Gutted at price of photographers

We weren't originally having a photographer as my OH's stepdad was going to take them but I knew he didn't really want to and I was worrying I wouldn't get any nice ones so went on a hunt 2 weeks ago.

I got lots of prices well over the £1000 mark for half day and just a USB so started to feel a bit disheartened but I kept looking and have found somebody :-) keep looking around.

As it's relatively last minute he's charging £425 for full day coverage and photos on USB and we will just print our own out afterwards. I was really pleased with this price xx

Thats quite a good price, its certainly a big difference!!

What would his normal price of been ?, as this is a good way to get a pro photographer at part time prices.

What area are you in and what quotes have you asked for? Where have you been looking?

In very general terms you get what you pay for. That said there are ways to lower the costs of your photography.

For example have you asked for a quote with an album? Professional wedding albums can cost hundreds even at cost price. So asking your photographer for a disc only quote will help save money and you can get an album printed later.

Also try looking further down the pages in Google. Rather than page 1 & page 2, try 3-5 where you may find an up & coming photographer.

Lastly (and I give a little shiver mentioning this). Try to find some local Facebook wedding groups to join. Usually there will be hundreds (literally) of 'photographers' willing to photograph your day for peanuts. But be very careful. Facebook groups can be a bit like the wild west. There comes a point where cheap becomes too cheap and you have to wonder what they're cutting corners on. Do your research and I bet you can find a half decent photographer. Maybe they won't have the years of experience and the top end equipment but you should be able to find someone with decent experience and decent skill.

Just remember the golden rule before booking. Always ask to see 2-3 printed wedding albums of previous work. Not portfolio images. Full weddings from start to finish.

What Bill said really. The disc of images is the norm now, yes some go on to buy an album but with so many album companies online you can get them done cheaper than from the photographer, they wont be the same quality but close. What is your budget and where & when is your wedding?

Just a little "heads up" on that one. A printed wedding album that you will be shown by the photographer IS a portfolio, first of all it is not every single photo that the bride and groom got, also it is not just any old random wedding as it will be what the photographer thinks is the best one that THEY want you to see.

Yes it is better than seeing a selection of hand picked photos from a few weddings but what you are seeing is still going to be very controlled.

Yes, sorry let me expand on what i meant earlier. If you see full weddings you can better gauge how consistent the photographer is over the entire day. You can also be more reassured that they haven't just downloaded a load of photographs from the Internet. The latter can often be a problem when looking at seemingly too good to be true photographers on Facebook groups.

Of course what they show you will be weddings they're proud of. Just in the same way when you buy a car from a salesman in a showroom, the one on display will be pimped out and polished to within an inch of it's life.

Basically alarm bells should be ringing if you ask to see a few albums of previous weddings and the photographer can't show them.

Gotcha now Martin see what you are saying.

In addition to what the others have said, I have a suggestion that may help you.

Every time you contact a photographer state clearly the date, time and location of your wedding. Explain that your budget is around £xxx and that you would be happy for them to suggest how many hours coverage they could offer for that.

If you just write asking for packages then that's all the info you will get! If you're on a budget and have a weekday wedding then many of us full time photographers are willing to do shorter coverage so that you can still get professional photography for your budget.

You wouldn't believe how many brides just ask for prices without even telling us when & where the wedding is. We can't be flexible or offer a custom package unless you provide us with the information we need!

Paula is, as always, spot on with the advice!

Most photographers have fairly fluid pricing structures, as we realise there is not such thing as *one fits all* photography package.Clients have different needs and budgets.

Even full-timers such as ourselves are still able to work with clients on a lower, but realistic, budget.

So, as Paula said, give information about your day and do not be afraid to say how much you can comfortably afford.

Andrea de Gabriel

We were also shocked at the prices of photographers! But after seeking advice from many people, they all said you get what you pay for! Somwe decided to spemd more than we budgeted for as the photos are going to be your keepsake from your wedding for life. In my opinion its worth soending more for quality pictures. Ours originally quoted £1600 for a full days coverage and with photos on a USB. Think we are paying something like £2k in total for full day coverage, photos on USB, a main album for us & 2 smaller parent albums.

I think that it's something we might have to sacrifice, as there is no way we can afford an extra £1000 on top of everything else..... I am going to try and see what people can do for me if I give them my budget - probably not a lot, but I guess it's worth a try.

The other problem we have is that we are getting married on a Saturday in August - therefore the most expensive time of the year, according to all the quotes I have received so far!!

I am in worcester, and will be getting married here, so if anyone knows of anything, please shout my way x

Would you mind sharing your budget? At the very least we can better advise that way.

You are right that it's the peak of the peak season so if it's a Saturday then most photographers would at this point be unlikely to offer a discount and would be holding out for a full price booking. I'm already fully booked now for Saturday's in August next year.

If you are willing to be flexible about who you have and don't mind taking risks then you could hold out til about 6 weeks before the wedding then see who still has availability. Often photographers are willing to fill last minute dates at a cheaper price if the alternative is sitting at home. But like I said though, this is a risk since most decent photographers will be booked solid but you may find one free for whatever reason (eg. cancellation or change of plans).

I've just sent you the details of my photographer, he might be able to help, he's really friendly and approachable and i've seen his work in "real" life as he did a friends wedding last year

good luck

x

Keep checking things like Wowcher and Groupon as new companies often advertise on here. We've got our photographer from groupon for £299! I was slightly worried with it being this price and a new company but since booking I have been looking at their work online and it looks lovely so am confident it will be good quality. We could never have afforded the prices that are usually charged so were willing just to take the risk. Good luck!

Where are you based? X

Some great advice in here already! There are definitely photographers out there to suit all budgets and someone who already has a job in the week and just does it as a sideline can afford to offer much cheaper prices, it doesn't mean they are less quality than a full time photographer. I have to charge what I charge because otherwise I am full time and if I don't I can not pay my bills. It's also fantastic you are aware of the level of work involved. I am getting married next year and I have budgeted 2k for my wedding photography and half of that (or hopefully less) for my dress as I know what my priorities are and an idea of who I want to book.

just a couple of things that even the part time photographers should have regardless of being cheaper or not.

insurance (public liability and professional indemnity)

back up equipment!

They should be able to show you a full wedding so you can see quality and consistency (I always take my iPad to meet clients and then they can flick through as many as they like)

they should be interested in you as a couple and your wedding, you should feel some passion for their job from them.

Go with your gut, if it doesn't feel right and you are not sure about them keep looking!

I'd be VERY careful about booking a wedding photographer via Groupon/Wowcher due to the way these deals work. The deal company usually takes 50% of the sticker price after VAT. So out of the £299 the photographer only receives £125. Out of this they have to cover expenses too, for example petrol, food, equipment, postage, insurance etc.

So the questions that need to be answered are: What sort of professional wedding photographer would only charge £125 a day? And also is this a sustainable package? Ie. will they still be around in 18 months?

I've seen quite a few of these sort of deals go bad where the photographer goes bump. In fact I recently covered a wedding for a bride who had exactly that problem. Booked her tog via wowcher and the studio went bust leaving her out of pocket.

So if you do book your wedding photographer via one of these deals be very aware of the risks you are taking. It could work out really well and you get the bargain of the century. Equally you may not.

As always do your research and at the very least pay via credit card (not debit) so you are covered by section 75

We've got a great deal on ours. We're getting coverage from 2 photographers from guests arriving till part way through evening for £325. This is so cheap as he's a part time photographer trying to get enough clients to go full time. But we've looked at all his work (including full weddings) and love his stuff!

Snow bride - where are you based, this sounds like a great deal you have!!

Http://www.sarahellenbailey.co.uk/#!Why-does-wedding-photography-cost-so-much/coxj/C85A9659-6770-413B-ABA5-2F5ACD78B63E

It might soften the blow to know WHY wedding photography is so expensive. This post was written by our photographer Sarah Ellen Bailey (HIB) who also helped me out of a sticky spot a few months back.

Also togs are often flexible when you give them the wiggle room - weekday/less hours/etc etc - don't be afraid to haggle. I think we all enjoy a little back and forth

Don't be disheartened, draft an email detailing your budget, date, requirements and send out to 5-10 togs. You will be surprised at the variance in quotes you will get back. You don't have to keep it local - but you may be expected to pay travel expenses if there's a lot of mileage involved.

There is also the college student route... Yes quality will be lower - but that is not to say you won't find a talented student looking for their first portfolio oppurtunity. It's worth considering.

OR a good tog may not be able to come down to your price, but they may be able to recommend their 2nd photographer/assistant/apprentice etc who is also looking for a leg up/opportunity.

NEVER book without drafting/triple checking an iron clad contract - trust me

M2E - I'm down in Devon :-)

More often though it's the other way round. In fact a large number of photographers that I know are working towards going full time as it's not the type of industry a lot of people can drop their current income and instantly start earning a living on straight away. It took me nearly 4yrs before I could fully let go of all other work as I didn't want to do it until I knew what I was earning enough a year ahead of myself.

Yes there is a risk but I would say as long as that person is still running themselves professionally you should have no problem, ie: contract, insurance etc also a lot of the part timers I know are also still a member of a professional body The Guild of Professional Photographers, SWPP. Just make sure they are still just as passionate and professional as any full timer.

It depends on your definition of 'pro'. A true professional be it part time or full time would never do that. in fact you could argue a part time shooter has less risk involved since they don't need to turn a profit to pay their bills.

Ultimately though you need to find someone you can trust. Doesn't matter if they're full time or part time. The industry works off a large degree of trust. You pay us a deposit then sometimes 18 months later trust us to get back in touch with you and turn up on the right date!

I thought that the definition of "a professional" was someone who gets paid for the work that they do?

My photographer covers Worcester and she is lovely and I'm sure if you contacted her with your budget she may be able to help you. If she couldn't do it herself she may know someone.

Dr Buffles - which photographer do you have??

I've sent you an email