Personal
I went over to my step sisters home last week to take some photos of my baby niece Madison. While setting up for the photo, Madison’s big sister Sarah decided to get in front of the camera and start posing! This was just completely random! You never know what kids will do next.
What a night… By pure coincidence Vanessa and David’s wedding is my official 200th wedding! I got to spend the night with my wife Kelley by my side assisting me (and she took a few photos!). Here’s the midnight moment!
Happy New Year to everyone, from Kelley and I. Here’s to an awesome 2010!
WOW. This really made me want to speak out. I know it’s an old article, but it seems to just keep coming around. I saw this a while ago and tried to keep my cool, but I just read it again: Wedding Photographers are apparently the most overpaid people in America! And ANYONE can do it!!!! According to MarketWatch. Anyone can be a high paying wedding photographer. Wow.
So let’s talk briefly about what it costs to be a professional wedding photographer. My second shooter here is looking to buy his own equipment. Just to start off with the basics he was up to $8,000. Imagine the cost of what I carry. Oh, and I have to insure all of it. Then there’s vehicle expenses, commissions for running credit cards, equipment repairs, I spent $1200 on postage this year (postage!!!), continuing education, computer and software upgrades, hard drives, hard drives, hard drives, it costs to make albums, paying staff… I really could go on. Oh wait! providing for my family? Putting food on our table and the discount outlet clothes on our back? I did 25 weddings this year and my expenses were double the average 2 person family income in Connecticut (according to census.gov)! Overpaid? My prices go up next year because I was underpaid this year.
For the other side of the story, the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers did an awesome survey of photographers recently. I know when I started my business, everyone I knew thought I just worked weekends. I was often asked “What do you do during the week?” Alot more!
Here’s reality: 70 hours a week through our 6-7 month season and 40 hours a week off season. There is no mention in here regarding time with family.
It’s plain and simple. If I didn’t have the expenses that I have, or spend that much time getting everything done, I’d be out of business.
I’ve been waiting to put this image together since getting back from Aruba. It is a 360 degree photo taken at the Alta Vista Chapel in Aruba. It took 14 images to make the panorama. Then a few photoshop tricks later, a little planet.
12.01.2009
Oh my….I am loving this
Oh WOW! That’s super cool! I want to do one!
Love it!
12.08.2009
So very true…
12.08.2009
Great post !!!
12.08.2009
you forgot to add the nonprofit-unpaid work you do!!
12.08.2009
I want to know how you get to spend 12.2% of your time taking pictures! It feels more like 2.12% for me!
Great response…
12.08.2009
Awesome I responded to the original post, funny how they didn’t post it. Totally linking your post.
12.08.2009
I am not a photog, but i know enough of them to know that you guys work your a$$es off for not enough money….i recommend my photog friends every chance i get . not everyone can do it, its an art, whoever wrote this crap about this profession should try it before they start talking out their asses.
12.08.2009
Great post Rich!
12.08.2009
AMEN… and yes exactly about the no time for family welcome to my world…try adding a 3 and a half yr old and a 5 year old to the mix… I have to skip on things like SLEEP =)
12.08.2009
Thanks for your pie chart! It’s so true. I couldn’t agree with you more!
12.08.2009
here here
12.08.2009
Well babe—I think you said it all!! Love you and I know you take great pride in what you do…now you have a color graph to prove it
LOL
12.08.2009
Great post RE. So true.
12.08.2009
Thank you for posting this…I know most people don’t consider all of the “behind the scenes” work we do.
12.08.2009
Great response to an absolutely absurd article!
12.08.2009
Thanks for posting this. Some people’s perceptions are totally insane.
12.08.2009
Amen! Thanks for speaking out!
12.10.2009
SO true all around – thank you!!
12.10.2009
daaaaaaaang RE, TELL IT!
I am so glad you posted this, it reminded me also of when I just had my kids (while starting my business) and people would ask me ‘what do you DO all day??’ Like seriously. Yeah this life is hard if you are a single person, let alone married, let alone adding in KIDS, and wait, a personal life. Wait. Scratch that, no time for that! But then we are overpaid so I guess it balances out.
Thanks for posting this!
12.10.2009
Wow. The perception really is tainted in this article, isn’t it?
I know when it comes to “the season”, my family sighs. They know I’ll be gone for many weekends, staying up late, working.
Nevermind during off-season, when albums are designed and produced, accounting needs to happen, classes are taken so we are up to snuff with our equipment and client appointments continuously occur. Expenses for cleaning, fixing, upgrading equipment aren’t considered in pricing either.
Amazing. The person who wrote this article has clearly no knowledge of what we do.
Not to mention any charity work in which we donate our time to.
12.15.2009
Oh hey Rich….first time seeing this because I just got back from traveling the Caribbean the past three months partying my face off and taking pictures of lingerie models…. **SIKE!!**
I actually just saw this because I’ve been in Lightroom for the past 3 days and haven’t showered, eaten, and have even thought about putting in my own catheter. Thanks for posting!
12.30.2009
Amen brother! Thank you so much for putting our jobs in perspective….you should forward that to the uninformed idiots that wrote that article. We’re definitely linking to your post!!!!
12.30.2009
Oh…forgot to say, thank you for taking some of your non-existent precious time to put this post together….you rule!