Is Wedding Photography Over-priced?

Personally, I think so. Many of the items connected to the wedding event are over-priced. (I also think my dental  needs are over-priced).

After the wedding and reception are in the past two tangibles remain: the wedding dress (which one may never use or see again) and the photographs. A photographer often uses this to justify his price. They do become memories and relics that brides and families will cherish for years to come (unless there is a divorce). This fact adds value to the price one pays.

The price one pays may include a second or third photographer and/or a videographer in order for one to be able to see the many elements of an event that one misses while being the center of attention. The price also includes matters related to the photographer's gear, insurance, studio, transportation, life style, and, in some cases, child-support. The photographer is probably worth it.

Being cost conscious I look at things from a skewed viewpoint. If I pay $10,000 and only view the photos on my anniversary for the next ten years, the rate is $1000 a year. If  I continue in the same fashion over the years, the rate goes down as long as the marriage lasts. If I view the images 1000 times, each viewing costs me $1. Less viewings than that raise my viewer's fee. If I divorce within 3 years, I may wish I had some of that money in my pocket for current expenses. (In my case, it was an annulment.)

Well, I am just ruminating, being rational in my cash-strapped stage of life. A bride can use whatever criteria she wishes for justifying the price she pays or the photographer she chooses. Price alone may not guarantee memorable images. I doubt that many brides realize that view these pictures in 20 or 30 years will change. Some may cringe when they look back and see how much they paid for photos that are now "dated" and somewhat embarrassing, especially if the images follow the current style instead of being "classic".

Since I will never be the bride, I do not have a real answer to the question.

Alice

I have known Alice ten or twelve years now. She was the school librarian. We’ve laughed together and retired a year apart. We traveled to a conference together. We have sat and talked, joked and pontificated. We have come together over Happy Hour or a simple staff potluck. Hopefully, she has enjoyed me as much as I have enjoyed her.

This weekend she put her family in front of my camera.  I had met Marty, her husband, and tried to imagine the look of them standing side by side because she is definitely short next to him. I felt comfortable when their children and grandchildren gathered at the Mesa Arts Center and let me aim my camera at them.

Any photographer likes an opportunity to take an extended family such as theirs. When a group is as friendly and flexible as this and there are grandchildren among the crowd, it is so easy to have a fun experience.  I never walk away without having learned something new.

A New Career

In June I retired from teaching. It was a second career. Event photography is becoming my third career.

A $15 35mm film camera was my high school graduation present. The photos it produced were beautiful and fulfilled my artistic urges. I loved capturing the events and experiences around me. The camera drowned in Vietnam in 1965.

 I owned other cameras but did not shoot much.  Film and developing were expensive.  When I became a school teacher, I had more disposable income, so I sponsored a camera club for my 6^th grade students.  Interacting with them, sharing their discoveries, and documenting our school and its events restored the thrill of taking pictures.

My Soldier Boy, on his second tour in Iraq, sent me a digital camera for Christmas. It lowered expenses and added immediate gratification.  Motivation, excitement, and fulfillment increased as retirement neared. I could have the freedom to do something I really enjoyed.

Nearly a year into retiring, I am still an “amateur”. This will probably never be a primary source of income. I don’t mind. Amateurs can still earn money while having the freedom to grow.  And it is wonderful to be able to meet the needs of the many people, whom I have known over my years in Mesa.

Wedding Photography is not new.

At the Watertown, N.Y. library I discovered the book Weddings by Barbara Norfleet. Published in 1979 it contained wedding photos, an overview of weddings from the 1800's into the 1970's, and interviews with photographers who had been doing these kinds of shots over multiple generations. It addressed some of my misconceptions.

Weddings have been extravagant affairs for over 100 years. Brides wore white before Queen Victoria. Large numbers in the wedding parties were not unusual.

Pictures included detail and table shots. There were the bouquet toss and the garter toss.The move from studio cameras to "candid" cameras allowed "getting ready" shots.

Speed Graphic 4 by 5 cameras and the handy 35 mm camera led to relaxed, candid shots. If a family member, the bride, or the groom got caught with eyes closed or not facing the camera, oh, well. No Photoshop magic here.

Finally, the photographers interviewed bemoaned the fact that amateurs were threatening their careers since the new cameras were so easy to get and use.Their income was going down. Except for Photoshop and digital cameras, things have not changed much.

Tourist Trap 2

Whenever I travel, I fear people putting the label "tourist" on the photographs I take. I want them to be better than that.

There was nothing to fear in Watertown, NY. It is a small town and had a few monuments and statues. There was lots of Victorian era architecture and a famous battleground somewhere nearby.

The architecture reminded me of movies. There was the "Psycho" house. One for "Pollyanna". Another screamed "Poe". Surely, "The Munsters" had their house here. There were more. We do not have houses like these in Mesa.

To assuage my fears, I appointed myself the role of National Geographic apprentice wantabe. At least I had an audience at home waiting to see my pictures: my friends and  family. My pictures will tell them the story of the last three weeks in a small New York town. You can see more here if you want. I am still editing photos, so check back later.

Deployment photos.

This was the second time that I attended Jacob's departure for foreign battlegrounds. I took my camera to record his goodbyes with Nikki, his wife.  I tried to capture a little of the mood going on around him as so many of his men are going through the same experience.

You can see the photos here. These are the friends and families that we waited with and interacted with until the men were called into formation and marched away.

Jacob's Deployment to Afghanistan

This is the fourth time we have watched Jacob leave to serve in foreign countries in a time of struggle. It is Nikki's third time in their marriage.  At this point there is no panic in his leaving. There is sadness and apprehension but acceptance.

Jacob left with uneasiness. At yet he has not encountered trauma or assault. He knows that with each deployment, the odds of being fired upon or facing serious challenges increases. Experiencing the realities and damages of war are unavoidable. It is only a matter of time before it becomes personal. So he has concerns.

Our faith is strong and our prayers are sincere. I believe he will be okay.