SOME EDUCATION.

There's a Craigslist post that's been floating around on Facebook for the last few days from a Puget Sound poster that my friend Aya directed my attention to. After reading through this the first few times, and reading Aya's so gracefully written response, I realize that perhaps this poster just needs some education. So, Puget Sound Bride with a capital B, here it goes.

First, finding an "amazing photographer" in the Seattle area is not difficult. You've already established this. There's a lot of talent in this area, and none of it has come quickly and easily. It's a competitive market, especially in today's world when everyone and their Uncle Bob has a DSLR and Photoshop. The good ones inevitably rise above all of that, but it's very hard work. It takes years to perfect a style, years to know a fully manual camera like an extension of your hand, and years (unless you have a trust fund) to build a collection of equipment that enables you to create the kind of images that you see in your head. It is an emotional, physical and financial journey. And for most photographers, a lot of it starts long before you're able to be self-employed, and you're still working a 40+ hour per week job while also shooting full time.

Second, the price tag has both nothing and everything to do with the word "wedding." I'd like to first state that most photographers who are experienced enough to produce journalistic-style wedding images that could easily be printed in a magazine somewhere are also at a level where they could potentially take the commercial route as well. And in case you're unaware, commercial photography comes at a much higher price tag than wedding photography. This is also for good reason, because your skills are contributing to the sale of a product. But my reason for pointing this out, is to help you understand that in the grand scheme of professional photography, $3,000 to accurately and beautifully document a day you literally want to remember for the rest of your existence is both appropriate, and not that much. As Aya pointed out, documenting a wedding cannot be boiled down to simply "showing up and taking a bunch of pictures." As a hired photographer, the fate of the one thing that the couple and family will have forever to remember this incredibly important day is resting solely in your hands. That feeling is so, so heavy. It's also what pushes us to be the best.

Third, let's talk about the facts here. Many couples, through no fault of their own, sometimes just need to be educated on what actually goes into shooting a wedding. There are meetings that happen before the wedding day. Planning is done, itineraries are made, maps and routes are made, a lot of information is collected and exchanged. This takes time. There's usually a rehearsal I attend to familiarize myself with the lay of the land, and how the ceremony will go down. It's also a chance for me to meet some of the family for the first time. I never charge my clients extra for this, and sometimes it's an hour of driving each way. Then the wedding day arrives, and we're required to be at our absolute sharpest and quickest for a minimum of 8, usually 10, and sometimes 12 hours. Straight through. We're also carrying 20 pounds and $10,000+ in equipment around, by the way. So now the day is over and we've shot roughly 1,000 to 1,500 images. Those images now have to go through a 2-3 week process of backing up three times, narrowing down, adjusting for exposure, color, etc, grouping into categories, and finally uploading, burning and delivering. And like Aya said, we look at every image. Also of note, the equipment back at the office that's required to do all of that? A pretty chunk of change as well. And while it may seem like we're all "making so much money it's crazy," I'd encourage you to consider how expensive it is to be in business for yourself. The cost of health insurance alone, as a business owner, is absolutely crippling.

So, by now I hope you have a clearer idea of why the price tag of a good wedding photographer is what it is. People who shoot weddings are not typically rotten people. We're usually personable, passionate and romantic. We want to be there to document the emotion of your wedding day. We want to be your friend. We are not in the business of taking advantage of people. We're simply asking to be compensated for the years of extremely hard work we've put into becoming what we are. Because going out on your own takes a lot of courage, and stress, and time. But I'm sure I'm speaking for the others when I say we do it because we adore it. It makes us feel alive.

Lastly, $3,000 is the high end of the spectrum in the Puget Sound area. If you haven't found a great photographer for under this, you don't know how to use the Internet. Best of luck to you in finding a photographer that matches your needs. But a word of caution: don't enter the relationship with zero respect. When it comes down to it, we're artists. And we do our best work under good energy, not bad.

P.S. Proofread your posts in the future. People will take you more seriously.