Wedding Singer… I mean… Photographer
This morning i got a flattering, but surprising and somewhat stress-inducing email in my inbox.
A friend of my dads has asked if I’d be willing/interested in being the photographer of her friends wedding, being paid for it. o_O
Part of me thinks “Sweet, that’ll be a fun challenge, and a good way to make a few extra bucks.”
But a big part of me also thinks “Shit, I aint no wedding photographer, and that’s a lot of pressure!”
I actually find that “people shots”, especially posed, are one of my biggest difficulties with photography. But, she saw the photos I took at my dad’s wedding (my uncle and I were the photographers there) and really liked them.
So, I’m considering doing it… but have asked for some more details, and clarification that they understand I’m simply a hobby photographer, and that’s what they want… and we would need to have an agreement that recognizes as much, and that I can’t be held liable if the results don’t meet their expectations. Because again, I aint no wedding photographer! I think it’s a difficult task, and I can pretty much guarantee that I would miss at least SOME crucial shots.
Even just looking at my equipment… I’ve only got the one camera body, so if I had to change lenses, that would be a bit of fumbling. And if my camera decided to crap out for some reason, we’d be screwed! lol And my flash is an older flash that is a bit under-powered as well… so I’d be a bit nervous if the ceremony is in a dark, gloomy, large indoor area.
If I did it, I wouldn’t charge a lot… I have the idea of around $250 bouncing around in my head. I’d have basically zero expenses, other than getting to and from the event, and the cost of a CD to provide the images on, so it’d basically be, I’m thinking, a few hours of photography, a couple hours travel, and 5+ hours of editing… and if I figure to be paid ~ $20 hour for my time, then somewhere around the $250 mark sounds reasonable to me (and is a fifth of what the low-end professional packages around here would cost them).
So, anyhoo, I’m waiting on some answers to some questions I asked, looking for some clarification and details (she didn’t even say when the wedding is).
Interesting, anyways, and if nothing else, was a boost to my ego. =)
mothman
I think it sounds great – it’s good you’re going to be clear that you’re not a professional and that it’s their responsibiltiy to have some back up shots of “crucial moments” – especially if you’re not charging a lot they should be able to afford someone for the more conventional shots – it’s an art after all learned after lots of experience of similar events. That way it won’t be so stressful for you and you’ll probably get brilliant shots then. Good luck!
Hey chandramoon.
Yeah, for sure, less stress would be good. lol I’d want it to be at least somewhat enjoyable for me too. :p
The woman who asked me about it has assured me she will be speaking with the couple to find out what they would be comfortable with, what they’d expect, etc, finding out if they’d be OK with an amateur taking photos.
One thing I’m wondering, and need to get clarification about… is I don’t know if she came to me because the couple wants to save money … or if it’s this woman, wanting to provide the the photography as a gift, but looking to do it as cheaply as possible.
If it’s the former, then OK, I can understand that… they want to spend much less money, and are OK with decent-good photos done by an amateur.
But if it’s the latter, then I don’t want any part of that… if the couple expect a professional, then I wouldn’t want to put myself into that situation.
The woman who contact me asked if I could provide some examples of the shots I took at my dads wedding, so I’m going to provide some of those, and she’ll show the couple, and explain to them everything about who I am, etc, and we’ll take it from there.
Does anyone have any suggestions on whether my thoughts re: what to charge is reasonable?
I don’t want to charge too much… because this will basically be a first time for me, and I am just a guy with a camera.
But I also don’t want to undervalue myself.
That’s where the ~$20/hour for my time came in… and then just estimating how much time it might actually take all told.
My dad figured I shouldn’t go below $25/hour… but I’m not sure.
I realize that’s a hard question for you folks to answer, as wage levels will be different in different places around thew world.
As an example, minimum wage where I live is currently $8/hr.