Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Great story! Goes to show you...sometimes you CAN please all the people some of the time.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

My first thought is, if you aren't already subscribed to the wedding photography section, please do so.

My thought on the topic :oops: is that it took me a long time to stop being bitter about more and more young couples going cheaper and cheaper, hiring relatives, or just doing the "camera on the table"

In my old age, I now appreciate the fact that those people are doing just that.

Let me explain. Every single time I've ever been asked to do a "discount wedding", or cut prices, those couples killed me with special extra requests, wanted tons and tons of editing, then wanted to walk away with a disk so I didn't make any money.

What I discovered was, that by raising prices, people tend to respect what I've done for them, and are thankful. You would think it would be the opposite way around, but as Cliff Lawson her on UHH (Captn C) said to me so well.

"I don't want to do what clients want. I want people to want what I do"

I go over portfolio photos to show my style. I'm very clear on what is included, and what will cost extra, and I insist on meeting the couple and basically interviewing them to make sure they are the kind of people that I want to work for.

I'm a weekend warrior, and can afford to turn down business that gives me a bad feeling of "I'm going to pay for this later" So, if the people want to use a "narcissistick"
they won't be giving me the run around wanting a double chin removed from Aunt Bessie in EVERY shot for no extra pay.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Great post!

There's always room at the high end for photographers with a distinctive plan, style, approach, and eye. Building a brand is important. Knowing the kinds of clients you want, and knowing how to sell to them, are keys to the race car.

When photographers tell me they're sick of burning CDs for no money, I tell them to quit... Either they're afraid to charge enough, afraid to say no, afraid to approach clients who want and can afford what they offer, or they're just not skilled enough or talented enough or business minded enough to be photographers...

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

:thumbup: Couldn't have said it better. If I didn't love it, I wouldn't do it. Life is too short. When I hear people complaining, I tell them the same thing. Find something you DO like.

jgordon Loc: Boulder CO

I think this is probably true -- many couples will want professional photos and not just informal phone camera images. And, while individual phone images generally can't compare to images made by serious photographers, a large group of informally taken images can provide an overall sense of an event that would be difficult to capture in any small group of individual images , no matter their quality.

canon Lee

The bigger problem is not the sticks or other gadgets but for the professional wedding photographer! High quality professional pictures are no longer considered essential. It is a time when couples no longer value professional photographs but are very pleased with a few good ones from family or someone that is charging very little. The money goes to the florist,venue and DJ. A bride can spend more on her dress or a DJ than the photographer. I have turned down weddings because It no longer pays for my time. I am doing commercial shoots now, and fortunately have no time to do a wedding.