***I realized after recording this newest installment, that I left out a couple points. After you check out the video, please look below it for the remainder of what I wanted to say. Thanks!

So…the couple points I left out:

Shopping for photographers isn’t like shopping at the grocery store. At the grocery, the food industry pretty much knows how to price its goods. They’ve done their research and know how they fit into the marketplace. High quality/high demand products sell for the most, lesser quality/lesser demand sell for less. If you put chuck steak in the filet mignon package, folks will quickly figure out the difference and cry foul.

In the wedding photography industry, though, there are tons of tools for photographers of all skill levels to use to package their service. Whether they’ve shot one wedding, ten, or one hundred, they all have access to the same website/blog options, photoshop (some use this more than others), and most importantly, social media (where everyone can become a self-proclaimed rock-star overnight—even before singing their first song). It’s almost like the business of growing photography businesses has become more important that growing as photographers. Funny, but true.

Bottom line? If you’re shopping for steak and aren’t happy with what you paid for, you can buy a different product next time. With your wedding photography? Hmm…not so easy to return the item, you know?

This is not to say there aren’t good photographers at all price ranges. Just that I want you to be extra critical in evaluating what you’re getting (experience, ability, product, service).

Hope this helps!

Part 1: Style

Part 2: Pricing

Part 3: Experience

Part 4: Personality