WOW - what a very interesting thread, I'll try to tread carefully in my response.
I feel there's a significant message here - for both parties - and many lessons to be learned from the debate, for both sides. There are are several key comments mentioned that I shall try to elaborate on.
My partner and I plan to get married next August 16th 2008 and are searching a for a photographer/student photographer who can help us simply take pictures. We are both graphic designers, so we are more than capable of retouching/printing/photobooking them, so all we need is someone for the whole day to take pictures and provide them on cd/dvd. We are on a strict budget for this!
We are getting married near Canterbury.
So if anyone is free/interested...please email me your rates from about 1pm-10pm on the saturday and preferably your url.
Many thanks
Amelia
I have to admit that this initial post smacks of ignorance. It suggests that photographers simply press a button, take pictures and hey presto, as if by magic, out the other side comes a set of beautifully presented images that will last a lifetime. Not the case I'm afraid Amelia, even as a newcomer to DSLR's myself, I can appreciate the significant levels of expertise, skill and experience that goes into becoming a professional photographer.
I feel you have significantly under-estimated and under-valued the work of a photographer. Not exactly the best 1st post I've seen by someone posting on a forum... especially on a photographers forum, however... your second post suggests more of the same...
When we say we are on a budget, doesn't mean we want it for nothing! Its just when you state that its for a wedding, photographers charge over the roof. Plus without the retouching, that takes out a days work or so. As we are designers we can do that ourselves, and we know how much books/albums and photo retouching costs.
All we need is about 9 hours work, and then burnt onto CD, hence no other addons. So we just need a simple quote for this.
Thanks
I would have thought, as a graphic designer yourself, you would possess significant knowledge regarding copyright law, and of legally protecting ones work. Are you aware that it is the person who takes the photograph who actually owns the copyright for that image. The image is owned by the photographer - this is irrefutable, and is 100% clear in law. Now have a google at prices that are charged to provide a license to use another persons images - cart blanch. Maybe then you can begin to appreciate where a significant proportion of a photographers revenue comes from... the reprints of images taken, and the possibility of bagging the big one... the image everyone wants. It's what most photographers dream about...
(
amongst other things I guess!!)
Personally, as a photographer there's no way I would attend an event, and simply '
give' all of the images taken at the event to the person who has asked me to be there to 'take pictures'. That's just like asking a composer to write a piece of music and then when they have finished the composition, take the manuscript from them to do with what you desire... that's not ever really going to happen now is it...?
Besides, as was mentioned eloquently by pxl8...
As a graphic designer how would you respond to a request to just turn up, sketch a logo on this napkin and I'll sort it from there?
... that's not ever going to happen either, is it...?
aka. I think charging £400 to put the 'unedited' pictures on a cd and send it to me is a rip off! (one of the quotes i've got!), excluding the £1000 charge to take the pics for 9 hours!
As is the nature of the beast Amelia, you pays your money and you takes your choice. Pay peanuts, get monkeys - as they say.
It is all about purchasing someones experience, their expertise and their ability. Someone who has these attributes in abundance could very reasonably expect this amount, and a lot more. It is not a rip off.
Where photographers can learn and benefit from what is being discussed within this debate is simply this; 'expectation management'.
If we take Amelia as a 'generic' example of Joe public... there is quite obviously a
huge under-estimation of the amount and quality of work that goes into producing that beautifully bound
wedding album per sé. Maybe some photographers don't do enough in pre-sales mode, clearly identifying exactly what can be expected... what will be done, how long it will take, the amount of effort involved... the costs for that effort, prior to agreeing a final price with any B&G.
In any event... there's a huge lesson to be learned here...
/end of massive post!!!
