How Much Do Wedding Photographers Make?
September 7th, 2009 | 
Author: As a bride-to-be, I know that most wedding photographers charge at LEAST $2,000, and it only goes up from there. Are there any wedding photographers out there who can tell me how much of that they actually pocket? (Vs how much goes towards product production or other expenses). Thanks.
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Why would any photographer tell a customer what their profit margins are???
If you are trying to find out because you want to do the job yourself then again – it will make no difference asking others because each and every business has different overheads and requirements.
You need to work out your pricing yourself based solely on your circumstances.
If you are not going to be doing the job as your main source of income then obviously you can get away with charging a lot less.
Ah, that is a good question.
First you have to add up all your fixed and variable costs running your business, you have to consider the cost to capitalize your business. That means among other things the cost of your two camera bodies (which have to be replaced every 18-24 months … about $5,000 each), your two or three lenses, flash units and the cost of the computers and programs like Photoshop, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Noise Wizard and others. After all these costs, you have to have enough left over to support your family, pay insurance premiums, invest in your retirement fund, pay for the cost of sending your children to college and all those things.
You can see that only doing four weddings a month will not cover those costs. Most wedding photographers who charge less than $3,500 a wedding, have to generate other income to survive and usually shoot portraits or do commercial photography during the week
You find it hard to believe because you are not a self employed photographer.
Gear is expensive, but deliverables to the client are also not cheap either. Most pro photo labs, charge the same and sometimes more for prints that you will find at places like walmart or a drug store. Why? Because professionals like us who use them require the same quality from the first order to the last and from the first print to the last.
Depending on what is ordered, there could be hundreds of dollars tied up in just the cost of getting prints done. Wedding albums? You are looking at $100 minimum for some and possibly up to $300 depending on the type of book you want and the number of pages. Remember, these are one of a kind books with one customer. This is not J.K. Rowlings selling 10 million Harry Potter books.
A professional has gear costs(just one professional camera body is $5000 and lenses are just as expensive if not double or triple the price depending on what they need). If they have a studio, then there is that cost of rental or purchase, plus studio gear(lighting, backdrops, utilities, supplies, staff) darkroom costs or computer costs – Photoshop costs $700 and if you need to upgrade its $200. You have to pay for insurance or gear and business.
There is a whole list of things. Most likely they are not just a photographer, but a small business owner.
Check out any photographer’s portfolio before you book anything.
Yes, wedding photos can be expensive, $2,000 isn’t chicken feed, but don’t feed a turkey.
Your future brother-in-law’s best friend’s cousin photographer is most likely not the right move, unless he has a great portfolio.
Professional Photography is a business, what any of them profits is a matter between them and the IRS.
(all of your photo pre-nup jitters should go away if you have spent more than 20 minutes with the right one)
Send me a piece of the wedding cake, no pix, I tend to cry at weddings.
i have several friends who shoot weddings, and they aren’t bargain basement photographers, and they have other day jobs at places like home depot, blue cross/blue shield, and at various schools and universities.
they also take gigs shooting portraits, school pictures, they have booths at art shows that feature photography and like any other artistic soul, they tend to starve.