Hiring a professional wedding photographer for your big day can be very expensive, and respectfully so. First of all, let’s learn to understand why wedding photography costs a lot of money.
Why are Wedding Photography so Expensive?
Professional Cameras are not cheap
It may look like an easy job to make so much money in a day from a wedding. To many people, it may seem inappropriate. What you may not know is that; cameras and gears used by professionals cost a fortune. A good prime lens such as the Zeiss Batis can go up to $1500, and that is only one lens. Professional mirrorless DSLR camera can cost about $2000 without any kit lens. It’s not cheap to become a professional photographer or to run a photography business.
You Need Experience to do a Great Job
Unlike amateur photographers, professionals do not compromise on their shots. Their job is not to merely point and shoot photos. They are equipped with knowledge of when, where and how to shoot or frame a composition. Something that is not easily learned even after years of experience in photography. If you are interested to become a professional, read this article on some tips to get started.
Second Photographer’s Fee
Professional freelance photographers these days do not work alone. They often need a second photographer (assistant) to get more shots during the wedding. In the photography business, this is often referred to as a ‘collaboration’ which costs money since the main photographer need to hire or share their profit with their team.
Alternatives to Save your Wedding Cost
Understandably, not everyone can afford to hire professional wedding photographers. Here are some of the creative efforts that may work for you :
Hire a Beginner / Student
Every year we have tons of new-comers entering the photography industry. It is such an amazing market full of positive people who are willing to learn and collaborate for their love of the art. Beginners normally charge a lot less than renowned photographers. Keep in mind that they are just starting and prone to do mistakes, so be easy on them.
Ask your friends or family members
No matter where you’re from, asking for a favour during a wedding is nothing to be ashamed of. If you know a friend or a family member who has a camera or a photographer, don’t be shy to ask them for a favour. You may pay them too as a token of appreciation but just like hiring a student it’s a lot less money and it could also be a fun experience. Those photos that they’re going to take will eventually become more than a photo. It should become more sentimental having a photographer who is very close to you. After all, that is what photography is about; sharing and caring.
When the photos aren’t great; make them better
Today, everything is easily accessible more than you think. You can watch YouTube to learn many photography methods from wedding photographers like Jason Lanier. The Internet is your friend.
If your photos turn out to be bad, you can still hire editors to edit your photos and make them better. You may also download our wedding presets and apply them to your wedding photos. Using some photo editing techniques; you may be able to fix some problems in your photos. Cropping for example, can get you better composition, and applying photo filters may fix the colour or temperature issues.
For those who have the budget, it is a no brainer, you should hire a professional to cover your wedding ceremony. For those who have limited budget; just because you haven’t, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to get beautiful and memorable photos.
