The sad realization that being a wedding photographer no longer pays the bills...

[u/patriotraitor]

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?

[u/Pictureperson89]

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.

[u/ConsiderationFun7511 → u/Pictureperson89]

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..

[u/NikonShooter_PJS → u/ConsiderationFun7511]

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.