Why Are Photographers So Expensive?

For those of you that don’t know, I was an aspiring actor and model at one point. Seriously! That was my pursuant. I used to go on auditions all the time, walk the big studio lot, get rejected for parts, and even get cast in parts. Although I still dabble in the acting realm from time to time, my focus has obviously switched. I found a second love, another passion behind the camera. This switch occurred when I was looking for a good headshot photographer. I looked high and low, far and wide. I found some amazing ones and I found some… well… not so amazing ones. And with every photographer I looked at, I had the same thought to myself: I can do that.

So I did.

But before I did, I asked myself the same question that everyone asks themselves before hiring a professional photographer: Why are they so expensive? Why is it that I have to pay upwards or $2000-$3000 on the low end for aSanta Clarita Wedding Photographer? How come it costs so much to hire a Santa Clarita Wedding Videographer? Does the product really cost that much of the persons time?

Then you start to think the same thought as I thought and so many others: I can do it myself. All I need is a good camera and that’s it! That’s the key, isn’t it?

Yes.

And No.

The bottom line is that any Joe Schmo can pick up a camera and shoot. That’s what I thought too. But I can’t begin to tell you how WRONG and mislead my thinking was. To think that a novice photographer can just pick up a camera and replicate a work of art is like thinking that fast food is good for you. So what are you actually paying for? Why ARE photographers so expensive? And why should you avoid the cheap ones?

Let’s start with that. What are you paying for? Pictures. Well that is the short answer yes, but what is involved in a picture? Are you really paying for a thousand words? Professional Photography is a business just like any other and in order to be good at your business, there are things you need to know. Tools you need to use. The majority of these principles apply to a cinematographer or video project as well. But let’s take the example of a Wedding Photographer.

A Photographer’s Time

That is a loaded question. How much do you personally feel that a professional’s time is worth? You are getting married to the one person you are going to spend your life with, and even though you will want the day to go as slowly as possible, it won’t. So you hire a professional photographer to handle capturing all of those beautiful moments so that you can cherish them forever. What is the worth of that? $25 per hour? $50 per hour? $300 per hour? If you are like most brides, then you are probably thinking, “Whatever it takes to insure that the moments won’t be missed.” Let’s dig a little deeper.

A Photographer’s Knowledge

If there is one thing that I can tell you, it is that no one is born with the knowledge to do much of anything except breathe and eat. Those are basic instincts. No one is born with the knowledge of how to work a camera, what makes for a good exposure, how to control the light, can I control the light, what lens should I use, how does my aperture effect the depth of field, what is depth of field, etc. You get the idea. This is an ongoing process of learning, trial and error, and experimenting and all of this happens before your big wedding day. All of this “R&D” if you will is so that on your actual wedding day, we don’t have to think about what we are doing, we react. We have learned so much and experimented so much that photography is now our BASIC INSTINCT. We are talking about HUNDREDS of unpaid hours. And I can tell you for a fact that after over 6 years of being in professional photography, I’m still learning.

The other part to this knowledge is the knowledge of posing, positioning, and composition. It takes a lot of figuring out (at least for wedding photography) of how to position your subjects in a manner that is natural, that is comfortable, and that conveys the emotion that you are trying to convey. Proper composition of an image can literally make or break the image. The effectiveness of composition is crucial for capturing unique images. And let’s face it, who doesn't want a truly unique image?

A Photographer’s Equipment

Although cameras and lenses are getting drastically less expensive over the years, photographers are known to have a wide array of equipment to suit a variety of situations. Not to mention should a camera ever malfunction at your wedding, a photographer has to have a backup so they can keep shooting. When you add up all of the equipment involved with camera bodies, lenses, memory cards, a laptop to back up your images on site, lighting, strobes, light stands, a home computer for editing, editing software, website costs and maintenance, etc. In a proper business schematic, all of this equipment would fall under business assets. A large portion of photographers, myself included, don’t typically shoot in a studio, so we don’t have the overhead of a monthly rent in association with a studio, but there are some that have that as well to consider. When it comes down to it, all of this equipment can cost on average anywhere between $15,000-$30,000 and more! Is your Uncle Joe willing to invest that much in your wedding?

A Photographer’s Workflow

When it comes to workflow, everyone’s is different. It is very easy for the hours spent in post-production and editing to far surpass the amount of time spent during the actual shoot. When I do cinematography for weddings, I spend about 6-10 hours on the actual shoot, but in the editing room, I can easily spend 30-40 hours putting together the beautiful material that you get. Every workflow is different and every project is different, but in terms of pricing, there is no one price fits all. When photographers quote weddings, it is usually quoted on a per project basis, not an hourly basis. So as we rack up the hours for the project, the amount we are actually making deteriorates.

Miscellaneous Costs

There are always little things that go unaccounted for and it is easy to let them slip by, but when looking at why a photographer or videographer is so expensive, it is important to look at these things. We often have meetings with clients prior to the event and when it comes to all of the meetings, calls, and emails that we respond to, that can add up to a bunch of unpaid hours. We often times have assistants or crew that we have to pay. Offices supplies, gas, miles, car maintenance, equipment maintenance, etc. These are all things that often go unaccounted for. Photographers don’t get allotted paid sick days, vacation days, bonuses for doing well, corporate insurance plans, or benefits.

In Conclusion

So how much is a photographer’s time worth? You tell me. This industry is the same as any other, 9 times out of 10, you get what you paid for. When I was acting, I had the opportunity to work with cheap photographers and expensive ones and this always holds true. Look for experience, trust, testimonials, portfolio, and personality. You want to have someone you are comfortable being around because that is the only time that you will really be able to truly show your Personality at its Finest. I made that my slogan for a reason!

Feel free to comment below on your thoughts! And photographer’s, let me know if I am missing anything!

Josh D. Smith