery |
Oh ...one more thing...another note from me.... You have to know what your competition charges in your area. What might fly in Chicago might not fly in New Orleans. My first referal came from a lovely French Quarter courtyard and restaurant where I today do most of my wedding photography. I asked the sales manager what she though I could charge per hour and explained my editing work post wedding. I was very open about the type of photography I had done in the past--not weddings--but did not make a big deal out of my inexperience with THAT. I just wanted to know about her client base. So that is when I learned about clients spending a lot of money on the doings and not on the photography. I started off cheaply and as some of the others have said, realized I needed to go up about $100 an hour for the total work involved. And I did. But if you do not know what your market is, you will perhaps miss some gigs because you are too high. I would rather be a tad low and give quality work even if I am not a super woman wedding photographer than miss some gigs because I set my prices too high. I want the business and experience. I also do not want to gyp myself, so I found the middle. And as time goes by, I am gradually creeping up on my price. It just feels right to me. You have to work with what suits your style, personality, and equipment. And most of all, you need to have fun with it. The more fun you have, the more relaxed everyone is, and I promise the better photos you will have. Our clients love us. We give them good photos, are timely, and we bring an extra ingredient--two happy interested loving-what-we-do photographers!!
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Maria Melnyk |
Yes, Kathleen, you are doing the right thing on your end. But Robert stated that this is his first wedding. So how can he compare with the competition? The bride will not be getting the same types of photographs from Robert that she would get from an experienced wedding photographer, so how can she be expected to pay the same? Robert, I am not at all undermining your photographic abilities, but even the most experienced photographer who has never shot weddings won't do the job as well as if he had wedding experience. If you're able to get this kind of money, that's great, but how would you feel knowing that those with hundreds of weddings behind them are getting the same money?
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Jerry Frazier |
No one has mentioned the obvious, I am a professional wedding photographer, and I don't do friends or family, for any reason, no exceptions! Also, no one has really nailed the real issue...are you qualified at all to do this? I have seen professional commercial photographers completely hose a wedding. They take the job, and just charge $500, thinking that's a steal. Then, they swear they will never do another wedding. You will spend at least twice, but probably more time, behind the computer editing. You will have no control over anything at all. Nothing will go as planned. And, you have to know how to shoot people. I wasn't clear if your fine art includes portraits. Plus, I don't knwo if you're good with really bad lighting situations. What if you have the sun facing right at you? What do you do? Well, most experienced wedding photographers know what to do, are quick on their feet, and can make adjustments and keep going. I know it's no big deal and no stress, but it will be. And, if you don't deliver what they are expecting, even though they seem cool now, it could get ugly. Clients typically don't understand photography, so they think that anyone who knows how to use a camera can photograph a wedding. This couldn't be further from the truth. It is your responsibility, as a photographer, to educate them and set the expectation. Cheers,
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kathleenkparkerphotography.com - Kathleen K. Parker Contact Kathleen K. Parker Kathleen K. Parker's Gallery |
Yes, I agree that shooting a wedding is different than shooting other things. That is why I prepare well before I go shoot a wedding...any wedding. I know what the interior of a place looks like, what time of day, where things will take place, what the bride wants, etc. If I do not know how to do something well, I practice at home with it so I feel ok about doing it on wedding day,perhaps for the first time. I learn a new thing each day. Really, I do. I read and practice. I ask a lot of questions of others more experienced than I. And I try to not feel intimidated. You can find out about competition. Look on the Net. Lots of photographers advertise on the Internet...packages, services, etc. If you are a novice, keep it simple. And remember we are all novices at something. I promise people good photos. I show my work, answer all questions about my experience honestly, and leave it to them to choose. Read, study, practice, ask for help....then just go do it. I think many people miss opportunities because of fear. Kathleen
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Jerry Frazier |
"Many couples spend a lot of money on the event and have not a lot left over for the photos." Kathleen, I just can't let what you said go. This is a fallacy. I wonder if you have insurance? I wonder if you hire 2nd shooters incase you fall and break your ankle, like I did once? I wonder if you have all the redudant systems in place in case your house burns, your hard drives crash. Also, this idea that they don't have enough money left is complete bull. Most people spend more on their dress and cake than they imagine paying for wedding photography. But boo frigin' hoo. too bad. You are going to find yourself in a position where in order to sustain your business, you have to raise your prices. You will have no choice, eventually. I recently had a bride who couldn't afford me. So, she bought my smallest package. The problem was that that package doesn't allow enough time to cover the wedding. So, she emails me asking if I can just stay an extra hour. The answer is no I can't. I sent a nice email about she has a choice, she can have me come earlier and get the getting ready stuff, or later and get the dancing stuff she wants. But, nto both. However, if both are important to her, my fee to add more time is $xxx. Two days later she said that it is important to her and she purchased additional time. Never believe that a client has a budget. It is not true. When the average wedding these days is $26,000 and climbing, there's plenty of money in that budget to hire a competent, professional photographer. Also, remember, the only thing you have left from that wedding is the photos. I was just looking over my in-laws wedding album from like 40 years ago. It's awesome. There's nothing else left from that wedding.
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Tamara Lynn |
very true Joe, but the way you put it sounded alot like Jerry. Im very upfront and tell them how it is. I now have custom built packages where they check off what they want and I give them a package price or they can buy the DVD for $1000 - $2000 (depending on the hours). Also make them pay half to set the date and the other half 2months before the wedding. If its called off you still need that money, because of all the work you turned down for that day
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Tamara Lynn |
hey Robert, I didn't see any people pictures in your gallery. Are you sure you want to do this. I have a friend that has been shooting bikini models for over 10yrs. Well that biz is slow so I invited him to assist me at a wedding and his couple pictures tanked. He shot great pictures of the bride alone and also the groom alone, but he couldn't shoot 2people together to save his life. With time he has gotten much better, but it took about 5 weddings before I started using his couple pics. So what you need to do is either engagement photos with them on numerous occasions or assist a wedding photographer every chance you get. It'll be your gift to the couple and yourself
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kathleenkparkerphotography.com - Kathleen K. Parker Contact Kathleen K. Parker Kathleen K. Parker's Gallery |
Re what I wrote. I am speaking strictly from my experience and in no way speak for anyone else here, especially any of the pros who do it exclusively for a living. My information is as a newcomer to this work, work I was also asked to do. I did not intentionally go after it initially. However, I enjoy it, or I would not be doing it. Yes, I do have a back up, my partner. So in my little realm of doing this, I just keep it very simple, and I really do not have that kind of client who wants to spend a lot on photos. Hope that clarifies things. OK? Kathleen
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Jerry Frazier |
That's OK Kathleen. I understand where you are coming from. But, I'm still not clear on what happens if you are sued, or your hard drive crashes and you lose the images, or if your equipment fails, or if your equipment gets stolen the day before a wedding? What are you going to do if you are in an accident on the way to the wedding? Or what if you are in an accident from the church to the reception? And, on top of that, the client sues you for not fullfilling your oblilgation? People think this stuff is easy and fun, and it is, however, you NEED insurance, you NEED to understand this and have contingency plans. You NEED triple redudancy on every aspect of your business. Just doing it and undercutting your competition is a really bad idea. Those people you are undercutting will remember you later, if you stay in the biz. And, if you stay in the biz, you will raise prices because you can't sustain a biz undercutting everyone else. You will learn how bad things can be, and how you will be black listed. You think, big deal today. But, tomorrow, you will be wondering why you can't work in the big halls, and why clients aren't knocking down your door. I'm not scaring you. I just wish people understodd all the sides of this. It's really a serious undertaking. One little thing could wipe you out financially, in a really bad way, for maybe the rest of your life. I wish folks would go the old-school route and learn the ropes under someone. There's a reason why this works the way it does.
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kathleenkparkerphotography.com - Kathleen K. Parker Contact Kathleen K. Parker Kathleen K. Parker's Gallery |
You are right, Joe. You know I do this as a little sideline and not as a full time job. My main work is as a virtual tour photographer, and it is contract work. You have opened my eyes to several things. Thanks. Kathleen
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Tamara Lynn |
thats why I have an LLC
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Tamara Lynn |
if your friend wants just usual shots then just shoot it for free and that will be her wedding present. Just give her the DVD and let her use your DPP disk so she can fix it up for hours.
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Tamara Lynn |
Leah, your bio about being semi-professional is a little modest. I think you need an upgrade
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eric brown |
first a thing my dad told me years ago friends an money never go together, if you really dont know how much just give them as a wedding present, an if they insist on giving you something let your friend take you out to dinner or a photo adventure, they get something you get something an no cash had to change hands i've done that a few times an everyone is happy an I still have my friends good luck an have fun
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Maria Melnyk |
YES - Eric, that is absolutely true!! I vote that everyone follows Eric's dad's advice. If the couple insists on paying you after the fact, then that's different. Also - Joe - you said what I wanted to say earlier, but I kept my mouth shut this time because I've provided similar answers to others before, and I didn't want to be the first one to bring it up again.
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Tamara Lynn |
says it all
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Tamara Lynn |
I shot a first birthday party (400 guest)and did it for $250 (4hrs) and they purchased over $500 in photos online so far.
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Damien Sim |
I normally just work for food
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Bob Chance |
Michelle, you can consider it a wedding gift. After all, it was your friends wedding right. I'm doing all of the for only $100. Plus I have to drive 8 hours to New Jersey, stay in a motel for the night and probably drive most the next night back home after the reception so I don't have to pay for another nights stay. And then after getting home begin the process of edting all the pictures so I can have CD burned and ready for them when they get back from Florida. Guarantee you, this will be the last wedding. I hate shooting weddings anyway! Bob
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Oliver Anderson |
I have done two weddings as a backup/assistant photographer and it is stressfull!!! I did it at friends weddings and found it hard to enjoy anything because I wanted to make sure I never missed THE SHOT, thank God I was only a backup because it took a lot of pressure off. Scouting out the location and having the proper equipment. You'll need good lenses, lights and a backup camera.
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Tina D. Carroll |
Robert, I have been reading the blog from your question and there are a lot of good suggestions here. I find myself in a very similar situation. I have been asked not only by a friend but someone who is also an amazing photographer in his own right, to photograph his daughters wedding. He is in the wedding so he cant take the photos. I believe that your question was how much to charge. First of all, cover all your costs and that includes gas, food, film, processing, and time. Time is that precious commodity that you can adjust what you charge for. Were you going to the wedding anyway? Were you going to purchase a gift? Can you work the gift in to the price? To be fair to both yourself and your friend, make some calls to other photographers in your area. Find out what the going rate is for weddings and adjust your prices to reflect your area and your experience. If you have questions about posing, use the internet. Study what others are doing and try to emulate it for your friend. I am from a very small town in Kentucky and I understand the mindset about not paying a lot for photos. I dont agree with it but it is something I deal with regularly. Dont feel bad about charging for your work, remember, this is your job. Your friend expects to get paid on his/her job and you should too. If you want to make extra money for the photos, offer to sell copys of the discs that you burn for the bride and groom to anyone else who wants a copy for a set price. Once you burn one copy there just isnt that much to burning another. Having backup is a great suggestion. I have my husband as a second photographer. It does make it a lot less stressfull to know you have someone else there with a camera. I have done several alone and that gets crazy. One more suggestion that might reduce stress. Have the bride and groom and their families make a list of what groupings they want sometime before the wedding. If they do this when they are relaxing at home they come closer to knowing what they want during the caos of the day. A list might keep you from forgetting someone. I just shot portraits of a woman whos son was married and the brides family hired the photographer. She was left out of the photos and came to me in the dress she wore to the wedding so that she could put something in the wedding album. I hope something I said might help. Good luck! Tina
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Rob Zuidema |
Okey, so you do have to start somewhere, but I wouldn't want a new photographer practicing on my wedding, unless there was an established pro doing the job as well. Amen. My brother asked if I would photograph his wedding last month, but I told him I preferred not to practice on a family members wedding. Rather I wanted to enjoy the day. I did bring my camera and sort of hung around behind the photographer who was okay with having me hang around shooting alongside for a while. My brother and his wife now have beautiful wedding photos and I was able able to get some that were much better than if I had done the whole day myself.
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Oliver Anderson |
I will tell you doing a wedding for $500 as an amatuer is still not enough if you're going to do post production on the photos. 1st you gotta get there at $3 a gallon. 2nd your burning up your sensor on your camera and equipment so these 2 together are like $30-$50 bucks probably and since you're an amatuer you'll take twice as many photos to ensure you nail THAT SHOT. Then you'll want to photoshop them up before the bride/groom see them because you want them to think you're really good. That's HOURS, since it is for me when I do corporate/TV shoots, and I use Batching with Actions that cut that by 60%. Then you'll tell the bride you can make the photos she really loves even better and that usually takes another 30minutes a photo.....are you getting the point. Let her hire a PRO and ask to assist the pro and if the pro says YES you'll be able to provide a great wedding gift.
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Christy Freeberg |
so here's my advice- if you're comfortable, know what key points to shoot and capture some fun candids in between- go for it! I personally love doing weddings and have been doing so for about 4 years now - for friends and family. I have never had any issues or a second person working with me- I do have a back-up camera- and have been happy, as are my 'customers' that's why I'm asked to shoot for their firends and their families. Smaller side jobs have spun off from there! Anything - lighting, and all the other fixable issues with a photo can be corrected with software! That's the beauty of digital! I charge between $300-$400 depending on how long of a day I have with the wedding itself- you do spend quite a chunk of time in editing-but it's worth it in the end, so that you're both happy with the outcome- I give them their photos on a CD & this has been exactly what the bride has prefered as of my most recent wedding a couple of weeks ago! Wedding are expensive! And I could never in a million years justify spend thousands on a photographer! But that's my opinion!!
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