6 Challenges Wedding Photographers Have

Who says being a wedding photographer was easy?  If you’re newer to the photography industry, you’ll quickly see that you have to compete with dozens and dozens of other photographers who might just be as good, if not better than you. Plus, you’ll need to offer packages attractive enough to clients but not too cheap to not support your profession.

That’s just a starter. There are many more challenges wedding photographers face. If you’re clueless about the other aspects of it, it’s easy to dismiss wedding photography as a waste of money when in fact there is a lot more to it than just clicking the camera multiple times.

We thought it might be useful to know what these challenges are.

1. Weddings are seasonal

There will be times in the year when the photographer won’t have much work due to weddings being off season. They either have to make enough during the wedding season to last through the rest of the year or find other ways to keep earning even when the weddings stop.

2. You only shoot once

It’s a lot of pressure for the photographer when he has to capture that moment that will only happen once: the walk down the aisle, first kiss, cake slicing, bouquet toss. There are no rehearsals for spontaneity. An experienced photographer, like those from Reid Studios Photography, will be able to capture these moments with precision and still provide produce a creative shot.

3. Family members and guests can be uncooperative

It’s weird when you have to be assertive to the people paying you to do your job. Unfortunately, a photographer has to do it in order to get the best photos. They have to be confident and take the lead in telling family members and guests what to do. If reinforcement is needed, they will need to hire an assistant to help round up guests.

4. Having extra photographers

We know relatives mean best when they try to take as many good photos as they can of the wedding but it can often get in the way of the photographer doing his job. These extra photographers may be walking around in front or behind the photographer trying to take a picture of the couple which can be quite distracting.

5. Weddings are physically exhausting

At least the bride and groom’s stress is over when the wedding that took months and months to plan is finally executed. For the photographer, the wedding day will be the most demanding part of the process. It can last for up to 8 to 14 hours. In some cases, even more than half a day.

The photographer will be following the bride and groom around, go around tables, look for the best angles all while carrying your heavy equipment. On top of that, they have to be positive at all times. Nobody likes to smile back at a cranky photographer.

6. Finding compromises

Only a few photographers will have the luxury of declining a client whose desires do not match with the photographer’s style. If a photographer is just starting out or is needing some work at the moment, it’s hard to say no. The bride and groom may show photo samples like Emma and Brad’s wedding photo collection that is completely new from the photographer’s style of photography.

There’s no need to compromise artistic integrity nor does the job have to be declined. Instead, the photographer can make compromises and provide suggestions that allow him and the client to achieve the results they both like.

In Conclusion

There you have it. Just a preview of the challenges every wedding photographer faces.  We hope this has shed light on the mystery of why such services tend to be expensive. Have any thoughts on this list? Let us know in the comments!