Monday, July 2, 2007

#81: wtf.

i can appreciate good photography. what i don't appreciate is the mind-boggling price tag. $6000 starting rate for a wedding photo package?!?!?!

*sigh*

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wedding Photography = Ripoff.

erica said...

a friend of my husband did our digital photos for free (we paid for the plane ticket, accommodations, and equipment rentals). unfortunately, i wish we had paid someone whose portfolio was closer to what we wanted. free sounded like a good deal at the time, but it's only a deal if you're happy with the results. still, $6000 is way too much.

Anonymous said...

There are other options that will leave you with great results.

1. Look on flickr and on photoblogs for photographers in your area. Try to find someone whose work is consistently professional, whose style jibes with your taste, and who knows how to shoot under the conditions of your wedding (many weddings are indoors, for that you need someone good with flash). Try to find someone who is a real photographer as opposed to a hobbyist... as they will know better how to handle the logistics of the shoot.

2. Ask for only digital images or only negatives (no prints)... this way you can print on your own.

3. Most decent photographers charge anywhere between $200 and $500 per hour. We found a GREAT photographer for $325 with an assistant.

4. Write up specific lists of shots you want...

All in we ended up with over 1000 photos and spent less than $3000 and our album is always a hit...

Laura said...

Meh. I would guess someone who charges that much is VERY VERY in demand for a starting price. I found an absolutely *fabulous* photographer for our wedding for $2900 for the entire day (12+ hours) with a second photographer. You probably do need to budget at least $2000 for decent photos unless you have a very talented friend or photography student, but $6000 is not necessary.

Anonymous said...

Even if I didnt know, I would guess you are up north. My family owns a wedding photography/videography company. A friend of a friend from up north looked at our packages and ended up going with the most expensive one we have, plus air fare for 3 people, and it's STILL cheaper than finding someone locally, apparently.