Reply To: You get what you pay for

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I am going to side with KeyandFill here, CC. You raise a fantastic point of giving the photos as a gift, but the caveat is when someone asks the happy couple who did the photos/how much they paid/etc. there will be a pre-existing notion that they can get a “deal”. This is not necessarily something conscious but it does happen more often than not.

For example, just yesterday I was speaking with a friend who asked if I would photograph their wedding. We became friends due to the wedding of a mutual friend I photographed earlier this year. For that wedding I was asked to shoot instead of be a bridesmaid – not because they knew I would deliver what a 4k pro would, but because I would provide them with a quality product (though my limitations, realistically, are not nearly on par with a luxury wedding photog) and I knew how to capture their personalities better than most. Some of the photos came out fantastic, others I look back on and wish I could tweak/practice more… especially regarding OCF… but I digress…

She asked me to shoot her wedding next year and the first question out of her mouth after payment was mentioned was “What did you charge *friend’s name*?” … Before answering I explained that I should have charged more based on what was expected of me and how I now have better equipment and more experience – thus I am worth more.
That did not go over smoothly. Finally we agreed on a discounted (but higher than the previous wedding) price and went from there…

 

Had they known how bad the photographer was, maybe KeyandFill could have taken a couple to give as a gift but not been expected to shoot much – you know, just the biggies: Walking down the aisle, ring exchange, kiss, first dance, cake cutting and toasts. You take ten or 15 photos and get maybe 5 printed for them on the cheap(er – if you have a relationship with your printer), it could go a long way… but I know when I’m a wedding guest, I don’t like immediately being asked or expected to bring my gear.