Asked by old college friend to shoot her Wedding...
Jun 4, 2018 11:06:34 #
Jaackil
Loc: Massachusetts
elf wrote:
The last time I shot a wedding for free, I edited the files and gave a DVD to the couple. Only cost me my time.
So basicly you value your time at $Zero?
Jun 4, 2018 11:09:47 #
Lovelight wrote:
Hi. First time posting! br br I'm a 'sometimes' P... (show quote)
I follow a rule. Never borrow money from or shoot a wedding for a friend. Both lead to hurt feelings an disappointment.
Jun 4, 2018 11:39:32 #
Tomcat5133
Loc: Gladwyne PA
Just a quick story. Many years ago my best friend was getting married in NY. I was in advertising and a nice young guy who shot photos
for us agreed to shoot the wedding. I did not want to do it. I was a client and he bought a new flash to make sure things went well.
We didnt have digital and this was last minute so you can guess what happened. The flash didnt synch right no photos.
I wouldn't go near the photography of a good friends wedding. I wouldn't know how much to charge a friend. For some reason weddings
are fraught with nerves and craziness. the expectations are way over the top of reality for some. Be a guest is my vote. Good luck.
for us agreed to shoot the wedding. I did not want to do it. I was a client and he bought a new flash to make sure things went well.
We didnt have digital and this was last minute so you can guess what happened. The flash didnt synch right no photos.
I wouldn't go near the photography of a good friends wedding. I wouldn't know how much to charge a friend. For some reason weddings
are fraught with nerves and craziness. the expectations are way over the top of reality for some. Be a guest is my vote. Good luck.
Jun 4, 2018 11:50:29 #
elf wrote:
The last time I shot a wedding for free, I edited the files and gave a DVD to the couple. Only cost me my time.
I did just that very thing a week ago. While I saw a couple of photos I was not happy with, the bride and groom were perfectly satisfied with the pictures. They paid me nothing but their friendship.
Dennis
Jun 4, 2018 11:56:11 #
Rick Bailey
Loc: Fayetteville Arkansas
I had a similar situation several years ago. I was working as a Medical Photographer in a major teaching hospital when a girl from the laboratory came by the office and asked me to shoot her wedding. I told her a that I didn't do weddings, but she was insistent. This was in the film days before digital. I quoted her my day rate at $500 and informed her that I would guarantee her a wedding book with 12 8x10s plus two 5x7 b/w's for the newspapers. She was stunned and replied that she had talked to a "Professional" "down town" and he was way less. I responded that my day rate for her shoot would be $1000 since I was so insulted. I never heard another word about that wedding.
Jun 4, 2018 11:58:44 #
Go as a friend.
Maybe consider not going but sent a gift.
Think of it in other terms. Is she asking others to work for free. Like the person who is making the cake.
Remember, we could work every day of the year for free, if we wanted to.
Or tell her that photography is a lot of work and you really want to be there as a guest so you can properly enjoy the wedding.
Maybe consider not going but sent a gift.
Think of it in other terms. Is she asking others to work for free. Like the person who is making the cake.
Remember, we could work every day of the year for free, if we wanted to.
Or tell her that photography is a lot of work and you really want to be there as a guest so you can properly enjoy the wedding.
Jun 4, 2018 11:59:42 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
elf wrote:
...I shot a wedding for free, I edited the files and gave a DVD to the couple. Only cost me my time.
So you get your camera, lenses, flashes, computer, software, memory cards, batteries, and all for free? You don't have to pay for your gas or replace tires on your car? Your time learning the craft, honing your skills, shooting the actual event and editing the images is worthless, too?
In the OP's position, if I were going to be invited to and attending the wedding as a guest, I wouldn't charge them for travel and accommodations expenses, since I was going to be spending that anyway.
But I would stick to my guns about minimum prices... maybe throw in a little something extra for a friend (about the value of a wedding gift... which is what it would be).
Today there are ridiculously cheap or even free "for the experience" wedding photography widely offered. A few years ago I counted 700 ads of that type on my local (San Francisco Bay Area) Craigslist. Buyer beware! But even more-so, photographer beware! I really don't want the type of customer who places little or no value on the photos of a once-in-a-lifetime event and is so cheap that they are willing to put the work in the hands of someone with a kit camera & lenses and virtually no training or experience. That type of customer is among the most likely to bounce a check or file complaints over things out of the photographer's control (like drunken Uncle Bob tripping over your camera bag).
I've had one request for a wedding shoot recently.... an acquaintance on a tight budget... who I offered my regular half day rate and as a friend offered to include an album. Most "real" wedding shoots in this area run $2000 US and up. Add a few things such as an album and a video, it's up to $3000 or more pretty quickly. My offer was a good deal less than that. He ended up hiring someone off Craigslist instead, for about 1/4 what I was asking. I couldn't afford to drive to the event and use my gear for what he paid... and I'm sure he got his money's worth (
). I gave a sigh of relief!Jun 4, 2018 12:03:14 #
PGHphoto
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
Lovelight wrote:
Hi. First time posting! br br I'm a 'sometimes' P... (show quote)
I think you need to decide if your personal value is based on your friend's actions or on who you are. If no money will be given to her other friend who will try to shoot and you are not taking money out of some other photographers hands, why not shoot ? Do you care more about your friend or something that will bolster the value you assign to yourself by way of payment ? What you are really saying is that she should care more about what you want (cost of photography) than what she values (cost of the dress). If you can't allow her to make her own value choices and maybe fail, then what kind of friend are you ?
If you don't want to do it then don't do it but it all depends on if you value the friendship or your own self-perceived value more. Sadly so often these days its all about the money as a way to bolster our own claims of personal worth. You can always put a limit on what you will shoot so you can actually enjoy being with your friend and helping her celebrate. Not saying everybody should do things for free but people need to figure out what is really important to them. As you yourself said, you are angry because you don't agree with the value she assigns to you versus the dress. Wouldn't it be great if nobody depended on anyone else for their internal worth ?
Jun 4, 2018 12:12:14 #
Maybe, because of friendship, she thought you'd do it for free? Professional quality work for less than professional prices; sounds like a recipe for the end of a friendship. You're better off passing it by. Let the hobbyist take it. In the meantime, continue to sharpen your saw on your work. Eventually, your toddler will be a teenager and all the industry trends will have passed you by.
Jun 4, 2018 12:20:07 #
Have limited my weddings because: Friends usually don't want to pay for what it really costs in time, effort, money to shoot a wedding. You are in a no win situation, as unless it was perfect, if she thought you were too high, nothing you would have done would have been appreciated. The most difficult aspect might end up being the need to keep your words to yourself if the pictures are really poor. At that point in time all that you could say is "I'm sorry, you made a choice, and so you will have to deal with the results". Good luck!
Jun 4, 2018 12:38:33 #
Jun 4, 2018 12:46:29 #
Went to a wedding this weekend. The photographer seemed very competent and moved seamlessly through the event. I did envy some of her equipment, a medium format Pentax and a Sony A7R III both on a really cool leather harness. (She switched to just the Sony during the reception and did have a second shooter with a Canon 5D III.) I left even my cell phone in the car. I just don't take pictures at all when I am invited to a wedding.
Jun 4, 2018 12:46:38 #
jeryh
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
just thank her for her offer; and then, gracefully decline! She is having you on !!
Jun 4, 2018 12:51:45 #
ronf78155
Loc: Seguin Texas
cjc2 wrote:
I'd agree. Have a great time at the wedding and remain friends.
If you wanna stay friend decline the opportunity !
Jun 4, 2018 12:51:48 #
dparenton wrote:
She was most probably hoping that you would shoot the wedding for nothing as your wedding gift to her! Go as a guest and friend. If possible take a small camera with you. Take a lot of informal, unposed pictures. Surprise her with a small album at a later date.
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