When people find out the average price of a wedding photographer, the reaction usually resembles a gasping sound or a sharp intake of air followed by light choking. But once you’re familiar with the type of equipment is required (fast lenses, fast memory cards, fast autofocus, high ISO with low noise, the upper range of everything), the sheer volume of it, then add up the prep time, shooting time, and processing time, the price doesn’t seem unreasonable anymore… (then there’s skill, but that’s a whole different post).
Part of it is the fact that the lighting conditions for weddings are just plain awful: dim churches with harsh spotlighting, dark windowless banquet halls lit with candles, and whatever weather you get on the day that tends to change as you go along. You have to cover so many kinds of scenarios, and carry all that equipment around because you don’t have time to get it if you suddenly need it. If you don’t have it with you, it’s completely useless. Then you must improvise.
However, when you obtain said equipment either by borrowing, buying, or renting, and then go to the trouble of dragging it around from location to location, set it up, pray that it doesn’t malfunction, and all the stars people align to get the shot you envisioned when you decided you needed the equipment in the first place… it’s MAGICAL.
To give you an example, here’s what went into the above photo:
