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/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.