My studio A Thomas Image is in northeast Ohio. So here are some thoughts on budgets. Disclaimer: The prices you experience may vary from the ranges listed below.
A professional photographer and assistant(s) can range from $1500 and way up for the entire day. Your wedding party size and clothing may impact the need for an assistant. Assistants are generally photographers also. So an assistant will cost extra.
Shoot and Burners range from $500 to $2000 per day. When you’re done you have a disk of images and you have to manage everything. Make sure you understand the copyright terms and who’s responsible when the print comes out lousy.
All others including students and amateurs alike, $200 to $500 per day.
When the photographer is FREE – run the other direction. For the most part, something is likely to go wrong. Or make sure you understand why the service is FREE. If you go this route, read the post on Contracts.
Remember what I said about your comfort reflecting in the final product. Do you want to worry about losing the photographer, just because a camera battery died? Make sure the photographer has back up equipment for everything, camera, flash, lenses, batteries and tripod. Altogether you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars in “stuff”. A professional will have all the backup equipment AND importantly will know how to use the equipment.
Let’s continue the discussion on FEES. Don’t think the fee you’re paying just covers photography services on the day of your wedding (unless you get a CD at the end of the day). Professional photographers will spend time with you before the wedding, spend time with you the day of the wedding, spend hours preparing your proofs, spend hours editing images for printing or burning to CD and preparing the deliverable. You pay for all this time. That’s why we’re expensive! We pay for the most up to date equipment, pay for an office, pay our mortgage, eat and maybe take a vacation. Just like you! We love what we do, but photographers like YOU, want to make a living.
In the next post let’s talk about Wedding Photography Contracts.
Tom Szabo, “Phot-art-ographer”
A Thomas Image
www.athomasimage.com
