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Why does a Wedding Photographer charge so much?

January 25th, 2009 | Posted in Our Blog | 1 Comment
Tags: Asian bride, Asian fashion magazine, Asian media, asiana, Asiana Wedding magazine, expensive wedding, groom, Our Blog, wedding photographer

One topic that comes up fairly regularly during my pre-wedding consultation is why wedding photography and videography costs as much as it does?

I’m going try to attempt to break it down here and hopefully give you the information that will help you to understand the secret behind the question.  :) Please pardon me as these figures are average and will vary from one photographer to another. Also, please keep in mind that a single unmarried photographer will probably have a lower cost of living than one supporting a family of four! Individual differences between the photographer’s suppliers as well as their assistant’s skill also make a huge impact on the cost that they charge to survive the over saturated market!

Let’s assume the photographer lists a price of £2,700 for 10 hours of coverage, an engagement session, a book of 500 proof prints with a 30-page storybook type album.

Out of that £2,700 you need to consider the photographer’s annual expenses as well as fixed cost associated with an individual wedding. Among those expenses would be a professional indemnity insurance, equipment insurance, software, promotion such as adverts, wedding fairs and exhibitions, updates and maintenance of their website and sample albums, accounting and legal expenses, repair or replacement or upgrading of very expensive professional grade cameras and computers, continued education, wear and tear on their automobile, soaring fuel costs and for some…mobile studio rent, electric and telephone. All these may cost around £300 on average per wedding.

Add to the above figure the cost of an assistant, proof album and proof prints, consumables such as DVDs or CDs and the cost of storybook printing and binding cost. This figure may come to a total of around £900.

After these expenses, the photographer is left with £1,500 of so called gross profit :) . Please add 15%-20% VAT (depending on the location of the supplier) on top of PAYE taxes which will take on average, 40% of £1,500 i.e. £600. This leaves the photographer with £900 in earnings for photographing the most memorable day in your life.

Wow, you say…a thousand quid for a few hours work on a Saturday?.. surely this can’t be that bad?  If it was that simple, you’d be right and it would be pretty damn good money. So, let’s look at the time invested for each wedding, shall we?

# 02 hours for pre-wedding consultation, emails and phone calls as you interview the photographer
# 06 hours for the shooting and editing of your engagement session
# 12 hours on your wedding day including commuting time to your wedding location
# 20 hours to post-process your images, get proofs printed, etc
# 02 hours on creating your online slideshow
# 14 hours designing and producing the final album
# 03 hours for misc. meetings, phone calls, emails, planning sessions, trips to the lab, etc

On top of all these, you must remember to add in the hours each week needed to run the business on its own

Therefore, a photographer invests an average of 60 hours for each wedding. Considering these facts, a good photographer makes about £15 an hour. The reader of this post also needs to be aware that the wedding season in the UK runs only from May till September as there are relatively few weddings which take place during the rest of the year.

The national average income for wedding photographers is approximately £26K per year. So if it seems like wedding photographers make huge amounts of money…please re-think as they don’t. On an average their incomes are pretty much in line with the national average wages. So, some make more and some make less, depending on their experience, creativity, talent, the actual type of product being delivered in addition to the overhead costs specific to that photographer.

I hope this information is helpful in understanding why your photographer’s prices are high….

‘Nuf said :)


Wedding Photography – Ultimate Guide For Couples

March 27th, 2008 | Posted in Our Blog | No Comments
Tags: asian wedding, Asian Wedding Photography, bride, for couples, groom, guide, ultimate

Your wedding is your own special day. You would want to live those memories over and over again. It is important that you capture the most wonderful memories in the best possible manner. Hiring a wedding photographer is the first step towards getting the perfect pictures. Believe me, asking a friend to click picture and hiring a professional wedding photographer makes a world of difference.

If you would want your pictures to be perfect, then you should discuss your requirements and your desires with your photographer. He would be able to do justice to your moments in the best possible manner if he knows what is expected of him. In the end, let him be the best judge!

Most of the couples ask for negative or digital files of all the pictures taken so that they can get them re-printed whenever they want. Many photographers may not give the negatives or high resolution images as they may feel their labs would do more justice than a drug store ;o) Many of them sell the negatives back to the couple after a certain period, like a year after your wedding.

Look for experienced photographer. It would be better if you actually meet your wedding photographer who is actually going to be present at your wedding. Take a look at his actual portfolio and understand how he would portray your wedding in an orderly fashion. Moreover, if you meet a couple of them, you would understand their styles as well. Choose the one whose style appeals you the most.

Hiring a wedding photographer is like trusting someone forever. Would you really like to trust forever to anyone? Ask yourself and trust the biggest day of your life that appeals you the most. Most of the time couples or brides can tell who appeals to them just like that! A good wedding photographer actually listens to you and understands your requirements before he starts lamenting his own ideologies on how he captures the best shots. Best wedding photographer has a flexible approach that does not presents the best shots from the event. He weaves a story well packed with emotions and feelings that would be cherished forever and the generations would be delighted to hear it over and over again.

Talk to your photographer who is going to be actually present on your wedding day and discuss your wedding with him. Lastly, give him a personal session for about an hour or more. You really don’t want your wedding to speak of your aunts, uncles and cousins only, do you? A personal session of the couple with the wedding photographer bags you a treasure trove full of delightful memories.

N’uf said!


Engagement Photoshoot

June 14th, 2007 | Posted in Our Blog | No Comments
Tags: asian, Asian Wedding Photography, bride, central london, engagement, fun photography, groom, london, Pre-Wedding Shoot

The Pre-wedding Photo Session

You can call it what you like, some photographers call it an engagement shoot and some call it pre-wedding shoot. In my terms, its another way to have fun – together. You’d be surprised how terrified most couples are at the thought of photographed on their actual wedding day!

Remember that this is a big opportunity for both the parties to know each other before the d-day. During this session, I take a note of the chemistry between the couple, your personality and to some extent your ‘quirks’ too..! These observations should normally help the photographer to capture those moments that are unique to you and your fiancée. Another major benefit is that you get to know and see the photographer’s work techniques. Hopefully, on your wedding day, you will be looking forward to having photos taken instead of dreading the thought of having a camera pointed in your direction all the time!

A typical engagement shoot can take anything between 45 minutes to an hour at any location as this is a very informal way of capturing your emotions. Alternatively, you can even discuss special locations such as your first date or even at a place where he proposed to you! It could be a place where you both like to spend time, or something you like to do together. My previous clients have invited me to their hometowns, university campus where they met, parks, museums or even their favorite restaurant. Its simple logic, we all feel at ease in an environment we are familiar with. Don’t forget, if you have children, pets or a vehicle you want to include, always bring it along!

Besides the above points, the engagement shoot may also be an opportunity for a hair and makeup drill. This way you get to see how your hair and makeup will look in the photos and you can let your stylist know if there is anything you would like to change. Once you have your engagement images there are many things you can do with them besides the obvious – in a frame on the wall. They can be given as gifts to the family, used for save the date cards, put behind the guest book at your receptions etc. Do what you like really!

Do you offer this service?

Yes. If you are booking a wedding with us then we offer the engagement shoot absolutely FREE. Alternatively, If you would like to book just an engagement shoot, the cost is £350 for:

# One hour shoot at youe desired location*
# 20-30 High Resolution Images presented on CD
# Five 8″x12″ photographs

It’s best to shoot on weekends. Usually after ‘checking’ the UK weather, client’s call me on a Thursday or Friday, to book an engagement shoot for the following Sunday. Please call us on 07931 53 47 29 if you have any further queries.

*Please note that if the engagement shoot location is outside London then you will be responsible for travel & accommodation costs.