"I don't do weddings"

ThomasOwenM · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

It seems there are a lot of photographers who want to shoot anything other than weddings. "I don't do weddings" is one of the first things that pops out of the mouths of many photographers who I meet. I'm new to photography and am curious why this is so.

It seems to me weddings might be a rewarding thing to do. To capture someone's special memories for a lifetime and beyond -- seems like that could be meaningful work, and there's definitely a market for it. I'm tempted to do weddings, but I'd like to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about them first. Why are so many photographers averse to weddings?

tlc · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

i was at first. i wanted nothing to do wtih them - now i love them to death.

its very challenging and can be sooo rewarding. but there is a lot of stress, dealing with the brides, their families, etc. you get it wrong - and your a horrible monster - get it right, and your one with the world.

the marketing is tough, making it your full time career is tiresome and difficult. you have to develop a 'style' to stand out in the market and find your target audience. i think it takes more equipment and knowledge than other fields and the PP could be more time consuming as well. its also the 'after the event' handling of clients that can be time consuming as well.

in other words, its not just showing up at the wedding and clicking a few...

stonefence · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

wedding photography is a big responsibility. I took 2 years before I started doing weddings, you need alot of equipment, and you have to be ready for an equipment malfunction! After taking many seminars and doing lots of portraits I finally felt ready to take them on. I want to do it right.
Anyways thats just me!

liza · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

-High pressure
-Exhausting
- Very expensive if you do it correctly
- High level of competition
- A one shot deal
- Greater potential for litigation
- Not nearly as easy as it looks

Karl C · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

If I were earning a living from photography, I wouldn't do weddings because of three simple words...

Bridezillas from HELL!

To me, the aggravation and stress level isn't worth the money.

strmrdr · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasOwenM

Why are so many photographers averse to weddings?

because shooting weddings is a PITA.
Its 90% people skills and 10% photography skills and most people don't have the people skills to do it.
Frankly I never want too shoot a wedding again after doing a few as a second shooter ~20 years ago.
You will see people at their worst while trying to make them look their best.
You will see all the nastiness that feuding families can inflict on each other.

But for those that can handle it you also get too capture very precious memories for people and that is what photography is all about.
That is the reward for all the pain.
The money is nice but don't cover it.

zacker · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

weddings are scarey..... thats why!
LOL

RobKirkwood · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karl C

If I were earning a living from photography, I wouldn't do weddings because of three simple words...

Bridezillas from HELL!

These tend to congregate at the bottom end of the market - if your prices are high enough you'll avoid most of them, and the others are relatively easy to spot at an initial meeting - so you can either quote ridiculously high, or make your excuses and leave.

Rob

tlc · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

the upside, i have met some really fantastic clients. sharing those special moments is second to none

Seefutlung · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

as a former news photog ... to me wedding and children on ponies are not where I want to be ... no offense but that's just what most news photogs think. I'm sure wedding photographers think conversely that news is a step or two below them.

Gary

Maureen Souza · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

It's HARD!!!

Lin-z · 1st of July 2007 (Sun)

Because brides are crazy. After the obsess over the wedding for a year or more, then after that day has passed the only thing they have to obsess over is the wedding photos, and they can drive you crazy!

tim · 2nd of July 2007 (Mon)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karl C

If I were earning a living from photography, I wouldn't do weddings because of three simple words...

Bridezillas from HELL!

To me, the aggravation and stress level isn't worth the money.

I currently make my entire living from wedding photography, and i've yet to have a bridezilla. I had a groomzilla once, but even he wasn't too bad. Maybe people are just more relaxed at the bottom of the world.

Emberghost · 2nd of July 2007 (Mon)

It's not something to be taken lightly that's for sure. A lot rides on you, it's not like any other shoot that you can redo. Plus you need a lot of equipment and usually 2 bodies.

cosworth · 2nd of July 2007 (Mon)

Brides here want a $4000 wedding for $400. "Oh my friend can do it for $500". Well then why are we talking?

It takes a certain kind of reputation and style to truly rise above the crowd and command rates that are reflective of the committment. I'm still crowd and don;t advertise doing weddings. I have done them, I will do them but it has to be the right job.

I have three words for you "mother-of the bride" (de niro humour)

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#1
ThomasOwenM Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Omaha, Nebraska Posts: 565 IMAGE EDITING OK	"I don't do weddings" It seems there are a lot of photographers who want to shoot anything other than weddings. "I don't do weddings" is one of the first things that pops out of the mouths of many photographers who I meet. I'm new to photography and am curious why this is so. It seems to me weddings might be a rewarding thing to do. To capture someone's special memories for a lifetime and beyond -- seems like that could be meaningful work, and there's definitely a market for it. I'm tempted to do weddings, but I'd like to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about them first. Why are so many photographers averse to weddings? __________________ ========================================== Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens, Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 lens, Sigma 50 mm f/1.4, Canon EF 85 mm f/1.8, Tamron 28-75 f/2.8, 430 EX flash, ST-E2 Transmitter, Quantaray QSX 9500 tripod, Manfrotto monopod

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#2
tlc Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a texan living in london! Posts: 1,580	Re: "I don't do weddings" i was at first. i wanted nothing to do wtih them - now i love them to death. its very challenging and can be sooo rewarding. but there is a lot of stress, dealing with the brides, their families, etc. you get it wrong - and your a horrible monster - get it right, and your one with the world. the marketing is tough, making it your full time career is tiresome and difficult. you have to develop a 'style' to stand out in the market and find your target audience. i think it takes more equipment and knowledge than other fields and the PP could be more time consuming as well. its also the 'after the event' handling of clients that can be time consuming as well. in other words, its not just showing up at the wedding and clicking a few... __________________ jane's attic

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#3
stonefence Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 52 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" wedding photography is a big responsibility. I took 2 years before I started doing weddings, you need alot of equipment, and you have to be ready for an equipment malfunction! After taking many seminars and doing lots of portraits I finally felt ready to take them on. I want to do it right. Anyways thats just me! __________________ http://www.belly2bebe.com http://www.belly2bebe.blogspot.com Michelle Heron

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#4
liza User is banned from forums Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mayberry Posts: 11,391	Re: "I don't do weddings" -High pressure -Exhausting - Very expensive if you do it correctly - High level of competition - A one shot deal - Greater potential for litigation - Not nearly as easy as it looks

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#5
Karl C Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Milwaukee, WI USA Posts: 1,881 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" If I were earning a living from photography, I wouldn't do weddings because of three simple words... Bridezillas from HELL! To me, the aggravation and stress level isn't worth the money. __________________ GALLERY Gear: Kodak Brownie and homemade pin-hole cameras. Burlap sack for a bag.

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#7
zacker Cream of the Crop Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wallingford, CT. Posts: 5,958 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" weddings are scarey..... thats why! LOL __________________ My Animal Shelter.. (Not MINE, Im a Director there..lol)http://www.theanimalhaven.com My Facebook, Friend me If you want!http://www.facebook.com/brokenfencephotography http://www.facebook.com/theanimalhaven?ref=ts

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#9
tlc Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: a texan living in london! Posts: 1,580	Re: "I don't do weddings" the upside, i have met some really fantastic clients. sharing those special moments is second to none __________________ jane's attic

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#10
Seefutlung Goldmember Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 2,735	Re: "I don't do weddings" as a former news photog ... to me wedding and children on ponies are not where I want to be ... no offense but that's just what most news photogs think. I'm sure wedding photographers think conversely that news is a step or two below them. Gary __________________ - Unsharp At Any Speed - LAShooters for SoCal shooting www.garyayala.smugmug.com

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#11
Maureen Souza Ms. Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Central California Posts: 20,437 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" It's HARD!!! __________________ Life is hard...but I just take it one photograph at a time. 5D 50D Canon Lenses: 50/1.4, 85/1.2 135/2.0, 70-200/2.8 IS, 100-400, 24-70! Pro1

1st of July 2007 (Sun)	#12
Lin-z Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: GA Posts: 1,247 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" Because brides are crazy. After the obsess over the wedding for a year or more, then after that day has passed the only thing they have to obsess over is the wedding photos, and they can drive you crazy! __________________

2nd of July 2007 (Mon)	#14
Emberghost Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: California Posts: 458 IMAGE EDITING OK	Re: "I don't do weddings" It's not something to be taken lightly that's for sure. A lot rides on you, it's not like any other shoot that you can redo. Plus you need a lot of equipment and usually 2 bodies. __________________ 20d \| sigma 18-50 f2.8 macro \| 50 f1.4 \| 70-200 f2.8L IS \| sigma ef-500 DG Super \| CS2 www.atphotographyonline.com

2nd of July 2007 (Mon)	#15
cosworth I'm comfortable with my masculinity Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Westminster, Canada Posts: 10,913	Re: "I don't do weddings" Brides here want a $4000 wedding for $400. "Oh my friend can do it for $500". Well then why are we talking? It takes a certain kind of reputation and style to truly rise above the crowd and command rates that are reflective of the committment. I'm still crowd and don;t advertise doing weddings. I have done them, I will do them but it has to be the right job. I have three words for you "mother-of the bride" (de niro humour) __________________ jasonhollister.com Think your camera is noisy at high ISO? Click here People will always try to stop you doing the right thing if it is unconventional

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