Why is wedding photography expensive?
No matter whether you're looking for wedding photography in Singapore or in London, you've probably noticed that wedding photography costs a fortune. In this blog post, we'll be going through why wedding photography is expensive and what factors contribute to the price.
We all want to remember our special moments, whether that is an important family gathering or a wedding day and so having a professional photographer or videographer is a must! With the growth of technology in the last decade,
Why is wedding photography costly?
When you're booking your wedding photographer and check for prices, your initial thought maybe that wedding photography is really pricey and you may even think what’s the point. But honestly, when you sit down and look at what you are getting in return, it’s all worth it in the end! Let's delve deeper and understand the value of what you would be paying your photographer, whether they're affordable and what is involved in your wedding photography package.
A wedding photographer’s expenses
You may come across a variety of photographers when doing research for your wedding. Some photographers may charge a higher amount than others, some may offer bigger packages than others and some may just have your ideal style but be too costly. Whilst the price can range a lot, just remember that a photographer is a key and essential part of your wedding day. Without them capturing your special moments and freezing the moments of your big day, all you'd be left with is memories. When we look back having those visuals and being able to remember how special and amazing your day was would be that much better when you have incredible photo's to show and look at. You could just have family and friends capture the photos for you but let’s be honest, you want everyone to enjoy your special day with you and not focus on the logistics of the day. You want them to be a part of your day and be in the photos rather than behind the camera so hiring a photographer who can capture the moments beautifully and in high quality makes so much more sense.
Most wedding photographers will offer ready-made packages from full-day to half-day or some even charge per hour. Now that package could cover a range of moments happening during your day from bridal/groom prep to the first look, the ceremony and more. If you go for a full day package, then expect photos from the morning when you're getting ready to the moment the very last person leaves the reception. But a photographer’s job doesn’t end there. There work continues to the post-processing stage where they then go through the more often than not thousands of photos they've taken and select the very best of photos and finally editing them to enhance the look or fit a certain style you want.
With a great deal of pressure to capture the perfect photographs, photographers also have to think about all the equipment they use. Most photographers have a couple of cameras, a variety of lenses, tripods, memory cards, batteries to keep them going throughout the day and so many other expenses such as public liability and equipment insurance.
When you consider all of the above and more it does explain why a photographer may be expensive but you've got to remember that if you're looking for top of the line, high-quality images then investing in the right photographer regardless of how expensive they are is worth it because not only are you getting value for what you're putting in but you're getting a lifetime of memories that are precious and priceless.
That's just the camera, there's also the editing where a photographer actually requires a powerful PC to be able to handle the size of images and the editing. Not only that but the cost of post-processing software, back up hard drives, the cost of getting an online storage platform or USB sticks to supply your photos all adds to the costs a photographer has. All these costs most certainly add up.
Really and truly you're not just paying for the photographer to attend on the day but you're paying much more. It all boils down to time, the time spent to make sure all the equipment is set up for your wedding, the time spent preparing and getting to know your venue to ensure they know the best places for beautiful photos, then post-wedding, exporting images, ensuring there's a backup, and finally editing them and delivering stunning albums that you're guaranteed to fall in love with.
BUT, PHOTOGRAPHY IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A COSTLY CAMERA
A huge amount of money is spent on photography gear and as a photographer you want to have the right equipment that is reliable and of good quality so that you avoid the risk of any faults or issues. Much time also goes into finding the right gear and a lot of money too but this is how photographers capture your special day in the most beautiful way. Yes, they are just tools, but having quality equipment can enhance your wedding album and give you the most amazing shots.
However, saying that, a skill and art is developed, learnt and honed by a wedding photographer over several years for example spending countless hours understanding various techniques to enhance the look of a photograph i.e. rule of thirds. Try giving the same equipment to someone who has little professional experience and whilst they may take a couple of nice shots, the difference is that with a professional photographer who has many years of experience, the whole album will be full of professional shots that not only look great but tell a story - this is essentially what you are paying for. A professional wedding photographer with years of experience and someone you can put your trust in that won't disappoint.
It's said that wedding photography isn't the same as buying a wedding dress, it's not just a purchase. You'll wear your wedding dress once and that's all, your wedding flowers are also a purchase and eventually wilt away and that's the end of that, but your wedding album is an investment, a lifetime of valuable and precious memories capturing every emotion, every decoration, your gorgeous outfits, your family and friends, memories that you'll be able to hold onto forever.
So, a piece of advice, before you plan you make purchases for flower, cake or even your dress, book your photographer. A little saving on purchases will allow you to make a better investment in your wedding photos and have the ideal photographer capture your big day. As is the case with most things you get what you pay for, having an experienced photographer that you value and trust is crucial and worth every penny.
