# Going rate for wedding photographers



## snaremop (Mar 2, 2008)

how much does the average wedding/event photographer get paid per event? is it a lucrative career, or just something you do on the side? Also, how does one get into becoming an event photographer?


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## Big Mike (Mar 2, 2008)

I would guess that it's somewhere between $0 and $100,000.  :er:

It really depends on your market.  Being in Los Angeles...you are pretty close to the very high end of the market...but have the full range because of the population base.

As with most businesses, it can be more about selling yourself than the actual product.  So if you are a good photographer and an even better salesman...it can be a very very lucrative career.


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## JIP (Mar 2, 2008)

Mike pretty much covered it there is no "going rate".  You should expect if you want to start out shooting weddings to spend alot on gear and get paid peanuts for it.  When I started I was getting paid $150 per wedding this was of course 8 years ago and I quickly progressed and started to earn alot more but the whole point is you need to walk before you can ever run.  There are countless posts on here that ask about working for a wedding photographer for free just to learn so you need to take that into consideration.  But really when it comes to wedding photography it all depends on your skill and ambition and location you can go from being a second shooter working for free or peanuts or be a high-class shooter in an extremely wealthy area and make millions it all depends on you and your skills and experience.


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## Rhys (Mar 2, 2008)

The kind of people that pay Craigslist prices for weddings are not the kind of people that pay Hollywood prices. 

You need a portfolio. Take some Craigslist wedding photos but don't expect to make any money from them in order to build up a portfolio. At Craigslist prices you can afford to turn away clients if they look ugly. You don't want an ugly mug in your portfolio.

Use the low end of the market as a prop to use to climb up into the top end.


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## Rachelsne (Mar 2, 2008)

google photographers in your sites, many will have package deals on there sites, also you can go to wedding sites to find links to wedding photographers in your area.


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## derekclapham (Mar 5, 2008)

Snaremop,

I agree with what you have all said.

For someone starting out, there's a number of things to take into consideration. Photography is more expensive than it would first seem and there's more to the financial side of things than charging $x and making $y profit.

Funnily enough I just posted an article about this on my blog this morning. Feel free to have a look here.

However, the key is to stay focused and as Big Mike said, selling yourself and conveying confidence can go along way to building a successful busines.

Derek
http://photomerchant.net


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## judson (Mar 15, 2008)

The real problem is the number of "photographers" entering the market.  PPA mag this last month said the number of photographers grows by 22% each year.  A couple of years ago, they said the average photographer made $25k per year.  Not great.

You have a couple of choices.  Market to a niche that you can dominate or do it on the side for fun.

I love photography but am grateful I have a day job!


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## Tennessee Landscape (Mar 15, 2008)

when I got married, we price photographers all between $1000 to $5000 and up.  We paid $1000 to a "junior newbie", but also met with someone who had packages for $5000. I also have a photographer friend who made $92,000 last year.  She does weddings and portraits as her specialty.


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## elsaspet (Mar 15, 2008)

"Going Rate for Photography"..........
bwahahhahahhahahhahaa!  Now that's a good one.


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