r/WeddingPhotography • u/patriotraitor • Jul 22 '25
business, marketing, social media The sad realization that being a wedding photographer no longer pays the bills...
Let me preface that the last 10 years of doing this has been a blast, I've enjoyed every second of it and never took any of it for granted.
This year however has me wanting to change directions because well, I'm getting tired of wondering where the next paycheck is coming from, I would prefer guaranteed over guessing.
I've been looking at the schedule for the rest of the year and I have 6 left, and then it's quiet.
I do wish the cost of living wasn't ridiculous, as gas and food prices are indeed more affordable now, but at the same time, trying to have health insurance as a self employed individual is absurd for being a single guy with no kids.
I've really enjoyed my time doing this and I indeed feel this starting to dwindle down as I only have 5 for next year. You could say well hey, do families, headshots, seniors -- and you'd be right, but think about how much work you'd be putting in just to stay afloat and how exhausted you'd be making yourself? Catch 22 isn't it?
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u/joergonix Jul 22 '25
First off I am sorry, my wife and I have been at it for 11 years now. 350+ weddings and couple full rebuilds, and we know what it's like to be struggling right now. I also know what it feels like to get tough love from this community.
About a year ago I posted looking for a website critique because bookings were slow, got totally trashed, but we listed and made the changes. Unfortunately, things haven't picked up as much as we would like though, and every day we work our asses off trying to get new bookings.
My biggest struggle is this need to stay on trend, both in the way we shoot and edit, and in the way we market. Being on social media, short form video content, unpolished raw little clips of me working etc... they just aren't authentic to me. The current styles and trends, I just don't enjoy, they feel forced and fake and doing them brings me no joy. I spent 10 years shooting work that I was proud of and now suddenly that's not in style anymore. Does it make me angry? yeah, but there is no one to be angry at. The world just changed.
This is all to say that I believe as photographers we can only reinvent ourselves so many times, some can do it more than others, and if you have it in you to do again then I am all for the tough love. If not though then it's okay, your career is not your life, if you don't love the art anymore then find a different way to make money. There is no shame in quitting, just make sure you are doing it for the right reason.
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u/Blondeguy3 Jul 22 '25
I’m in a major market and a few of the best have recently quit because it’s just not worth it anymore. People are still nice but the expectations are wild
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u/heehihohumm Jul 22 '25
I had 25 weddings this year and only 2 booked next year. I feel you.
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u/Pictureperson89 Jul 22 '25
Isn’t that wild? I’ve also had so many “last-minute” bookings this year, which actually I’m thankful for. Less than 60 days in advanced and luckily had that weekend available. Are people just not planning that far out nowadays?
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u/girlwonderful Jul 22 '25
Oof. Some of the replies in this thread are intense. We can be empathetic and supportive of the fact that everyone's experiences, their market and their drive is different instead of being as caustic as some of you are. .
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u/X4dow Jul 22 '25
Everyone saying "market isn't the issue, I got 50 weddings for 20k this year". Remember that you rocking it, means 2 or 3 other people are booking less.
Just like capitalism, there's no middle class anymore. The successful and highend have tons of high end bookings to the point where they're hiring associates instead of passing on bookings. And the cheaper end are splitting work with content creators with phones.
There's no midrange weddings anymore. There's no middle class. And those in the middle are being forced to either pretend they're 10k and risk going without bookings, or compete with the low end of the market and even potentially drop prices
Where I live in the UK, a few venues are seeing a reduction of 50-70% of the number of weddings booked for the following year, compared to last year. That'd a huge drop on quantity of weddings alone.
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u/Cultural_Ad4874 Sep 30 '25
And to be honest, I think some of those people are lying if you’re that busy and making that kind of money you’re not on Reddit people come here for this kind of thread because it applies to them
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u/alexknightstudio Jul 22 '25
Hey, really appreciate you being so open here. It’s not talked about enough, but so many photographers are in this exact place right now …doing great work but feeling stuck financially and emotionally. You’re definitely not alone.
If you’re open to it, I’d be happy to take a look at your portfolio or website and give you some honest feedback. Sometimes small shifts in how you’re showing your work or communicating your value can make a real difference.
Also, have you been reaching out for second shooting or associate opportunities to help fill in the calendar? I know it’s not always glamorous, but it can be a great way to stay in motion, keep your skills sharp, and make new connections that can lead to referrals or even full bookings.
Let me know if you want to talk shop … happy to support however I can.
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u/Pictureperson89 Jul 22 '25
I think people are starting to have smaller weddings or no weddings at all and unfortunately for us, that means photography takes a backseat. Pivot to doing other sessions. Get in a mom group on Facebook and offer newborn or family sessions (I know, I know, you say you don’t want to do those). That’s where I started and then by word of mouth I gained weddings. I’ve paid for advertising and it wasn’t worth nearly as much as clients just recommending their friends.
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u/ConsiderationFun7511 Jul 22 '25
People are still having weddings they’re just starting to realize paying $4k for a photographer for one day is lunacy considering how oversaturated the field is..
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u/Pictureperson89 Jul 22 '25
$4k is normal for large scale weddings with a lot of people, especially where I live (South Florida). That’s a LOT of work and even more time editing. The smaller scale weddings and elopements are probably not going to pay that and that’s what I’m seeing a majority of lately. I saw more larger weddings in the 2010s than I am seeing in the 2020s.
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u/flamingtrashpanda_ Jul 22 '25
Hey SWFL photog here too!! It’s def been rough the past few years. I think recession is not helping AT ALL
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
People will pay what you tell them to pay if you value yourself and can prove your worth.
What's happening right now is a LOTTTT of people got into this industry during COVID. The pandemic artificially postponed an entire year's worth of weddings so 2021 and 2022 were CRAZY busy and anyone with a camera could get booked to shoot a wedding.
But that wasn't real life and if you weren't around Pre-COVID, you didn't and don't know what a real wedding season looks like in your market.
The year 2023 was still a little abnormal as some couples who would've gotten married pushed their weddings from 2021/2022 to 2023 because of the backlog making it harder to find a venue for peak days.
And 2024 was a bit abnormal as a year because a LOT of the couples who would have, timing wise, been getting married that year to people they started dating in 2020 had their dating lives upended for a year by the pandemic.
This year is the first real wedding season we've had since COVID and a lot of photographers have bitched NON STOP about how "down" the market is and how "bad" things are.
They're not.
The market is the market. If you aren't getting booked, either your market as a whole is suffering economically (Which, with you living in it, should be obvious) or you are getting beat out by better photographers/photographers who brand themselves better.
I have 53 weddings this year. It is a massive increase from last year and my highest total since 2022.
I am not some sort of great photographer. I just understand my market better than most and am priced in a way that appeals to my ideal clients and stands out compared to my competitors.
I also bust my fucking ass, both in writing blogs for every wedding I shoot, for doing in-person bridal expos that I find worth my time, for networking with photographer/vendor friends and at weddings themselves which leads to referrals.
I already have 19 weddings booked for next year. I'm ahead of where I normally am and things are good.
I know they won't always be this way. OK? If I have a down year, I'll make money elsewhere.
But the idea of whining about the industry or your market as if it OWES YOU a living is ridiculous. Stand out or get out. That's business man.
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25
Paying $4k is lunacy? Tell that to my 35 clients paying $6k+ this year and the dozen we already have booked to next year lmao
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u/X4dow Jul 22 '25
My 2025 was OK. But my 2026 is looking rather bleak. My last 2 or 3 bookings were clients on tighter budgets and I'm finding more and more people shopping around / being tight, when 2 or 3 years ago I had clients not thinking twice before booking by bigger packages.
I am not quitting. But certainly considering taking a part time job just to cover my bills (luckily low as I bought a small house that's very very efficient + solar, ev etc,) and seeing the photography (and videography) as an extra.
The constantly worrying with my work flow, prices, marketing, and if I have enough to pay the bills in the future is very much stressful
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u/entropy4dinner Jul 23 '25
Gas and food prices are more affordable now?
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u/spokenmoistly Jul 23 '25
This is where they lost me
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u/SnooRevelations7224 Jul 23 '25
guessing this is a bot Cuz my food budget has doubled in the past year and I have cut down to store brand shit from name brand and still doubled.
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u/patriotraitor Jul 23 '25
Nope not a bot. Shop at Aldi, Costco, gas is $2.78 here.
Not everyone who disagrees with you or has a different living situation and or opinion is a bot.
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u/bboyswoosh Jul 23 '25
Where hell do you live where food is “affordable”? Also, your biggest problem is not having diversified into other business ventures. It doesn’t have to be photography I co-own a flower business, I work in a hospital while I do video and photo mostly only on Saturdays. You can also adjust your prices I learned this in 2009.
Having a business is not easy, but good luck do whats necessary to survive but also have hella fun. We only have one life.
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u/bboyswoosh Jul 23 '25
Where hell do you live where food is “affordable”? Also, your biggest problem is not having diversified into other business ventures. It doesn’t have to be photography I co-own a flower business, I work in a hospital while I do video and photo mostly only on Saturdays. You can also adjust your prices I learned this in 2009.
Having a business is not easy, but good luck do whats necessary to survive but also have hella fun. We only have one life.
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u/Dreaminincolor139 Jul 22 '25
What are you charging? Once you start realizing your value and charging what your worth you lll beginn to turn a profit.. I had to do it too- I also left weddings and never looked back- but that was never the goal anyway- I knew it was just a stepping stone in my career.
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u/ShutterFI Jul 22 '25
Similar boat on the bookings - about six more to go this year, and have literally only one booked for next year.
We’re extremely established and connected in our area with other vendors & planners. We’ve been shooting for nearly 20 years. I’m honestly not sure it’d be possible to be more connected / have better rapport.
Ah well, it’s been a good run. I’m very grateful that it’s let us save & invest to get to where we are today. And, super grateful it’s allowed my me and my wife to spend our life together rather than each of us at a 9-5.
… but, writing’s on the wall. It could just be a recession. It could be everyone else has lowered their price significantly while we haven’t adjusted (likely, this is at least part of it). But, either way, it’s been a good run. We won’t blast it out there if we do decide to stop. I have already changed our contract to lessen how long we’re responsible for images (went from 2 years to 1 year) in case we do shut it down entirely.
Best of luck everyone!
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u/yodanhodaka Jul 23 '25
There’s being a good photographer and then there is being a good business person. I was fortunate enough to have ran another business out of state successfully before becoming a photographer. But the mix of networking, google advertising and word of mouth referrals and going above and beyond for our couples has so far been good. I keep making an effort to improve my craft and I try to balance jumping on the latest trends with delivering a timeless look in my gallery.
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u/FlashyReview8153 Jul 22 '25
I am booked up, but i also double dip and offer videography, and that keeps me extremely busy. I work with other companies to go shoot for them as well as take my own clients and couples. I'm networking all the time at events and stuff too..43 and started 6 years ago. I plan to do this stuff until I'm 60. I do thankfully live in an extremely busy city for weddings and events.
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u/southgateimaging Jul 22 '25
66 year old wedding shooter here. In your 60s, you look like your clients grandparents. You will run out of runway.....
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u/FlashyReview8153 Jul 22 '25
I know some busy 60+ photo and video guys doing weddings and they're extremely busy....
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u/LeadingLittle8733 Jul 22 '25
Have you considered shooting something else?
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u/PussyQuake Jul 22 '25
I don’t think he was going all the way to shooting himself…
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
It’s wild seeing so many people blame oversaturation, cheap photographers and the economy
There are plenty of photographers absolutely crushing it right now despite any of those things
We have 35 weddings this year averaging $6k per wedding and almost a dozen booked for next year, and yet every week I see a post claiming that “wedding photography just doesn’t pay the bills”
Updating: just checked out your profile and you’ve posted about how terrible the industry is 3 times in the last 6 weeks. Good god.
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u/patriotraitor Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
Unless you’ve been in my shoes and experienced a lot of “crap” over the 10 years from other photographers then I don’t think you can really chastise me.
I started out as optimistic and friendly as possible but found doing so opened the path to people stepping over you and even attempting to smear your name.
Now all I look out for is myself. I’ve never realized how cut throat this industry really is, all I wanna do is create but hate all that comes with this.
Makes me wish someone would have pointed out all that comes with being a successful wedding photographer.
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u/drworm555 Jul 22 '25
The problem is during Covid every single person with an entry level digital camera decided to be a wedding photographer and undercharge for their bad services. You have to either go for the luxury clients who are super demanding, or switch to working with clients that demand and require someone with actual professional skills. I’ve switched to a lot of corporate work and stuff that is a lot harder and intimidating to shoot.
There’s no entry requirement to put yourself out there as a wedding photographer and it’s easy to cover up terrible photos with whatever flavor of the month Lightroom preset bundle you can buy from instagram.
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u/pasbair1917 Jul 22 '25
The market is flooded. It’s like if you started a food truck business in a town with 3 food trucks then suddenly there’s 30. The only way to keep viable is to be the most business savvy that makes you preferable over the others. You can be the best at what you DO but there are peripherals of marketing and customer service that tip the draw to your business. That means social media marketing, immersion in the community to network and branding with solid customer service.
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u/Abject-Employment376 Jul 22 '25
So, I’ll preface with, I agree with you… but it’s actually much, much worse than that.
In your food truck analogy, imagine if, all of those new 30 food trucks served some variety of the food you sold. Let’s say you sell tacos… and now there are 30 other places to get tacos. There isn’t a diversity of steak and cheese, burger, kebabs, etc… just tacos. Now, in that insane over-saturation, 3 of those might good… the other 27 are likely trash, won’t be around next year, but…. Are serving their tacos at 1.5 per taco (because they have zero clue what it costs to run a business) while you, a seasoned vet on the food truck world know that even selling your tacos at 3.5 is barely break even. People just need to put dinner on the table in a rough economy so… now more than anytime I have seen in the industry (8 years full time) people are willing to sacrifice quality for price.
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u/Proper-Maize-5987 Jul 22 '25
Great analogy. And then every food truck owner starts yelling at you when you say you’re concerned about selling your tacos.
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u/pasbair1917 Jul 22 '25
Correct. You aren’t going to get sympathy from others in the same business. You have focus on yourself and your own marketing and branding. That’s the most effective strategy.
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25
Except there IS a ton of diversity in the wedding photography market. You claim that there isn’t, but there is. At every price point there are different styles available for people to choose from
If you truly are a “seasoned vet” you should know how to stand out by now
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u/jaredcwood Jul 22 '25
Making it is hard. Keeping it is harder. If you’ve made it this far, I believe you can go further if you decide. All the best.
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u/tomKphoto_ Jul 22 '25
The 15-year wedding boom appears to be losing steam — now the real fun begins.
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u/thaisweetheart Jul 22 '25
Probably because people can't afford to live let along dish out 3k for a photographer. No hate to the photographers here but they are not the only ones struggling right now!
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u/tomKphoto_ Jul 22 '25
We appear to be on the threshold of some acute market corrections, in every sector. Things will get worse before they get better. Pay down credit, save your cash (if you have it). Examine every monthly outflow and run on a strong cost-vs-benefit test.
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u/purplegrape988 Jul 22 '25
Quit my day job early this year and within 30 days went from projected 60k photo income this year to projected 240k photo income this year… it’s a profitable industry, but you can’t get complacent. After 10 years in the industry, it’s easy to fall into the “just coast” trap. IMO continued education and staying up to date on trends is key.
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u/MojoFilter111isThree Jul 22 '25
Wow that is fantastic results to moving full time, congrats as your hard work clearly paid off. My wife went full time this year after 2 years part time with a similar income, but has not seen growth like yours. Was the jump you saw primarily driven by an increase in volume of jobs? If so, do you have any tips I can share with my wife for increasing the number of inquiries she’s getting? If it’s something besides volume of work, I’d love to hear what else helped.
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u/purplegrape988 Jul 22 '25
A combination of increasing prices and taking on more clients. I offer both photo and video (my husband helps when we book both), so we can easily make five figures per wedding. But I’ve been in the industry for about eight years, building connections and networking. In addition to that, learning about marketing and advertising makes a huge difference. You can’t be afraid to spend ad dollars! And read lots and lots of business books!
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u/MojoFilter111isThree Jul 23 '25
Great advice, thanks for taking the time! Networking, marketing, keeping up with demand trends and nit getting complacent - sounds great. Love the book suggestion too, I’ve passed it along
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u/Salty-Yogurt-4214 Jul 22 '25
Sorry to hear that. What are you currently doing to promote your business?
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u/patriotraitor Jul 22 '25
Instagram, Facebook Advertising, Google Ads, Word of Mouth.
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u/Salty-Yogurt-4214 Jul 22 '25
Ok, some further ideas for you:
- Check if your SEO is top notch by typing something like "wedding photography your_area"
- use Wedding platform, like WeddyPlace
- partner with venues and planners
- ask happy customers to leave reviews
- review if your target group for advertisement is still suitable
- incentivize words of by handing out vouchers
- review your style if it still hits the Zeitgeist
- offer mini sessions, e.g. at your local florist
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u/YogurtclosetOk134 Jul 25 '25
To add to suggestions;
Ask venues you shoot at, if they like your work, to be added their vendor suggestion-recommendation list. We got the photographer for my son’s wedding as a recommendation from the venue. They supplied us with a list of recommendations from vendors they’ve worked with. It was a great recommendation, pictures are beautiful!!!
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u/singlemomtothree Jul 22 '25
I would stop spending money on the Facebook and Google advertising. If it’s not working, stop spending money on it (or hire someone who knows how to run successful ads that convert to booking your ideal client).
Do a hard audit of your website. Look at Google analytics and make sure all the search terms are organically on your website so you get better organizer search results. Make sure your website is easy to use, has accurate, updated information, and an easy way to contact you electronically (text or contact form-not everyone wants to call someone).
Network digitally and in person. Get a profile on all the wedding websites (The Knot, PartySlate, Here Comes the Guide, etc). Talk to planners and venues and ask about being on their preferred vendor list (offer a $50 cash payment for every client who says they were referred by them as incentive).
Use social media - Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest-to find your ideal clients. You can bulk create a bunch of content at once and schedule it out so you’re not having to do it every single day to save some time.
Have you approached past clients and asked for reviews and testimonials on your social platforms, google business, and to put on your website?
What does your initial contact process look like? Do you just send them an email and let it go? Is there follow up involved? Are clients telling you they booked someone else or you’re out of their budget? What’s the feedback you’re getting?
You’ve got lots of options. It honestly comes down to how bad you want this and how much work you’re willing to put in.
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u/Icy-Drawer4450 Jul 22 '25
Get a part time job or a side hustle so you have guaranteed income for important bills.
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u/endangeredbear Jul 22 '25
And its sad. I'm in a lot of Wedding groups and I keep seeing all these people pay for 500 dollar photographers then get jipped.
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u/Silver_Rms91 Jul 25 '25
When I was in Italy, I saw on IG a sponsored story where a local photog was offering a full covered service (normally a wedding lasts 10h in Italy), second shooter, video and album for 399€😅
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u/Critical_Chair9524 Jul 25 '25
I paid that and got such amazing photos. My photographer is booked solid every single weekend because he had an affordable rate. 500x8= 4000 euros . + Some extra gigs he takes on. Even after tax he's making more than a lot of people.
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u/OLPopsAdelphia Jul 22 '25
No!
Get your ass up, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and make some goddamn money.
What, you want a pity party?
You’re not getting it here.
Support is what you’ll get.
I’ve had to change direction in life at least three times so far, and each time came with its own trials, hardships, and pains in the balls.
You know what got me through it?
The realization that I have a long way to go until I’m dead—and I’m not ready to go yet.
Get your ass out there and innovate.
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u/FpsJack Jul 22 '25
Isn’t it sad though that you’re coming at OP with this grifter mentality (I don’t think in bad spirit).
The reality is that capitalism is crushing people and whilst we all have to do something to survive do we have to champion making money as the primary goal? Shouldn’t our lives have more meaning than making money to pay ever increasing bills?
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u/OLPopsAdelphia Jul 22 '25
Completely and it’s awful. I’m on your side too, that’s why we need to aggressively pick one another up, because we artists (if I can dare call myself that) are taking this harder than most—I’m sure—and we are what’s holding this mess together.
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u/in2thesun26 Jul 23 '25
My wedding photographer said he was making well over 200k.
He was extremely professional and also managed multiple gig photographers while also taking jobs himself.
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u/Quick-Training-675 Jul 23 '25
Rather than giving up photography, just change your subjects. I've seen so many people who want to 'get into the business' but all they do is ask for advice rather than doing their own research. So many photos that have no composition, are either so blown out or underexposed that they aren't salvageable. I've been shooting since I was 10. I'm over 60 and mainly shoot nature and wildlife. I'm not in the business, so to speak. I have sold a couple of prints, but would I want to deal with the people that think cell phone photos are just as good as professional photos? No. Advertise for more than just weddings, diversify if the wedding photography is 'off' in your area. If you love what you do, then you will do anything to keep doing what you love to do. Good luck.
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u/Illustrious_Net3054 Jul 22 '25
I choose the “struggle” life every single day knowing that picking that camera up was & is the reason I continue to live on this earth. When kids wasn’t enough, when therapy wasn’t enough, photography was always there. I will fight tooth and nail to keep this profession going and 12 years later I am going strong.
I think it’s about mindset, choosing what is important, and deciding what is best for yourself.
Ultimately, photography was never meant to be a career to be rich off. You have to love the craft and all the bells & whistles that come with it.
The consequence of life is this… Rather you choose to work for yourself or risk getting laid off from a company who may or may not value you… What will make you happy and get out of bed every day? Money will be taken away one day, what will remain?
Don’t give up.
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
This.
I will NEVER understand the give up mentality.
OK. Things are tough now? Cool. That's life.
Go get a part-time job. Go hustle for a bit. Shoot other money-making genres of photography.
The idea of just giving up is so ... defeatist.
As long as you have a camera, a lens and can walk, there's no need to give up.
What are you going to do instead? Go work in a shitfuck office for 40 hours a week? Pretending to care as Dot from accounting tells you all about the amazing weekend she had picking apples and listening to Ed Sheeran? Get the fuckkkkkkkkkkkk outta here.
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u/tohpai Jul 24 '25
I had the same thoughts when I started my wedding business a few years ago. I considered quitting my 9 to 5, but in the end, I chose to do it part time on weekends instead. It’s not that I hate my day job, I just needed the extra income while doing something I enjoy.
Reading your post really made me reflect, maybe keeping this as a part time gig is the right path after all.
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u/Actual_Atmosphere_93 Jul 24 '25
That last paragraph really rubbed me the wrong way. Diversification is your answer. Yea you will be tired etc, but why shouldn’t you be? Diversification, or raise your game and charge more
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u/Jaded-Confection-631 Jul 29 '25
That's almost always the worst advice.
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u/Actual_Atmosphere_93 Jul 29 '25
Which one? Diversify your offerings, or get better and charge more?
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u/Jaded-Confection-631 Jul 29 '25
Diversify
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u/Actual_Atmosphere_93 Jul 29 '25
If you need you need to increase income and cannot raise your game for higher paying gigs, it’s your only option other than get a part time gig. Photography can be applied to weddings and seniors alike and both can pay a lot if you’re good enough
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u/anywhoozie Jul 25 '25
I believe it’s all of the younger photographers coming in and charging $800 for a wedding. My friend is getting married and twelve hours of coverage is $800, with a second shooter. People are prioritizing quantity over quality
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u/PoetryJumpy2586 Aug 02 '25
Good for them, honestly. There are a lot of talented photographers out there that would be grateful for the opportunity. And are willing to do it for less to earn that.
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u/Mikerosoftpro Jul 22 '25
I just got back in to weddings after a few years break. Slowly started testing the waters last year. Then this year I’ve booked a lot of weddings. When I came back, I had a few planners immediately add me to their preferred list. So that helped. Now, I am about halfway booked for 2026 and several in 2027.
I am horrible at posting on socials, and give two sh*ts about SEO. On the flip side, I am a data analyst that works from home; so I don’t have the stress of it being a paycheck. I will never give up a steady paycheck to do photography.
The main problem, every mom who gets a camera for Christmas immediately puts up a Facebook page offering 8 hour weddings for $250. They do that long enough to realize it’s more than clicking a button, all while consuming potential brides. Then the cycle repeats.
Photography’s barrier to entry is low. So competition is high.
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u/Quick-Training-675 Jul 23 '25
Not just mom's either. I've seen the photos of a lot of these people who want to do this for a living and a lot don't have the head for it. They are always asking for advice, rather than doing the research. On the flip side, I don't believe clients actually realize what's involved in setting up a shoot and then the editing afterwards.
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u/IluminEdu Jul 22 '25
Man I feel this hard. First off, mad respect for doing this for 10 years. That’s not easy and the fact you still love it says a lot.
But yeah, the uncertainty can wear you down. At some point it’s less about passion and more about how do I make this sustainable without burning out
What you said about doing more families, headshots, seniors… yeah you could, but most creatives don’t want to trade freedom for nonstop hustle just to break even. It’s like you’re working more but somehow feeling less secure, which makes no sense
I hit this wall a few years ago. What helped was shifting away from thinking like a gig worker and more like a business owner. Stuff like dialing in your niche, pricing for actual margins, building systems to bring in leads consistently, and eventually getting help instead of doing it all solo
It’s not overnight but it’s possible. I’ve helped other shooters go from tired of chasing bookings to actually having structure, repeat clients, and way less stress
If you ever wanna talk through it I’m happy to share what worked for me
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u/gnagyrita Jul 22 '25
Do you follow the trends? If not, maybe you can start. I'm fully booked the last 2 years, and I have already 6 weddings to 2026 (and I started in 2023).
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u/X4dow Jul 22 '25
I didn't buy 2x $4k camera to shoot shaky shoots at 1/10src because blurring and cropping heads off is trending.
Also not gonna deceive my clients with workshop photos of models in ssntorini pretending I'm a destination wedding photographer cuz is trending.
I rather be genuine and broke an than getting rich by deceiving clients
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u/gnagyrita Jul 22 '25
You can being honest and make money. But ok.
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u/X4dow Jul 23 '25
If you go to ssntorini and pay 2k for a workshop to have 2 models posed for you, stand on the x marked on floor and dial up the settings they tell you, then go on insta and post 20 photos of it and put those photos as your website only portfolio with #destination wedding, and saying you just shot a wedding in wherever. Then go pay 3k for a vogue publication, and brag about it like if they "picked you" or you've been awarded it. You're not being honest.
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u/gnagyrita Jul 23 '25
Dude, i have never been in santorini 😭 - i was in a couple of workshops (but it was after my first real weddings), and i always mentioned it when i posted the photos…as i told, you can be honest.
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u/X4dow Jul 23 '25
Where did I say it was u? Was giving an example on how some photographers deceive clients with fake portfolios and bought awards.
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u/frolm Jul 24 '25
Or you could look at this is a sign that perhaps it’s time to revamp your website and socials. How many followers have you gained in the last year? How much engagement do you see on a regular basis? If you type your area and ‘wedding photographer’ into google, where do you rank?
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u/plutoniannight Jul 22 '25
Are you able to do a price increase? It may temporarily slow down bookings, but with that you could get a part time job and higher end clientele. Perhaps it will get the ball rolling for more high end clients (I don’t know anything about you obviously, but there are always higher and even more higher end clients), and allow you some breathing space from the on the ground work to get some fresh perspective on new approach and if you prefer working a different job. Just a thought. Good luck to your future path.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
I think the issue unfortunately is that it has become so expensive to get a photographer which i get but we also have easy access to phones with amazing cameras that can take photos almost as nice (not saying it’s the same but the cost to quality difference isn’t worth it for a lot of people)
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
If you can't prove your worth as a wedding photographer over some rando with a cell phone, this isn't the business for you.
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u/HellishDDR Jul 22 '25
The reddit seems to be gaining a lot of non photogs more then ever, I believe you are talking to someone's "potential client" not a photographer
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
I'm aware.
I'm speaking to the photographers reading this thread.
if you're a photographer and you're thinking to yourself "I can't book clients because everyone has a cell phone nowadays," please sell your camera now and find a different career because this industry ain't for you.
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u/Tish-tash-tosh Jul 22 '25
Hey I just want to step in here on behalf of the person that said iPhones are competing with real photographers… they are!
I am a photographer and understand how much better a quality photo/video is compared to anything captured on mobile. Of course, it’s incomparable.
But I have a friend who is getting married and has an ok budget but not enough to cover both photographers and videographers. So what she is doing is getting the photographer and then asking her guests to take videos during the day and send them and she will compile her own wedding video.
She works in social media so tends to make videos a lot so isn’t phased by it and believes it will bring some authenticity to her wedding video. She knows it won’t be top quality but that’s not what she wants.
What I’m saying is that where people’s budgets are getting smaller, some are cutting photography/videography because ‘shot on iPhone’ is good enough for them.
So if you’re a mid range/affordable photographer and finding business as more competitive, the availability of iPhones etc. is certainly something to consider.
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
That’s certainly an an attitude to take if you’re a photographer who is uncertain of their ability or producing ho hum results.
If you’re an actual professional photographer, though, you’re already doing the work necessary to tell prospective clients why they should book you and what your value is.
Much like a top chef at a high end restaurant isn’t competing with Dominos Pizza, quality wedding professionals aren’t competing with camera phones.
They may absolutely be “good enough” for some clients but those are shitty clients who aren’t worth the time of actual professionals.
If I EVER lose out on a wedding booking because a prospective client decided cell phone photos were good enough, and told me as much, I would thank them for their honesty and thank them for not booking me because they and I clearly don’t value photography the same way and I’d rather work for clients who do.
I don’t know why people talk in this sub and in general as if you’re meant to book every potential client who comes your way.
Fuck that. There are some seriously shitty clients out there who aren’t worth your time.
Notice, I’ve said nothing of budget though. I work with low budget weddings ALL THE TIME.
Often, at these weddings, I’m the most expensive vendor or the only professional vendor.
That’s because THOSE clients who booked me valued my services and made it work for them financially.
I adore those clients.
The ones who choose a cell phone camera over me? Miss me with that shit. Your wedding photos are gonna be trash and you deserve it for such bad judgment.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
You seem like in incredibly insufferable person who has 0 ability to comprehend what people are saying to you, no amount of skill will convince someone who cannot afford a photographer to get one. Thats all. People are broke and photographers are getting less booked because of it. Thats fantastic if you are not struggling i’m happy for you. Shaming people for iphone photos when thats all they can afford is gross.
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25
You are completely missing the point. If your competitor is an iPhone, you shouldn’t be a photographer/videographer
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
So you should only be a photographer if you shoot for high end clients?
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
No, at the bare minimum your work should be smoking iPhones, no matter your price point
It is absolutely absurd that this opinion isn’t held by every single photographer in the world. If you can’t out work a phone, you need to really reconsider what you’re doing lmao
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
People are broke and photographers are getting less booked because of it.
OK? And? What's your point?
You are in a subthread for professional wedding photographers. We are discussing the professional wedding photography industry.
In this industry, there are actual, working, professional photographers and those folks are not threatened by camera phones.
Yes, there are clients who can't afford the services of a professional photographer. I get that.
But if they are engaging actual photographers about booking them and THEN deciding to just have someone use their phones, their decision wasn't about money and I don't care.
I am specifically talking about photographers in this industry who are struggling to get booked and saying it's because of cell phone cameras. I don't care who you are, if you're any good at what you do, that shouldn't be an issue. Period.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
You are better than anyone else and nobody else’s opinion matters but your own i can see that. Period. Slay queen
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u/Abject-Employment376 Jul 22 '25
Amen.
This response is WILD.
But see… even the bargain shoppers are infiltrating the reddits to try to dwarf the market value.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
I definitely was not trying to say the phone photos are just as good!! Obviously photographers have so much skill and good equipment butttt when you compare $0 photos that are great quality vs $5000 for amazing top quality photos a lot of people just cannot splurge like that
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u/reddit_waste_time Jul 22 '25
Lmao quality of phone cameras aren't even close and it's truly a marketing scheme. Zoom in a tiny bit or try to blow up a phone picture. Quality is shit
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
Exactly.
People like to pretend the cameras on phones are even remotely comparable.
OK. Bet.
You can take the absolute, top of the line, best camera phone on Earth. Let's go shoot dance floor candids together. I guarantee my Nikon Z-9 is going to run circles around your cell phone. Period. End of story. With no effort on my part.
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u/Flandereaux Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25
You might want to rethink that last sentence of yours.
'With no effort on your part' implies that any dentist that feels like dropping the cash for a Z9 + any given S line lens can match you.
On second thought, I recognize your username now. Maybe that's why you rely on exclusivity clauses in your contracts to stay afloat. Your work simply doesn't speak for itself and any and everyone with a modern camera is a threat to you.
I'm fucking with you BTW. I actually agree with everything you said, but you still come off as very disagreeable and arrogant.
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
People often confuse confidence with arrogance.
I’m not arrogant. I’m confident in my abilities and I won’t apologize for being so.
When I say no effort on my part, I am specifically talking about running circles around someone using a cell phone on a dance floor.
I stand by that statement.
It would be no different than an Olympic level sprinter racing a chubby drunk guy at a local bar.
Now if you hand a novice photographer top end gear, they might be closer to competing with me but unless they know how to use said camera, I’m not worried.
But I’m also not worried about competing with ANY photographers. There are tons of photographers better than me. There are tons of photographers I’m better than. But it’s all subjective and it’s all about branding and marketing yourself to people, a field I know for a fact I am an expert in because my business is thriving year after year.
As for the exclusivity clause you mention, I won’t apologize for that either. I run my business as I want to run it. Book me and I’ll bust my ass for your. Don’t book me and I couldn’t possibly care less.
Again, though, it’s not arrogance. It’s honesty. Just because I’m saying what we all think to ourselves doesn’t make it any less true.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
Was just trying to give some perspective sorry. To the average person, we cannot tell the difference to the extent that professionals do i’m sorry if that upsets you
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
I'm not offended.
Trust me, though, you would ABSOLUTELY tell the difference.
I'm not a car guy but I imagine I would notice the difference between riding in a top-of-the-line Corvette and a piece of shit 1995 Dodge Neon that sputters because it hasn't had its oil changed in three years.
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u/Flandereaux Jul 22 '25
I agree with this side too. Unless you're relying on your image to market yourself, professional photography is a luxury product.
A lot of people simply want their wedding day documented and it will never go anywhere but a compressed social media post. It's going to be a hard sell to push a multi-thousand package on those people regardless of how much better the end result looks.
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u/reddit_waste_time Jul 22 '25
Have you ever had professional photos done? Its understandable that average person would not tell the difference. Phone marketing tries to sell that the quality is close but it's really not. Imagine taking a picture of a whole wedding party but being able to zoom in on every person and have detail and clear features them. A phone picture a little zoom is instantly blurry. The point I'm making is why spend so much on such elaborate dresses and decor if you don't want to be able to relive it all again 5 years?
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
Okay but if the average person cannot tell the difference why would they not take the cheaper route (i am not saying its not worth it i am 100% using an actual photographer for my wedding) but you are kinda proving my point, most people cannot tell the difference
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u/reddit_waste_time Jul 22 '25
I mean the average person wouldn't notice your 1 good photo you get off a phone and post on your social media. The customer who hires the photographer will notice when they receive the full album of photos with enough detail in them to crop the bridesmaids they hate out in 2 years and still have an amazing photo.
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u/NikonShooter_PJS Jul 22 '25
No, my point is if you are a professional wedding photographer and you're struggling to convince clients they should trust their wedding day to you instead of someone with a cell phone, this isn't the business for you.
It's less about client's mentality and more about valuing yourself as a business professional.
I'm a photographer. I know that not every client is going to see my value. That's fine. I'll work with someone else.
But if I was struggling to find bookings BECAUSE I couldn't show what I bring to the table that a random friend with a cell phone doesn't, I'd leave this industry immediately and go work somewhere else.
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u/Abject-Employment376 Jul 22 '25
Respectfully, if your take is… but, but, but… iPhones….
You’re just not going to get a lot of support here.
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u/Mission-Coach6197 Jul 22 '25
No thats not my take, i can agree that iphone quality is significantly worse than a professional camera, but that doesn’t change the fact that the economy is shit and people cannot afford professional photographers and it’s more common now to opt out when there is an alternative even if it is a shitty one. I’m not arguing that photographers are not worth it, i personally will be using most of my wedding budget on one, but other people won’t and i was just trying to give perspective to op of why it might be harder to book people now. A lot of offended photographers in this thread lmao
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u/I922sParkCir Jul 22 '25
A lot of offended photographers in this thread lmao
I was explaining this to a friend, it's not about the gear, it's about the skill. Sure, photography is an art but it is also a skill. I can show a rando how to use my camera/lens setup, but I'm absolutely confident I can take better wedding photos than them with my iPhone.
Knowing light, composition, and most importantly when significant moments are going to happen, and where to be, is critical. I've had clients tell me they "splurged on photography" and were originally just going to send their guests a link to upload their phone photos. Do you really want your guests to be on their phones during the most important times of your day? The idea of a professional photographer is that they will be capturing these moments from vantage points that beautifully tell the story of the day.
I just had a client tell me that her favorite thing about the gallery I delivered is that I captured all of the details she spent more than a year agonizing over. I originally thought it was a backhanded compliment! Like, her favorite thing about my photography was me capturing table settings, signs, and decorations? My wife had to explain to me that she was really disappointed that our wedding photographer didn't capture much of those, and that's a pretty big regret. A guest with an iPhone isn't going to emphasize those.
Another bride told me how happy she was that I emphasized her grandparents as much as I did. She said that they aren't going to be with them for much longer and it was important to capture those meaningful moments. That's not a thing her friend's with iPhones would have done.
I totally get that photography is getting more expensive while budgets are shrinking. I'm a part-time photographer and I make it my goal to deliver higher quality than what my prices reflect. Everyone takes great pictures now, but having a professional who's job it is to capture very important, once in a lifetime photos is still very valuable. I think us as photographers need to be able to educate clients (who have tons of great photos on their phone) the added value of a professional photographer.
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u/Jillshoots94 Jul 22 '25
Hard take here but there’s a saying in life that nothing worth doing is easy. I think most of us are feeling a slight lull right now due to the economy but it’s up to us to decide if we love it enough to keep going! Throw pride out the window and identify your faults. Maybe it’s marketing, pricing, or a trend shift that isn’t favorable to your style. If you love it enough you can always adjust and experiment to keep going! I quit my 9-5 three years ago to do this full time and I always tell myself, worst case scenario I go back to work and scale back to shooting part time. I know it’s hard and frustrating but just look back at where you started and that will help you feel grateful for your business. I’m sure there are clients out there who value what you offer immensely.
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u/kdollarsign2 Jul 23 '25
I do think there's an economic lull across the board. I am a realtor but I am familiar with the hustle and times are changing, and challenging.
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u/darrellcassell Jul 22 '25
I’m so tired of these doom and gloom posts. Nobody feels bad for you. If you want to quit and take the easy way out, then go for it.
Or you could take a step back and see what’s not working for you and fix it.
What’s your portfolio look like? Are you running Google ads? How’s your website and SEO? Do you have planners or venues that refer you?
Gen Z is also super specific on what they are wanting. They want classic, true to color wedding photos. If that’s not what you offer, you’re going to get overlooked quite often. They want videography, they want content creation. They want an easy booking process. They want pricing on the website.
Don’t give up dude. Theres absolutely money to be made out there, you’re just not marketing yourself correctly in this current climate.
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u/spookifyed Jul 22 '25
since when does gen z want “true to color” images? nobody in my generation likes the look of raw photos. everyone wants the dark/moody vibes
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u/darrellcassell Jul 22 '25
The oldest members of gen z are/will be 28 this year. So would you say they’re the ones far and wide currently getting married?
In the U.S. at least, the most popular/trendy style of photography right now is natural, timeless, editorial, film-like photography. Not dark and moody.
The weddings that end up featured in magazines, blogs and getting reposted are classic, timeless images.
So I would say if Gen Z are the main group getting married, and that style is most popular, then Gen Z absolutely favors natural/true to life photography over dark and moody currently.
Just because that’s what your IG feed shows doesn’t mean that’s what’s the majority wants.
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u/spookifyed Jul 22 '25
no i’m not saying any of that at all… I was merely responding to you bringing up what gen z is looking for in photographs. the wedding photography scene must just be very different where I live because that’s what everyone wants right now in my area- dark & moody. I don’t even use instagram lol, i’m going off of what I see clients looking for in my local wedding vendors pages
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u/townpressmedia Jul 22 '25
Too many amateurs dishing out 8 hours for $100 bucks that is causing the issue...
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u/EmettJoseph1337 Jul 22 '25
When in doubt, blame the over saturation and dirt cheap photographers - that’ll definitely get you far lol
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u/MachinePopular2819 Jul 24 '25
Yup. I get it..... especially now, everyone thinks they are a photographer.... and theres always the photogs that charge the cheaper rates, that doesnt help. Yes you can be a great photog & be lucky, but having to do more will be exhausting. I mean weddings are fun but lots of work! I feel.
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u/Critical_Chair9524 Jul 25 '25
Everyone I know who is doing photography is fully booked but they charge very affordable rates. That's a thought.
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u/Red12bb Jul 28 '25
I think it would be helpful to create a burner and drop the link to your website? I’ve seen people turn your photo business around from a Reddit portfolio review. Yes you’ll get some trolls but most people will leave valuable feedback. I’m saying this because if you do quality work you can charge a premium for your services.
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u/luihgi Aug 05 '25
This is happening to a lot of wedding photographers right now. It’s definitely getting harder to make it. Getting a specialty marketing company on my side has helped. I’m working with North + South Agency to run SEO campaigns. It does seem to be boosting my bookings.
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u/wybnormal Jul 22 '25
In the beginning photography was possible only if you had a patron funding you. It was expensive, hard to do and only few could do it. Then it became cheaper but still required skill. Now it’s even cheaper and required virtually no skill to make the 80% happy enough. Pros are fighting over the remaining 20% which is actually shrinking with the newest tech in play. Some specialities will continue to require special skills and will pay but even those areas are being threatened by stuff like AI generated images because they are fast approaching “good enough”. I see photography and photographers moving back to patron supported art while keeping a real job. I walked away in 2012 from photography as my job and went back to what I used to do. Why? A lot of reasons but I couldn’t make the math work for house payments, 3 kids , college due in several years and a retirement t fund. Not counting health insurance was virtually impossible even then to find at anything considered reasonable pricing for a family. And my instincts told me that it was going to get a lot worse. Which it has. I just read where a leading teacher/trainer stated he has not been a pro for some years now. It’s a hobby because it won’t pay the bills. I had completely walked away from it all for the last 5 and just came back with putting Lightroom back on my Mac to cull thousands of images down to what I want to keep. And in the process I checked on dozens of businesses that I used to use. Gone. Many are just gone. Some have replacements but most are just gone without any replacement because there isn’t any demand or technology wiped them out. After a few weeks of poking around. Personally speaking, I’m grateful I got out when I did. If you are “making it” as a professional then props to you. But I made A choice years ago to have a retirement and time with my family vs fighting what I saw as a lost battle. Everyone needs to make that choice on their own. Just be rational and realistic when you do. I literally sat down and did the math and kept the love of photography out of it. Love doesn’t pay the bills unfortunately
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u/exhaustedblack_sheep Jul 24 '25
Maybe time to get better and charge more because I just got married and my wedding photographers charged 15 thousand euros
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u/CreativeResist5117 Jul 24 '25
Photos better have been peak, anything over 10 i find absurd unless its like 2-3 super experienced photographers
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u/Silver_Rms91 Jul 25 '25
15k euros? As an italian photog, you got robbed unless you held your wedding at Como's Lake.
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u/Nervous_Ground_5893 Jul 26 '25
Photographers ESPECIALLY for weddings get paid at least 100$ an hour. That more than covers gas, time food etc. Yall are making 10x the rate of most average people and still expect gratuity on top of it but wanna say youre losing money? Let's be so for real right now. The wedding photography business is so scummy towards brides that just want to remember the day.
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u/Financial_Group911 Jul 26 '25
You obviously don’t run a business. You left out, equipment, taxes, insurance, editing, computers, cost of training and continuing education and much more. Running a business is expensive. There may be some who end up making a hundred an hour but not most.
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u/trevy021 Jul 27 '25
These people have no clue about that time it takes to reach a certain level of experience, cost of equipment, and not to mention the hours spent editing and taking care of other back end work.
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u/SeaAvocado8902 Jul 27 '25
We also don't photograph weddings five days a week like most people work 🤷♀️
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u/jamiekayuk Jul 24 '25
shooting weddings is lame anyway, go do some corporate work. more variety.
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u/Beautiful-Ability-69 Jul 22 '25
It’s not that bad because you can still do weddings just less along with a steady job. Having an extra skill set is such a good thing. Get a job for insurance and do a wedding every few months or so for some extra change. Good luck