Fotticelli wrote:
Photography is just getting good.

Now we can finally concentrate on taking pictures instead of on soaking sh!t in liquids in dark rooms.

I love it.

Unfortunately 90% of the images on MM would indicate you're wrong, IMHO. Easier doesn't mean better. But that's just me I'm sure.

DigitalCMH wrote:

I think Wedding photographers have been seeing a bit of this too.  As more and more people are unable to afford a decent wedding photographer package, they are having friends shoot their weddings.  They obviously are not getting the quality they really want, but they are "good enough" and saves them a few thousand dollars.

I've gotten used for this twice.  Both times I tried to say no.  Both times I said if you want REAL pictures that they should HIRE someone to do it right.  Both times I ended up being the "casual fun" photographer as they managed to find other non-pros that actually had wedding experience to shoot the main photos.

Being a 20+ years wedding photographer survivor......

A lot of photographers who were shooting wedding are dropping out.....and those who remain are upping their prices in order to be more selective.....reasoning that if you're going to have you cajones broken....might as well make good money....

I won't shoot a wedding anymore......it's a tough business...and now with digital on the scene....it's even worse because everyone "thinks" they can do it.....unfortunately the realization they can't comes at the end of the wedding when it's too late to do anything about it......

Even with digital....weddings move at their own pace....and if you miss a shot you just can't stop the wedding to do it again.....and catch that "special moment" the brides are so fond of.....

The other problem...one I haven't seen mentioned yet.....many marriages end before the proofs are dry.....can't tell you how many albums I had which were never picked up because the Happy Couple were no long on speaking terms.....luckily they were already paid for......

FKVPhotoGraphics wrote:
Being a 20+ years wedding photographer survivor......

A lot of photographers who were shooting wedding are dropping out.....and those who remain are upping their prices in order to be more selective.....reasoning that if you're going to have you cajones broken....might as well make good money....

I won't shoot a wedding anymore......it's a tough business...and now with digital on the scene....it's even worse because everyone "thinks" they can do it.....unfortunately the realization they can't comes at the end of the wedding when it's too late to do anything about it......

Even with digital....weddings move at their own pace....and if you miss a shot you just can't stop the wedding to do it again.....and catch that "special moment" the brides are so fond of.....

The other problem...one I haven't seen mentioned yet.....many marriages end before the proofs are dry.....can't tell you how many albums I had which were never picked up because the Happy Couple were no long on speaking terms.....luckily they were already paid for......

I can't EVEN begin to imagine shooting weddings.  Even in the "golden days."


Now, I wouldn't mind shooting the honeymoon nighttime festivities.....

DarioImpiniPhotography wrote:
Ex-engineer speaking here.

Engineering jobs have been shipped overseas.  Any guy named Chan can design and build a widget of roughly equivalent quality for 1/10 of what an American can.  Chinese widget is indistinguishable from American widget.

But to service the AMERICAN photography market, takes a talented practitioner with foot on these shores.  You still have to keep up with trends and innovations, but as this is a service oriented job, at least you get to keep it.  So stop complaining, you could be out of work or despising your job like most of my ex-co-workers.

Silicon Valley manufacturing is losing out to Phillipine engineers. The pleasant guy with the brightly colored Hawaiian shirt earns $7,000 per year. Computer costs are going down, because the American engineer's salaries are being eliminated.

Tell your children that there are Three Occupations to consider for a life's work; Computer Programers, Medicine, and Undertakers.  You can't do without any of them, from this point onward.

FKVPhotoGraphics wrote:
The other problem...one I haven't seen mentioned yet.....many marriages end before the proofs are dry.....can't tell you how many albums I had which were never picked up because the Happy Couple were no long on speaking terms.....luckily they were already paid for......

Damn, I thought I was the only one.  Never thought about that until it occurred.
I did wedding for a Cuban/Puerto Rican family - never showed for the pics.
Wedding ending before the honeymoon.

UnoMundo Photography wrote:

Damn, I thought I was the only one.  Never thought about that until it occurred.
I did wedding for a Cuban/Puerto Rican family - never showed for the pics.
Wedding ending before the honeymoon.

But at least barring gay marriage protects the sanctity of marriage.