Wedding Photography Prices Explained!

These are the elements that make up wedding photography prices. My aim is to explain a little of what goes into them, because I know that at face value professional wedding photography can seem expensive.

Time

Probably the main thing that affects what a photographer charges is time.

Usually a photographer will offer different packages according to how long he is at your wedding for.

This might start at just 1 hour for a low key, civil ceremony at a registry office, and go up to 12 or 14 hours to cover the bride getting ready in the morning to the couple leaving the venue at night.

One of the curses of digital photography is that after the wedding the photographer has to edit all the photos on a computer, which for 1000+ photos might take another 1-3 days.

Prices are beginning to reflect this increase in time, due to the opportunity cost of the photographer. In the past he might have been earning money photographing portraits during this time, but now he has to spend more time in front of a computer and less time shooting.

The upside to this is that you now have access to a far greater range and quality of digital products, as well as (in theory) better quality photos.

Other areas that require a photographer's time are planning meetings, location pre-visits and album-planning.

Like with any other professional service, wedding photography prices vary on the photographer's hourly rate, which will be based on his experience, training and market position.

Photos

The quantity and sizes of photos also affects how much the package will cost.

Photos may be included as loose prints or included in the main album. Generally, photographers operate an economy of scale, so the more you buy the cheaper they are.

The issue is how much is a photograph actually worth? To answer this you have to think about what a photo is. It's obviously more than just a piece of paper, which in itself is worth pennies.

To the viewer it's a memory, documentation of a person or event, or an artistic creation.

To the photographer it's the result of training and experience in composition, framing, lighting, exposure and post-production. It expresses his artistic vision, his ability to be in the right place at the right time and his skill at capturing the moment.

As a result, how much value a photographer places on each photograph will reflect his experience, training and achievements within his field, as well as equipment costs, expenses and overheads.

So a nationally or internationally known wedding photographer will charge far more for his work than somebody who's just starting out.

Albums

Assuming a package includes an album, this is the other major factor that affects wedding photography prices.

When talking about wedding albums, I'm talking about professional albums that are only available to professional photographers.

To learn more about different types of wedding albums click here.

There are several big players in the wedding album market.

Spicer Hallfield is a U.K. manufacturer. They have a large range of traditional and contemporary albums that are pre-assembled. The photographer will then add photos and mounts himself.

Photographers using Spicer Hallfield will probably hold certain albums in stock and give their clients a choice of which album they'd prefer.

Update: As of early 2009, Spicer Hallfield has ceased trading.

Jorgensen is an Australian manufacturer based in Perth. Their albums are very popular with some of the big name wedding photographers in the U.K.

They also have a set range of albums but through their JAD album planning software photographers can customise albums according to their clients' tastes.

Queensberry is based in Auckland, New Zealand. They differ to the Spicer Hallfield and Jorgensen in that all their albums are bespoke made to order, so they don't hold any albums in stock.

This easiest way Queensberry albums are ordered is through album-planning software Photojunction, which allows wedding couples to choose every aspect of the album. For example page styles, page edge colours, cover materials, etc.

Wedding photography prices can vary on the make, size, style and quality of the wedding album included in the package. So it's always a good idea to find out which album manufacturer you potential wedding photographer uses.

Some photographers will hold an album-planning session with their clients, which may take several hours. During this time they will create the exact layout of the album on a computer.

Others might create a rough draft first, drawing on his experience of what 'works', then the clients can make any changes should they wish.

On top of these feature albums, a photographer may or may not include a proof album in the package.

Additional Products

The final thing that contributes to wedding photography prices is products like:

• Framed prints;
• Folder prints;
• Canvas wraps;
• DVD slideshows;
• Thank you cards;
• Online galleries;
• High resolution DVD of all images.

Like individual images, a photographer will base the price of these products on his expertise and experience.

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