05/03/2026
I’ll tell you why photographers are so expensive - it’s so we can do what we love as long as we can!
I photographed my first wedding - solo - in 2023. That couple and their families and friends welcomed me, toasted with me. The bartender nodded knowingly as he filled up my glass with tonic water. The couple danced, they had fun. I had fun and got an adrenaline rush I didn’t expect.
And I had to do it again. I had to get booked for another wedding. But instead of just photos, I needed to capture the memories but do it better. And each wedding, each couples session is better and more nuanced and the customers are happier each time.
It’s not that better gear takes better pictures, but it makes me more reliable. So I used what I earned from weddings, senior sessions and commercial work to upgrade when and where I could. A modern camera that will last me another 10 years and takes high-resolution (4K) video cost $2,200 in 2025. USED lenses for that camera and that are also good for weddings are almost $2,000 apiece. A memory card for that camera (that takes the place of film) is now $300 each.
And there’s the non-gear costs: I collect and file sales taxes. I buy insurance that covers my work and everyone I work with and for. I have photo editing software subscriptions that are a couple hundred a year and a computer monitor that helps me see and fix fly-away hairs on portraits, remove the drunken Uncle from the background of a first dance, and make sure that colors are true to life… not crazy yellow or green from weird LED lighting.
And for me, anyway, that’s why I’m “expensive.” And if you hire me, not only do you get the benefit of the insurance and the gear, you get the benefit of the years of learning and practice that makes me calm under pressure and easy going when things change - because something always changes.
And if I do my job right, the most you’ll think about this are all the good photos of you and your family having a great time at your wedding.
