dirty dave

Photography has changed so much in the last ten years, I just can't keep up or can afford the newest gadget that comes out each month. I was called about a wedding a week or so ago. I priced it at $1200.00 and was pretty muched laughed at. Local weddings are being done around $200.00 to $400.00 with beginners cameras and a weekend photography class. I have seen the writing on the wall. Also some of the photos from low end cameras and even cell phones. I must admit they are pretty decent, not the highest quality but decent. My video business is suffering the same. Smaller cheaper cameras have dominated the business. And again they are pretty decent. After talking it over with my wife I think it time to retire. It is time to make my own memories instead of photography and video taping everyone else memories. I have realized I have missed a lot of my own family memories by photographing everyone else. What a shame all that I have missed. But it was my job. I am now going through my inventory of cameras and video equipment to put on eBay. There are only two cameras I am going to keep and just shoot what I want. I will still sell copies to the four gallaries that buy from me. I am going to give my assistant of many years the business and just fade out and enjoy my family. (Ps. Any of my fellow Hoggers can pm me if you are interested in equipment that I will have left over) by the way I am not stopping shooting photos just not shooting for anyone else.

Silvermeteor Loc: South Carolina, USA

I'd love to be able to take advantage of your sale. I could certainly use some better equipment. Unfortunately, being retired and on a limited income puts the really good equipment somewhat out of my reach.

It is sad that this is happening to your business. I hope that things work out well for you.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Unfortunately there is a growing number of "professional" wedding photographers out there who visit Costco and get a cheap kit setup, and then stop off at Office Depot to get cards made and they become an Instant Pro!
The sickening part of it is that the quality of the images is usually garbage, as can often be expected based on the seriously discounted price.
In the past year I have had 2 customers come to me to get prints made of their "Pro" wedding photos because the Kiosk at Walmart will only print them a 2" x 3" in size. When examining the CD with their wedding pics I find over 1500 thumbnails of 640 x 480 images, and that's all the client got from their so called "Pro" photographer. I am currently under subpoena to testify in an upcoming civil suit against one of these faux pro photogs over these very images.
There is probably little the scammed client can do to recover anything more than the photographers fees, and then only if the judge is sympathetic, because the photog DID present the client with images of the wedding as they were contracted to do, its just that the images are way too small to print as they are only sized for Facebook posting and nothing else.
You get what you pay for.......if you are very lucky!

dirty dave

While I was writing the first post. I recieved a call from a church wanting to me shoot Easter pictures. I gave it to my assistant going to enjoy my own family and grandkids this year.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Sounds like a good plan! Retire while you're still able to ramble around and take pictures just for fun. All of us have spent our best and most able work years trying to make enough to keep our family taken care of and our kids through college, whether we did it with photography or something else (for me, it was something else and photography was what I did on weekends to recover before Monday). Once retired, we can now have a wonderful hobby that can be enjoyed for a long time. Good luck selling your stuff, hope you'll make enough to take a celebratory trip to some location you've always wanted to photograph!

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Your customer may have been trying to "cheat" Many Wedding photographers give their customers "thumbnails" that look ok on a computer screen but will not print even a 4x6". This is done so they can sell enlargements at the price they think is fair. I know of no camera not even a point and shoot that has so few pixel it will only print thumbnails. - Dave

Silvermeteor Loc: South Carolina, USA

Really good point. I know people often worry about images being stolen from FB but I am not sure why. Place a small watermark on it. Place copyright info in the meta tags.

The FB image is usually too small to be used for anything but FB anyway and you may get a customer from it. One can always dream. lol

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

At least have some fun with it. The next time someone calls you for a price, quote $2500. After they get through with, "but So and So will do it for $200", tell them that, if that's all their wedding is worth to them, you'll be glad to send over your aunts dead husbands cousins son-in-law with his iPhone 3 to do their wedding at that price. He can just e-mail them a dozen or so shots and they can get them printed at Walmart.

frankie c Loc: Lake Havasu CIty, AZ

Good Luck and happy Retirement. It is a shame that people don't recognize the Art and discipline of a good wedding photographer and what a fantastic story they create for the couple and for generations of family. I tried it many years ago and for me going to an all night dentist was a better option. It's hard work and satisfying the customer is an under appreciated skill. Wish you the best.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

When I worked at a photography lab back in the late 1990's, I remember a few successful photographers who charged their clients between $30,000 and $40,000 for a wedding shoot. Of course those weren't your typical working class weddings, and the photographer had a crew of assistants.

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Good luck and enjoy your retirement, Play Golf, go fishing.

WessoJPEG Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio

Tell them to use their Cell Phones.

Fleckjohn65 Loc: Ajax Ontario Canada

Forget all about the crap and go out and enjoy your retirement. Sounds like you have earned it.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Retired 2 months, Spring is here with light pouring in through the window.
And I'm sitting here looking at a fuzzy screen through bleary eyes with the worst cold I've had for a while.
Get out and enjoy it - and I'll be joining you just as soon as I've shifted this bugger.

Hammer Loc: London UK

Hi,

Really sad to see you end your business on this low note, wish you well in your retirement. Incredible to think that people do not understand what they are getting. I have found that unless you spell out to people what they are "buying" they just do not care . Mind you the recession has hit so hard that cash is a very short commodity for some people . The real problem is that when they realise that they have bought a poor record they cant go back a few weeks and repeat the experience .