Infographic: The Hidden Costs of Photographing a Wedding

When you’re a photographer, it’s only a matter of time before friends and acquaintances start asking you to do them favors—favors like photographing their weddings. And it’s tempting. You’re a good friend. You like taking pictures. And it’s just a few hours of work, right? Wrong.

Before you think about working for next to nothing, make sure you’ve considered the hidden costs of photographing weddings. Italian wedding photographer Francesco Spighi created this telling infographic to illustrate what it really costs to provide your services:

cost-of-photographing-a-wedding-infographic

The Cost of Photographing a Wedding (Via Francesco Spighi. Click to see full size.)

There’s a reason professionals charge so much for their photography services; there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Remember to factor in the cost of your gear, software, editing time, planning time, transportation, and other hidden expenses before you agree to work for pennies or good karma.

We want to hear from you. Have you been asked to photograph a wedding for cheap or free?

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