Wedding photography is tiring for a photographer

and where has he gone?!
 
Going back on topic.......

I've only done one wedding as "official" photographer. A girl my Dad works with was getting married and got a friend of the family who does weddings (you know the type ;) ) was all booked up but let her down 3 months before her big day.

She'd already invited me and I said I'd take my camera and get some extra shot for her but when she got let down my Dad kindly told her that I'd do all the photography :eek:

Now I'm reasonably confident in my ability to get good photos but I'd never done a wedding before, haven't got any back up kit and the last thing I wanted to do it let her down again......

We exchanged a few emails, she gave me a list of the shots she wanted and we got together to discuss the day, when/where I needed to be.

It was an "interesting" day with some "interesting" people :LOL:

Everything was running late, a bridesmaid's dress broke as they were getting ready, it poured down just before we were about to leave the house.

The church was 10-15 miles from the house along a road that's regularly congested and then it was pretty much back to the house again for the reception :puke:

I was on the go from about 13:00 until probably gone midnight! Absolutely shattered. The camera only got turned off when I was driving :LOL:

There's a bit of a sad story behind this wedding which I wont go into detail but it was meant to happen 18 months before it actually did and unfortunately her father wasn't around to give her away, so it was a pretty emotional day too.

When the happy couple got back from honeymoon, I gave them a disc with nigh on 600 photos and pretty shortly after got emails/texts thanking me for the great photos which made it all worth while!

She also reckoned I should give up my day job and do wedding photography :LOL:

Now I'd love to make a living doing something that I enjoy but I can't help wondering if I'd lose the love for photography if I was relying on it to pay the mortgage........

Can't post any examples of the photos I took 'cos I'm at work but I may do later.
 
I only read half of the first post because I'm a little tired. But what about putting your prices up?
There was a tog on YouTube (very successful) who started weddings at about $800.00 and then every three weddings she rose it by another $100.00

I would say do that until you find a good balance between how many weddings you shoot a year to how much you earn.
The idea is to reduce the target market, so B&G's on more of a budget won't be able to afford you. So effectively you'll have less weddings per year, but because you rose the prices and the people who can afford you, you should earn the same, if not more.

Thats just an idea anyway.
 
boyfalldown said:
and another

shame he hasn't realised the forum links are nofollow though
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80 weddings a year is obviously not enough or a vast exaggeration.

Quantity over quality comes to mind? Standards will drop you can't keep that up. How do you fit in the venue visits with the couples prior to their big days, clients meetings, editing, album design, viewing and time off for holidays. & fit in sleep.
 
Am I the only one who gets really irritated by this??

Here's a quick post history from Atmosferik (all these are from seperate posts!)

I am a wedding photographer who photographs weddings in both Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England.
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I have been photographing weddings for the last 7 years.
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As a wedding photographer in Liverpool, it has rained almost none stop in the summer months since August 2006.
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As a wedding photographer this lens would be a brilliant lens as back-up or to attatch to one of your cameras. As time passes, these lenses will become harder to find as Tokina no longer makes them. Legendary lenses come about once in a while and I think this may just be one of them.

Tom.

Where memories are made http://www.atmosferik.com
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I like to think that I am good at my job. I always maintain a positive attitude during the day; smiling, joking, making decisions based on the weather, not keeping the guests waiting, lighting the photographs manually, VERY quickly, so as to not keep the bride and groom waiting... And to VERY high standards, those which reflect the prices I charge. I ALWAYS receive compliments and bookings from the weddings I have attended. I am REALLY good at marketting and I could also sell snow to Eskimos, so anyone who hasn't heard of my company will generally book...
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Hi!

As an event photographer based in Liverpool, I was wondering if the events industry has fallen a bit flat in the last 6 months?
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Individually nothing, put together though it starts to get a little annoying.
 
I dont believe anyone shoots 80 weddings a year. If there is anyone else out there that does im sorry but i dont believe that for a second.
 
We have done in the past (not with just one photographer though) doing less now.
 
OK well 80 weddings a year is too much?

Imagine the advert:

Work 80 days a year, with some extra work at your leisure, income circa £50k pa.

Lots will jump at that, especially in the current climate. A tradesman (plumber/electrician etc) will charge typically £200 a day and they have to have the kit and have a hard earned qualification.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying wedding photography is easy, but in perspective it's just as hard to make a living in other trades.
 
Does anyone here shoot 80 weddings a year? And be honest. I shoot about 30 weddings a year and thats double what some photographers i know do. Ok so i do lots of other events and portraits and a fare bit of commercial. But 80 wedding.... you got o be insane right? I think 40 a year would be my very max before i started tuning people down.

To get 80 weddings a year you must be doing something right with your marketing. Or i would imagine under pricing a great deal.
 
I wish I was a wedding tog like you, so I can save and retire early.
 
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