how much to pro photogs usually charge for wedding photos.
We got our proofs back from the photographer and the price sheet is out of this world.
a single 4x6 is $20, that to me is just a little to pricey
is this the norm or am i getting robbed? Shannons mom got the photographer , as he has done some of their family portriats over the last few years and his work is really good, and shot our wedding in medium format
James,
I might expect your photog's prices to be near the high end of average, since medium format is expensive. $20 for a 4x6 print still sounds excessive though! I'd call and talk to other respected photogs in the area and see what they charge.
Nobody knew what the prices were before hiring him? Or your wife's mom is just willing to pay the big bucks?
I don't really think checking around will help now, I wouldn't change my prices for a client...but it never hurts to try! Besides, most people pay thousands to have hundreds of wedding photos they never see. Why not get a couple dozen great ones that you'll want to look at forever?
The reason I suggested checking now is it will give a location-specific average of prices for prints. I'd suggest doing so as if he were inquiring about a future project, not a past one, to avoid bias.
I know a few wedding photographers who WAY overcharge for 4x6 so you don't order them. lol They want to sell 5x7 and larger. Are the other prices reasonable? (high end of reasonable= up to $20 for a 5x7, up to $45 for an 8x10, up to $150 for 11x14 and higher for 16x20)
It all depends on what the market is willing to pay. By way of comparison, Gary Fong charges $20,000 for 12 hours of wedding coverage, just to show up and shoot your wedding, and he is usually booked way in advance. That includes the cost of the proofs, but no other prints. The album itself costs $65 per page in the 10x10 size, plus $395 for the album cover.
Trying to come up with a consistent pricing structure for wedding photographers is impossible; it is dependent on the photographer, locale, reputation, services provided, quality of work, etc.
$65 per page[/url] in the 10x10 size, plus $395 for the album cover.
That's actually REALLY cheap for the albums. Graphistudio charges $1300-1500 for a completed album (say 30 pages). That would be 2100 for Fong - so not really out of the ordinary.
Originally posted by EddyG:
Trying to come up with a consistent pricing structure for wedding photographers is impossible; it is dependent on the photographer, locale, reputation, services provided, quality of work, etc.
Tell me about it! I DOUBLED my prices - and the people at FredMiranda are TOTALLY griping at me that my prices are still too low!!! I mean I got emails - and like 10 responses to a forum post - and all said "too low too low too low!" Unreal!
Tell me about it! I DOUBLED my prices - and the people at FredMiranda are TOTALLY griping at me that my prices are still too low!!! I mean I got emails - and like 10 responses to a forum post - and all said "too low too low too low!" Unreal!
That's because wedding photographers are one of the most overpaid jobs in the U.S.... so of course other wedding photographers are going to tell you that! =] =] =]
LOL You won't find me disagreeing with that. What follows is one local (successful!) wedding photogs price and a sample image. Name withheld to protect the talentless. lol
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The New Yorker $3555.00
* 2 8x10s framed
* 6 5x7s
* 30 page Art leather album
* 175 proofs in a proof album
* 2 small parent albums
overpaid if you dont spend 80 hours processing, 8 hours or more shooting, 3 hours organizing files, uploading etc. Not to mention all the time spent on meetings and emails etc.
overpaid if you dont spend 80 hours processing, 8 hours or more shooting, 3 hours organizing files, uploading etc. Not to mention all the time spent on meetings and emails etc.
overpaid if you dont spend 80 hours processing, 8 hours or more shooting, 3 hours organizing files, uploading etc. Not to mention all the time spent on meetings and emails etc.
80? God DAMN I love Bibble. :) I went through 800 photos in about 8 to 10 hours of work - saved 300 of them as "yes I like it" and saved another 80 as "photoshop this later" and that's it. Done. I had 10 hours of work and 90% of the work done! Do you take 80 hours on pp??
Time spent elsewhere doesn't count you know? People only take into consideration your highest package when deciding if you're overpriced. If you make $3000 for one day of work, even if that includes at $1500 album, you're overpriced. ;) ;)
note: my prices are going up approx 10% as soon as i have time to change my site.
also: about 80% of all brides order the albums, even though they get the option of printing their own photos. I found that most people just want it all done for them, and feel better about not having to pay $5.00-$20.00 for a 4x6. I've booked 22 wedding for 2005 so far, and have 5 more meetings set this month alone. I offer stressed leather albums by Art Leather, and let my clients choose the entire layout for their albums. They can get all 8x10's if they want, there is no limit on photo sizes, and no limit on layout styles.
I feel chargeing $3,000 for 6 hours, and also chargeing for every single reprint is LAME, and this stance has built up my reputation to potential clients (about half of all business is word of mouth) even though it is making some of the older and more established wedding photographers in my area a bit peeved.
800 pictures at a wedding seems incredibly over the top!
At our wedding, the photographer took just about 300 images. In the end, we ended up being one of the last jobs he was going to ever do. So, he ended up giving us everthing, wide-format negatives, High Resolution scans of the negatives on CD and all of the proofs.
The guy is barely in his 40's and is retired now!
I believe, in the end, everything ended up being a little over $3000.
most phototoggs down here have their images proffessionally printed at oneof the pro labs ,so that 80hrs dont exist just the lab costsc which would be a smmall % of that. like every where you can be taken for oaride by any one
Originally posted by grigrigirl:
overpaid if you dont spend 80 hours processing, 8 hours or more shooting, 3 hours organizing files, uploading etc. Not to mention all the time spent on meetings and emails etc.
I really like the price structure eric. I have been shooting weddings for some time now, but for studios. I finally ventured off on my own the last couple of years, and have struggled to find a fair pricing guideline. I like the idea of giving the cd, along with a proof book, and charging a flat rate. That would save SO much time and aggravation. My prices have been fair, but it seems that it takes FOREVER to get couples to place a print order. Not to mention, order a wedding book. I take great pride in the work that I do, and from comments I have recieved, I do a great job.(Not being conceited, promise) But, what I have found is that when someone has their proofbook, wedding albums take a back seat. So in other words, I really need to put together a package which includes one in the price..like you have. I guess that I have lived and learned by underpricing my services, and just hoping that they will order prints and a book.(If that makes sense?) With the ease of copying proofs, wheather they are copyrighted or not, I have shot myself in the foot. But that is changing this season. I do appreciate seeing your view on price structure. This has helped alot.
800 pictures at a wedding seems incredibly over the top!
At our wedding, the photographer took just about 300 images. In the end, we ended up being one of the last jobs he was going to ever do. So, he ended up giving us everthing, wide-format negatives, High Resolution scans of the negatives on CD and all of the proofs.
The guy is barely in his 40's and is retired now!
I believe, in the end, everything ended up being a little over $3000.
800 images would include shooting a rehearsal as well. 2 days of coverage.
Now concerning the price of prints, I have been taking wedding photos for a local studio and was kind of curious of how much prints run for the photographers these days. I am planning on venturing out on my own here soon. I talked to a local print company that handles a lot of professional work, and they told me that I would have to set up an account and that I needed refferances and all that jazz. Just curious on what I should be looking at in the future.
That's because wedding photographers are one of the most overpaid jobs in the U.S.
That really irritates me. (not you EddyG) but the fact that people think that. WHen you only shoot one or two weddings a week as a maximum and weigh in the cost of your time before hand and after including editing, and your equipment, materials, printing, etc..it's ridiculous. I would like to think that my clients are more informed than that. Since I make sure they know how much time and effort is involved. Anyway...sorry..I'm ranting. lol
