I've Got An Easy Job

"Wedding Photography is the easiest job!"

Really?

Many people think that my job is relatively easy. After all, I go to a party every Saturday and get to eat all that great banquet food. I only spend about 8 hours of time really working (photographing the wedding) and then I don’t do any photography work during the week. I get to stay home all day long and watch TV or go on the internet. I get paid a lot of money for the time I really spend working.

Want to read what I REALLY do all week long?

1. Answer emails and phone calls from brides and grooms inquiring about my services
2. Consultations with potential clients to line up business for next year (2 hours per potential client on average plus up to 1.5 hours for drive time and prep time)
3. Spend 1-2 hours with the bride & groom photographing their engagement session
4. Photoshop the images from the engagement session, have images printed and then delivered
5. Spend about 10-12 hours with the bride & groom at the wedding
6. Drive an average of 1.5 to 2 hours to and from each wedding
7. Stand on my feet all day at the wedding only getting to sit down on average for 30 minutes to eat dinner
8. Dinner is often very similar at every wedding and sometimes I am provided only with a sandwich and a glass of water for dinner to last me all day long.
9. Carry up to three cameras and a belt system of lenses all day long
10. Work under pressure knowing you have only one chance to capture each moment with your camera.
11. After the wedding, safeguard the images from the wedding by backing up the data on the computer and on DVD media before going to bed
12. Spend up to 30 hours on average Photoshopping 1000 or more images individually on the computer
13. Create a DVD slideshow for those clients who have paid for one
14. Deliver the prints and image files to the client
15. Work with clients on album design and layouts or design an album on Photoshop for a flushmount album
16. Assemble actual photos in albums if it is a matted album
17. Deliver albums to clients
18. Do weekly maintenance check on all equipment before going on the next wedding
19. Maintain continuing education on wedding photography by reading industry journals and consulting with other wedding photographers on wedding forums
20. Do standard office duties to maintain a healthy business

So you see, easily, I can spend many hours on each wedding I photograph. Still think it’s an easy job?