Welcome to the fourth installment of the my Kate Parker Wedding photography series!  If you’re new to this series, we have been discussing the many reasons why wedding photographers charge so much for their services.  We know what it’s like to salivate over samples of work from a particular photographer, and then to feel confused and shocked when you discover the price.  We don’t want you to feel ripped off, so we asked some of the best photographers to break down their costs for us.  So far, we’ve talked about Education/Experience, Marketing/Advertising, and Engagement Sessions.  Today, we’ll cover…

EQUIPMENT

We all know that the world of photography has drastically changed in the last decade.  Instead of shooting with rolls of film, everything is now digital.  Many people assume that equipment and processing costs have gone down since there’s no more rolls of film to process and everything is done on a computer.  Connecticut wedding photographer, Bruce Plotkin says this is a myth because:

“In the “film” days you could buy a professional camera with a few good lenses and if you took good care of them they could last you for ten years or more.  Today, if you’re lucky, the life span of a high end digital professional camera is three years.  And it doesn’t end there…the lenses keep getting better as well and are just as important (and often just as expensive) as the best cameras.  A photographer without the best and most current camera and lenses is simply not able to give the bride and groom the best results possible.”

So exactly how much is a professional camera and lenses going for these days?  Savannah wedding photographer, Scott Hopkins breaks it down for us:

“Professional grade digital cameras begin around $2,000 and go up to about $8,000.  Most professional lenses range in price from $1,200 to $2,500.  There are specialty lenses that a few wedding photographers use that cost upwards of $5,000.”

New Hampshire and Vermont wedding photographer, Paige Hiller also touches on this expense:

“Never the less, most photographers invest $3,000 to purchase a camera body and another $2,000 for a professional level lens.  Then consider, that in most professional wedding photographer’s camera bags you will find at least 2 camera bodies, 3 lens, 2 flash units and a tripod.  On average that little black bag that you see an assistant carrying could be an investment of $15,000.00.”

Unfortunately, a photographer’s costs don’t stop with cameras and lenses.  In addition, they need flashes, batteries, memory cards, backups and repairs; laptops, desktops, external hard drives, computer software, and websites to post proofing galleries, according to New Hampshire wedding photographer, Matthew Lomanno. For some photographers, “It is very rare to find great professional labs throughout the country,” say Paige Hiller.  Furthermore, she explains:

“Yes, they are still there, mostly in cosmopolitan areas, but if you live in Vermont like I do, they are getting harder to find.  Therefore, the majority of photographers do their own post production work. In order to set up a digital darkroom, you need a computer, computer programs to support your processing, and a color calibrator for your monitor, external hard drive to store your images, and a printer.

The costs can range from $10,000 and up to set up your basic digital darkroom.  And depending on if your photographer is set up as an archival studio the numbers will only increase.  For example, most cd/DVD that you buy on the consumer level will last maybe 3 to 5 years and then all those images will disappear.  However, if you purchase gold archival cd/DVD’s they will last at least 100 years.  A gold archival disc is made with a layer of gold that your images are imbedded in; this layer of metal prevents the images from disappearing over time as does the silver in the emulsion of film.”

Finally, Bruce Plotkin says it best as he emphasizes the importance of quality equipment when he says:  “The creative edge that the best equipment gives a talented shooter can make all the difference in the world with the end result.”

image above by Bruce Plotkin

image above by Scott Hopkins Photographer

image above by Paige Hiller Photography

image by Matthew Lomanno Photography

my Kate Parker Wedding is your online wedding resource guide geared towards directing couples to quality vendors based on their price range and state.