this article has been circulating IG lately and I really felt the need to save and share it. And although its created by wedding photographers, it really resignates for all types of photography.
This post was created with the input of multiple photographers in the industry. It is written in good spirit and is aimed at informing and educating.
Here are 10 things your wedding photographer wish they could straight‑up say to you, but probably won’t.
NO. 1
We’re not trying to cheat you.
Contrary to popular belief, photographers don’t just work once a week and pocket a fat cheque for it. We charge what we charge because we believe in the value we are offering, based on our years of experience, the effort that we put into your images, the time and money spent perfecting our craft, the reliability of our equipment and the bucketload of bills we have to pay.
In short: we are not trying to take advantage of you, but like everybody else we are trying to make a profit, and we promise quality work in return for it.
NO. 2
Don’t ghost us (please).
I’m going to let you in on a little secret ‑ photographers are very sensitive. We take everything personally when it comes to our work. Even something seemingly small as no reply to an email or silence after sending out a wedding gallery (which we worked really hard on, by the way) can send us spiralling for days and leave us analysing every possible thing we could have done wrong. So, if you’re not going to book us, just let us know. And if you are happy with your photos, TELL US! It means more than you know.
NO. 3
Read the contract.
If you have a question regarding rates, lead time or availability, chances are it has already been answered either in your photographer’s Insta bio, on their website under the FAQ’s, in the investment brochure they sent you upon inquiry or in their contract.
We spend hours compiling these information packages not only for both our convenience and protection, but also to streamline communication and avoid having to answer the same question repeatedly. This also saves you the shock of being billed for overtime because you accepted the t’s and c’s without actually reading them.
NO. 4
Respect our boundaries.
Would you call your insurance broker or your hairdresser after hours to book an appointment? No? Then why are you phoning your photographer at 10pm on a Friday night, Linda?
Just because we work for ourselves, it doesn’t mean we are open for business 24/7. We are regular people too ‑ we have lives outside of photography; families and friends that we’d like to spend time with. The lines between our personal and professional lives can easily become blurred, so we rely on you not to text us on a Sunday afternoon because you haven’t received a reply to the email you sent two hours ago.
NO. 5
Photographers talk.
If you had previously thought that this was a small world, welcome to the photography industry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received and inquiry from a client, been told that I was their dream photographer and that they were inches away from booking me, only to find out from my photographer friends that they had been told the exact same thing by the exact same person.
It’s perfectly fine to keep your options open. Your wedding photographer is a big expense and it is your right to take your time choosing someone who is the right fit for you. But don’t copy and paste the same generic message to 5 different photographers and keep them guessing when they’ll hear from you again. We notice and it’s not cool. (It also makes it super awks when we run into you at your friend’s wedding ‑ whoops!)
NO. 6
Real friends pay full price.
It’s self‑explanatory. If you want to support your friend’s business, do so without expecting discount. It shows them that the people they love most in the world, value their work and are willing to pay for it like everybody else. And if you’re not going to make use of their services, simply like, share and comment on their posts. That is actually free!
Oh, and don’t casually ask us to bring our camera to your baby shower. Just don’t.
NO. 7
Don’t be offended if we don’t post your pics.
It’s not you, it’s us (really). Posting on social media has in itself become a full time job and can become extremely time‑consuming when not controlled.
As artists we are super critical of our own work and obsess over which images are worthy of being out there on the internet for everyone to see. Now add the pressure of featuring every single client we’ve ever photographed and you’ve got one anxious photographer on your hands.
We curate our feeds not only to look pleasing to the eye, but also to maintain a good variety of shots, faces and places.
That being said, just because we don’t post your images, it doesn’t mean that you somehow didn’t make the cut or that we regard your wedding as less important or beautiful to our other weddings. It just means that we are navigating getting the best out of the ever‑changing algorithm, while not bombarding you with 15 posts a day. Like I said ‑ full time job.
NO. 8
Manage your expectations.
What I mean by this is: don’t expect to look like Justin and Hailey Bieber if you are not Justin and Hailey Bieber. It sounds obvious, but the sad truth is that clients are often disappointed with their wedding photos because they don’t look like a wedding they saw on Pinterest.
As wedding photographers, our job is not to copy or replicate any other wedding we or someone else has done in the past, but to tell your story as authentically as possible. Instead of comparing your day to someone else’s, embrace your uniqueness as a couple and the results will follow.
NO. 9
Your followers don’t pay our bills.
There is nothing that irks me more than people who feel entitled to freebies because they have a certain following on social media. Not to mention messages that insinuate that I’d be done favour if I were to collaborate with a certain celebrity or influencer. The algorithm is way more complicated than that, dude. So how about you start by asking nicely? Last time I checked, you can’t eat exposure for dinner, so 🤷🏼♀️
NO. 10
Trust our judgement.
This may be your first wedding, but it is most likely our 100th. We’ve been around the block a few times, so when we make a suggestion for the timeline or tell you that you don’t actually need 100 family photos (you really don’t), take our advice on board. We want the day to run smoothly as much as you do, if not more. So have another mimosa and leave the rest to us. We’ve got this!
JESS PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY 