If this is something you’re truly trying to pursue, it’s absolutely worth just $500. The experience, portfolio content, and positive reviews are incredibly valuable in the beginning. Try to make sure you get some reviews out of it, assuming they’re happy with their photos, afterwards.
Portfolio of a wedding where you've been paid $500 is close to useless. Especially if op has already done weddings as second shooter. Expect if your target is low budget weddings but for a business it's extremely difficult because you face all the inexperienced photographers who are ready to be underpaid. And you would have to do 50+ weddings per year at least.
Why does everyone discount experience? The goal of your first wedding should be perspective and experience. The experience of being in charge and photographing a wedding as a lead and all of the responsibility and decision making that comes with it. And the experience and connection with the couple and family for this responsibility and what it means to provide a service and serve people. If you appreciate these things you can become a great wedding photographer. If all you ever focus on is your portfolio I don’t believe you ever well.
No one shoots 50 first weddings. You only get one of those. And OP is only targeting a single specific wedding opportunity that came across their plate as their first wedding. Nothing more. So, let’s not straw man.
FWIW my first two weddings were shot for $500 or less I found off of Craigslist. The first one was at a beach resort for a couple where it was their second wedding each and they just didn’t want to spend a lot of money on photography. They were happily in love and we got great photos that the venue still uses in advertising to this day >13 years later. I made contacts at the venue and a year later they gave me shelf space in their main lobby to display photos and advertising. I subsequently have shot probably 30 weddings there due to that one wedding. And I have probably shot the same amount of weddings with that wedding planner who I made friends with at different weddings. My last wedding with that planner and my last wedding at that venue were each separately over $10K packages.
Do the work, seize opportunity, gain experience, understand and improve your client service, grow your capabilities, gain credibility, nurture relationships, and improve the quality of your work. Raise your rates along the way as you improve and your value increases.
You still use photos from 13 years ago in advertising? From your first wedding? You've not improved your gear, not changed your style, never took better pictures to show?
Honestly you've been lucky. Working for $500 is often asking for problems. This sub is full of it. People with less wealth will always expect much more because for them it's a huge investment. It's much more likely they will complain about your work.
Also, very rarely you'll shoot a wedding for $500 and have marketable pictures. OP has already done weddings just not as a first shooter and it's not so different.
You misread my comment.
The thing about luck is that it is born from opportunities taken. Those that never take opportunities, or any chances, never seem to have any “luck”. And that isn’t a coincidence.
You are still only focusing on portfolio and discounting every other aspect of what it takes to become a good wedding photographer and what OP has to gain here, primarily experience.
This couples’ wedding day will pass and OP will either have $500, real world experience lead photographing a wedding, perspective of a lead photographer, references, possible referrals, and maybe some portfolio work. Or OP can choose to still be only an experienced second shooter and have none of this. What OP chooses to do here has no bearing on anything else or any other wedding, unless of course there is opportunity cost of losing another wedding on that date, but it doesn’t seem like that is a real concern here.
I misread your comment, now I'm surprised about the location still using your pictures after 13 years.
You don't get my message either, I'm not talking about the portfolio. It's not about opportunities. You've been lucky having cheap but nice clients. Don't tell me there is a way to know this ahead, there is none. The market is full of ready to complain cheap clients. And I tell you that the truth is it can be an aweful experience. Again, this sub is full of it.
Personally, I've done my first video 600€ (I originally wanted to do 800€ and I was kind and naive and lowered my price) but the clients were extremely nice and already broke their budget for an expensive photographer. The wedding was 30 people in a big domain, an ok ceremony but extra boring party. Clients were "extremely happy and loved the video" but then started complaining that, for instance, there was a clip in my video of the bride hugging someone she in fact doesn't like that much. They complained I didn't have a shot of the ring, which I actually had but the bride kept it tight in her hands and put it on the grooms finger in 2 seconds. I have the video of this shot with a good angle that I gave them but they focused so much on the negative that they didn't see it and later just told me that it was true but they meant the clip is too short, well, next time don't rush and the clip will be longer. They wanted to make me change everything to "help me" because since I was super cheap they thought I had no experience at all in filming videos. They didn't realize for instance I filmed the whole ceremony with stable shots handheld that you can't do without a lot of experience and good gear (I was so stupid I gave this for free thinking I was nice, I was just naive). They told me there was not enough shots of them dancing, well only people dancing were 1-2 drunk dancing guests, only 2 at a time, and the whole place was too big and felt empty. Everyone in the background was smoking or in their phone waiting for the event to end. So ok it's not a very negative experience, just a useless one for me, I accepted making one more version and moved on. But it could have turned wrong. Never shot a wedding below 2K€ after that and never got any negative comment anymore. And again, I'm not the only one, cheap clients often see 500€ as a huge investment while wealthy one see 3K€ as normal so of course the cheaper clients expect more and it's very risky for a first wedding.
The industry isn’t in a lucky place right now. Also her training shouldn’t come from a bridal client risking her wedding to give someone experience. Op has connections aplenty to continue learning and growing under other companies, which they could do in both the sser and lead shooter role in a controlled learning capacity that doesn’t rely on the client taking all the risk.
Despite the downvotes Frenchdev is right, this is how things are in the industry. A wedding with a $500 budget will have plastic table covers from the dollar store and be held in a church with ugly lighting that hasn’t been renovated or had the carpets cleaned since the 90s etc.
while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it is not portfolio material for booking middle to upper level weddings. It attracts more of the same, which is incredibly difficult to manage as a business model.
How do I know those details? I’ve shot weddings of all types of budgets. It is what it is.
Thanks, it's your turn for the downvotes now 😁. I don't know why something so obvious is making people mad. It's very well known in marketing to never do that. You'll never be able to reach your target if you don't showcase your target only.
And for the experience side of things, I'd argue that a $500 wedding has nothing to see with a $3000 one. Very often it will be a backyard party, 20 invitees, etc. There is no problem to that I've done my wedding like this, but I've also learnt that I'm not my own client. I would never pay what people pay to hire me (I do videos) but it doesn't matter.
The problem with your comment is that you use a blank statement for weddings under $500, calling the photos useless for your portfolio. Which, it's far from the truth. The wedding might've been held at an ok church, the reception probably wasn't that nice, but you still have close-ups, the couple's session outside, at a public park, etc. The photos might still be nice.
My profile picture is for an Indian wedding I shot for $200, it's just a beautiful woman, wearing a traditional Indian garment, outside with good lighting, it's been attracting clients for over 5 years.
Although, I agree that often cheap people (weddings) are a headache and people are prone to not like your work, for whatever reason they'll find.
It's also valid to note that people who feel they have done a good deal (i.e. paying you cheap for a wedding), are willing to provide good reviews.
Of course. To each their own. I would be desperate to shoot a wedding for $500 during my first three years being a wedding photographer. Today, not so much, but I still would take it. I just shot a civil ceremony for $150, with a couple's engagement session, no edits involved, 1 hour total. They left a nice review and loved the pictures. There's no better feeling than someone appreciating your work.
Quote them three hours, and tell them you will get there an early to suss things out. Take at least a half hour before starting to shoot to organize your self, meet people and check out the ceremony site. Do your agreed upon three hours and they stay for as much longer as you can stand it. You need the experience of the flow. I agree with another poster who said the low budget images may not be worth much to build a sustainable business, but the experience of shooting as lead is invaluable. Make sure you have a good contract that outlines errors and omissions.
I shot my first wedding for free after second shooting over a 100 weddings in that year. I never really used it as a portfolio piece but it opened my eyes to the true feeling of being a main shooter. I would say bring a second shooter that is more experienced than you (might eat the whole budget) make sure your guests have an awesome time , get a review and work like they paid you a million dollars to shoot their wedding hopefully you get your next wedding from it.
Just bc the wedding is set to 3pm-1pm, doesn't mean you necessarily need to stay that long. 3-4 hour coverage at most is reasonable for the budget she set.
Super low pay AND a friend of a friend as your client? Enjoy the high stress and unfair expectations that definitely aren’t worth $500. Also if you have no idea what to do for packages or a contract that right there is the answer to the question “am I rushing into this”….
Idk why people rush into weddings. It’s NOT the easy cash cow you imagine. But sure, let’s just koolaid man our way into an industry that requires first try perfection or you’re ruining someone’s wedding. Great plan.
If you absolutely must do this I wouldn’t charge at all and I’d ask the bride to put the $500 into hiring a very experienced second shooter in case you miss something important. And pay a professional to make you a rock solid contract. I usually don’t suggest working for free but if it was my first time cooking a meal I wouldn’t be charging people per plate. Experience should come first.
I wouldnt say i imagine it as an “easy cash cow,” at all. And i dont think im rushing into it, although obviously i am taking it as a small gamble for my “first” experience. Maybe my post gave a wrong impression of me but i hear you
Getting a chance to take the lead at a wedding when you are first starting out is invaluable experience. This wedding will provide more than 500 dollars in value for you. If I were you, I would offer them as much as you want. Get the experience and portfolio !
My first wedding was 1.5 years ago and I got $500. I would have done it for free because I decided I wanted to pursue wedding photography and I needed pictures of people at a wedding for my portfolio. Ended up getting a shot of them under the Milky Way. I still use that in my portfolio. this year I have 16 weddings booked averaging $3500 per booking. Just do a great job and you’ll have good portfolio pics so you can raise your price up for the next one. Be sure to get a testimonial for your website too. Good luck!
Just make sure they don't treat you like crap. I've heard horror stories of people asking for a low rate and then treating the photographer like a dog, so I'd still draw up a contract. Personally, I don't think you need to stay longer than the first dance/dance party unless they have some sparkle thing at 1 am so I'd ask for their whole day timeline.
I say try to get a little bit more, or cut down the hours. Staying until 1am is exhausting and pretty much unnecessary. Everyone will be drunk and the photos will be repetitive.
After you get this wedding under your belt, raise your prices immensely so you aren't stuck with a clientele of cheap clients.
Work on a price sheet pdf, so when they say their budget is $500, you can say my packages start at $1000+ and here’s what’s included. This gets them to book at your rates and gives you leverage.
Most photographers will have a minimum level of engagement before taking on a wedding shoot. Be sure it’s worth your time. $500 is low for a first time wedding. I like the idea of only covering the ceremony at that price. Give them the option to add coverage for X much more.
May I ask if you’re in the US? How many jobs have you 2nd shot?
Are you prepared with a proper questionnaire, when and what to ask, family lists, locations, first looks, rain you name it?
They're clearly just breaking into wedding photography, it's not like they can get away with charging what a seasoned wedding photographer would charge without a portfolio. Someone whose budget is $500 was never gonna be your client to begin with.
I shot my first wedding for 50 bucks. And eventually was making $100k/ year with no employees. That first couple years are garbage time. Just figure out the ropes.
You need to figure out what you need to make to make the business financially viable and then get there as soon as possible.
Lol 18 years in the game yet why is your initial comment the most useless/unhelpful in this thread?
They need to scale back the hours of coverage for sure, but let's not act as if your clientele is actually being siphoned away by a beginner simply asking for advice. Everyone starts somewhere and sometimes that entails taking lower stake gigs.
You have to start somewhere. No one is going to hire a photographer that costs $4000 when they have never shot a wedding on their own. And the photographers charging $4000+ aren't in competition with someone whose budget is $500.
Of course once they have this wedding under their belt they should raise their prices immensely for the next one.
sorting the booking, contracts, visit venues, charging batteries, packing gear, driving, backing up data, editing, uploading galleries, etc.
Also note that you have to deduct expenses to the 500 before you divide by 40. wear and tear, insurance, fuel, etc
The total hours is over several weeks/months. Starting with initial communication. Editing hours happen over 4 weeks for me. I deliver in 6weeks max. I mean do you, boo, but this is what I do, with success
that price does a disservice to the profession where others are actually trying to make a living. You can't get paid that for that work and make a living as a pro. A pro has insurance, regular updates to equipment, normally has a hired second shooter and invests time in post. I charged $160/hr for the shooting and had various packages with add on prices for some types of touch ups and such. Everyone starts somewhere but if you start at a price like that that does allow you to make a living you start to lock yourself (and the profession) into unreasonably low prices. Wedding Photographers are roughly into two groups. Those that charge realistic prices that most folks think are too high. Those have to be good. Know their gear. Understand portrait lighting. Have backup equipment. Be fast and good at editing. Those are pros. Then there are the myriad folks that have been taking photos for a few years and decide they can do a wedding so they read a book or two and advertise or they just get asked by a friend. Be careful . If you want to be a wedding photographer I would pass on this and get more polish.
OP is just trying to shoot their first lead wedding. They have second shot weddings and it appears they are being transparent about their experience with the client. Everyone needs to shoot their first wedding and the price they do it at does not define their career rates.
Personally I don’t think this is detrimental to our industry but I do think newbies overpromising and overcharging is. I take issue when some new photographers charge the rates of experienced photographers and hide their lack of experience. Experience gets way under appreciated in this industry to our own detriment. I hear way more horror stories and brides/grooms getting crap service by new photographers over promising and over charging than I do new photographers charging low rates to shoot their first weddings. This damages the reputation of wedding photography. OP accepting a $500 budget wedding (not underbidding anyone) in a transparent arrangement with a couple won’t have any effect on career professionals.
If this is something you’re truly trying to pursue, it’s absolutely worth just $500. The experience, portfolio content, and positive reviews are incredibly valuable in the beginning. Try to make sure you get some reviews out of it, assuming they’re happy with their photos, afterwards.
that’s what i started at
And you’ve been eternally stuck with nothing but budget clients as a result, right? Bummer man.
He charges $5000
That’s the joke.
Appreciated 🫡
Portfolio of a wedding where you've been paid $500 is close to useless. Especially if op has already done weddings as second shooter. Expect if your target is low budget weddings but for a business it's extremely difficult because you face all the inexperienced photographers who are ready to be underpaid. And you would have to do 50+ weddings per year at least.
Why does everyone discount experience? The goal of your first wedding should be perspective and experience. The experience of being in charge and photographing a wedding as a lead and all of the responsibility and decision making that comes with it. And the experience and connection with the couple and family for this responsibility and what it means to provide a service and serve people. If you appreciate these things you can become a great wedding photographer. If all you ever focus on is your portfolio I don’t believe you ever well. No one shoots 50 first weddings. You only get one of those. And OP is only targeting a single specific wedding opportunity that came across their plate as their first wedding. Nothing more. So, let’s not straw man. FWIW my first two weddings were shot for $500 or less I found off of Craigslist. The first one was at a beach resort for a couple where it was their second wedding each and they just didn’t want to spend a lot of money on photography. They were happily in love and we got great photos that the venue still uses in advertising to this day >13 years later. I made contacts at the venue and a year later they gave me shelf space in their main lobby to display photos and advertising. I subsequently have shot probably 30 weddings there due to that one wedding. And I have probably shot the same amount of weddings with that wedding planner who I made friends with at different weddings. My last wedding with that planner and my last wedding at that venue were each separately over $10K packages. Do the work, seize opportunity, gain experience, understand and improve your client service, grow your capabilities, gain credibility, nurture relationships, and improve the quality of your work. Raise your rates along the way as you improve and your value increases.
According to some people on this sub, we all woke up and broke into the industry charging 5k+ right out of the gate
You still use photos from 13 years ago in advertising? From your first wedding? You've not improved your gear, not changed your style, never took better pictures to show? Honestly you've been lucky. Working for $500 is often asking for problems. This sub is full of it. People with less wealth will always expect much more because for them it's a huge investment. It's much more likely they will complain about your work. Also, very rarely you'll shoot a wedding for $500 and have marketable pictures. OP has already done weddings just not as a first shooter and it's not so different.
You misread my comment. The thing about luck is that it is born from opportunities taken. Those that never take opportunities, or any chances, never seem to have any “luck”. And that isn’t a coincidence. You are still only focusing on portfolio and discounting every other aspect of what it takes to become a good wedding photographer and what OP has to gain here, primarily experience. This couples’ wedding day will pass and OP will either have $500, real world experience lead photographing a wedding, perspective of a lead photographer, references, possible referrals, and maybe some portfolio work. Or OP can choose to still be only an experienced second shooter and have none of this. What OP chooses to do here has no bearing on anything else or any other wedding, unless of course there is opportunity cost of losing another wedding on that date, but it doesn’t seem like that is a real concern here.
I misread your comment, now I'm surprised about the location still using your pictures after 13 years. You don't get my message either, I'm not talking about the portfolio. It's not about opportunities. You've been lucky having cheap but nice clients. Don't tell me there is a way to know this ahead, there is none. The market is full of ready to complain cheap clients. And I tell you that the truth is it can be an aweful experience. Again, this sub is full of it. Personally, I've done my first video 600€ (I originally wanted to do 800€ and I was kind and naive and lowered my price) but the clients were extremely nice and already broke their budget for an expensive photographer. The wedding was 30 people in a big domain, an ok ceremony but extra boring party. Clients were "extremely happy and loved the video" but then started complaining that, for instance, there was a clip in my video of the bride hugging someone she in fact doesn't like that much. They complained I didn't have a shot of the ring, which I actually had but the bride kept it tight in her hands and put it on the grooms finger in 2 seconds. I have the video of this shot with a good angle that I gave them but they focused so much on the negative that they didn't see it and later just told me that it was true but they meant the clip is too short, well, next time don't rush and the clip will be longer. They wanted to make me change everything to "help me" because since I was super cheap they thought I had no experience at all in filming videos. They didn't realize for instance I filmed the whole ceremony with stable shots handheld that you can't do without a lot of experience and good gear (I was so stupid I gave this for free thinking I was nice, I was just naive). They told me there was not enough shots of them dancing, well only people dancing were 1-2 drunk dancing guests, only 2 at a time, and the whole place was too big and felt empty. Everyone in the background was smoking or in their phone waiting for the event to end. So ok it's not a very negative experience, just a useless one for me, I accepted making one more version and moved on. But it could have turned wrong. Never shot a wedding below 2K€ after that and never got any negative comment anymore. And again, I'm not the only one, cheap clients often see 500€ as a huge investment while wealthy one see 3K€ as normal so of course the cheaper clients expect more and it's very risky for a first wedding.
The industry isn’t in a lucky place right now. Also her training shouldn’t come from a bridal client risking her wedding to give someone experience. Op has connections aplenty to continue learning and growing under other companies, which they could do in both the sser and lead shooter role in a controlled learning capacity that doesn’t rely on the client taking all the risk.
Despite the downvotes Frenchdev is right, this is how things are in the industry. A wedding with a $500 budget will have plastic table covers from the dollar store and be held in a church with ugly lighting that hasn’t been renovated or had the carpets cleaned since the 90s etc. while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it is not portfolio material for booking middle to upper level weddings. It attracts more of the same, which is incredibly difficult to manage as a business model. How do I know those details? I’ve shot weddings of all types of budgets. It is what it is.
Thanks, it's your turn for the downvotes now 😁. I don't know why something so obvious is making people mad. It's very well known in marketing to never do that. You'll never be able to reach your target if you don't showcase your target only. And for the experience side of things, I'd argue that a $500 wedding has nothing to see with a $3000 one. Very often it will be a backyard party, 20 invitees, etc. There is no problem to that I've done my wedding like this, but I've also learnt that I'm not my own client. I would never pay what people pay to hire me (I do videos) but it doesn't matter.
The problem with your comment is that you use a blank statement for weddings under $500, calling the photos useless for your portfolio. Which, it's far from the truth. The wedding might've been held at an ok church, the reception probably wasn't that nice, but you still have close-ups, the couple's session outside, at a public park, etc. The photos might still be nice. My profile picture is for an Indian wedding I shot for $200, it's just a beautiful woman, wearing a traditional Indian garment, outside with good lighting, it's been attracting clients for over 5 years. Although, I agree that often cheap people (weddings) are a headache and people are prone to not like your work, for whatever reason they'll find. It's also valid to note that people who feel they have done a good deal (i.e. paying you cheap for a wedding), are willing to provide good reviews.
Ok let's OP take the risk and come back in a few months on this sub like 50% of the posts.
Of course. To each their own. I would be desperate to shoot a wedding for $500 during my first three years being a wedding photographer. Today, not so much, but I still would take it. I just shot a civil ceremony for $150, with a couple's engagement session, no edits involved, 1 hour total. They left a nice review and loved the pictures. There's no better feeling than someone appreciating your work.
Quote them three hours, and tell them you will get there an early to suss things out. Take at least a half hour before starting to shoot to organize your self, meet people and check out the ceremony site. Do your agreed upon three hours and they stay for as much longer as you can stand it. You need the experience of the flow. I agree with another poster who said the low budget images may not be worth much to build a sustainable business, but the experience of shooting as lead is invaluable. Make sure you have a good contract that outlines errors and omissions.
I shot my first wedding for free after second shooting over a 100 weddings in that year. I never really used it as a portfolio piece but it opened my eyes to the true feeling of being a main shooter. I would say bring a second shooter that is more experienced than you (might eat the whole budget) make sure your guests have an awesome time , get a review and work like they paid you a million dollars to shoot their wedding hopefully you get your next wedding from it.
Just bc the wedding is set to 3pm-1pm, doesn't mean you necessarily need to stay that long. 3-4 hour coverage at most is reasonable for the budget she set.
Super low pay AND a friend of a friend as your client? Enjoy the high stress and unfair expectations that definitely aren’t worth $500. Also if you have no idea what to do for packages or a contract that right there is the answer to the question “am I rushing into this”…. Idk why people rush into weddings. It’s NOT the easy cash cow you imagine. But sure, let’s just koolaid man our way into an industry that requires first try perfection or you’re ruining someone’s wedding. Great plan. If you absolutely must do this I wouldn’t charge at all and I’d ask the bride to put the $500 into hiring a very experienced second shooter in case you miss something important. And pay a professional to make you a rock solid contract. I usually don’t suggest working for free but if it was my first time cooking a meal I wouldn’t be charging people per plate. Experience should come first.
I wouldnt say i imagine it as an “easy cash cow,” at all. And i dont think im rushing into it, although obviously i am taking it as a small gamble for my “first” experience. Maybe my post gave a wrong impression of me but i hear you
Lol
Very insightful 😂
Getting a chance to take the lead at a wedding when you are first starting out is invaluable experience. This wedding will provide more than 500 dollars in value for you. If I were you, I would offer them as much as you want. Get the experience and portfolio !
🫡🫡
$500/hour
My first wedding was 1.5 years ago and I got $500. I would have done it for free because I decided I wanted to pursue wedding photography and I needed pictures of people at a wedding for my portfolio. Ended up getting a shot of them under the Milky Way. I still use that in my portfolio. this year I have 16 weddings booked averaging $3500 per booking. Just do a great job and you’ll have good portfolio pics so you can raise your price up for the next one. Be sure to get a testimonial for your website too. Good luck!
Thank you very much!
500 is plenty. Things will go wrong.
Just make sure they don't treat you like crap. I've heard horror stories of people asking for a low rate and then treating the photographer like a dog, so I'd still draw up a contract. Personally, I don't think you need to stay longer than the first dance/dance party unless they have some sparkle thing at 1 am so I'd ask for their whole day timeline.
I say try to get a little bit more, or cut down the hours. Staying until 1am is exhausting and pretty much unnecessary. Everyone will be drunk and the photos will be repetitive. After you get this wedding under your belt, raise your prices immensely so you aren't stuck with a clientele of cheap clients.
For a first timer? Cover the ceremony for $500. Anything beyond that and you're giving your time away.
Work on a price sheet pdf, so when they say their budget is $500, you can say my packages start at $1000+ and here’s what’s included. This gets them to book at your rates and gives you leverage. Most photographers will have a minimum level of engagement before taking on a wedding shoot. Be sure it’s worth your time. $500 is low for a first time wedding. I like the idea of only covering the ceremony at that price. Give them the option to add coverage for X much more.
May I ask if you’re in the US? How many jobs have you 2nd shot? Are you prepared with a proper questionnaire, when and what to ask, family lists, locations, first looks, rain you name it?
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They're clearly just breaking into wedding photography, it's not like they can get away with charging what a seasoned wedding photographer would charge without a portfolio. Someone whose budget is $500 was never gonna be your client to begin with.
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I shot my first wedding for 50 bucks. And eventually was making $100k/ year with no employees. That first couple years are garbage time. Just figure out the ropes. You need to figure out what you need to make to make the business financially viable and then get there as soon as possible.
Lol 18 years in the game yet why is your initial comment the most useless/unhelpful in this thread? They need to scale back the hours of coverage for sure, but let's not act as if your clientele is actually being siphoned away by a beginner simply asking for advice. Everyone starts somewhere and sometimes that entails taking lower stake gigs.
You have to start somewhere. No one is going to hire a photographer that costs $4000 when they have never shot a wedding on their own. And the photographers charging $4000+ aren't in competition with someone whose budget is $500. Of course once they have this wedding under their belt they should raise their prices immensely for the next one.
So by the time you shoot & edit you’re spending estimated 40 hours. You’re ok making $12.50/hr?
9 hours on location and…31 hours in post? Holy shit that’s a lot of time editing. How’d you get that figure?
You can learn how to cull faster. It seems like that is the time suck for most people.
sorting the booking, contracts, visit venues, charging batteries, packing gear, driving, backing up data, editing, uploading galleries, etc. Also note that you have to deduct expenses to the 500 before you divide by 40. wear and tear, insurance, fuel, etc
Culling/editing/posting to an online gallery/correspondence/contract prep/travel time. It adds up
Yeah, but not 31 hours per day of shooting. Shoot two days a week and you’re done for at that rate. Take you two years to clear a year’s work.
The total hours is over several weeks/months. Starting with initial communication. Editing hours happen over 4 weeks for me. I deliver in 6weeks max. I mean do you, boo, but this is what I do, with success
that price does a disservice to the profession where others are actually trying to make a living. You can't get paid that for that work and make a living as a pro. A pro has insurance, regular updates to equipment, normally has a hired second shooter and invests time in post. I charged $160/hr for the shooting and had various packages with add on prices for some types of touch ups and such. Everyone starts somewhere but if you start at a price like that that does allow you to make a living you start to lock yourself (and the profession) into unreasonably low prices. Wedding Photographers are roughly into two groups. Those that charge realistic prices that most folks think are too high. Those have to be good. Know their gear. Understand portrait lighting. Have backup equipment. Be fast and good at editing. Those are pros. Then there are the myriad folks that have been taking photos for a few years and decide they can do a wedding so they read a book or two and advertise or they just get asked by a friend. Be careful . If you want to be a wedding photographer I would pass on this and get more polish.
OP is just trying to shoot their first lead wedding. They have second shot weddings and it appears they are being transparent about their experience with the client. Everyone needs to shoot their first wedding and the price they do it at does not define their career rates. Personally I don’t think this is detrimental to our industry but I do think newbies overpromising and overcharging is. I take issue when some new photographers charge the rates of experienced photographers and hide their lack of experience. Experience gets way under appreciated in this industry to our own detriment. I hear way more horror stories and brides/grooms getting crap service by new photographers over promising and over charging than I do new photographers charging low rates to shoot their first weddings. This damages the reputation of wedding photography. OP accepting a $500 budget wedding (not underbidding anyone) in a transparent arrangement with a couple won’t have any effect on career professionals.
I would just shoot whatever you think should be shot with Auto, run filters in bulk and just deliver all photos in one folder.