why are some photographers price double what others are?

This is a great question. I think it does come down to a few factors here

Years of experience is a large one.

I know when I started my business in 2007, my pricing was alot cheaper. Now with all of my experience and also the products/quality of work I am producing its much higher than perviously offered.

Sometimes photographers charge more because:

- Years of wedding photography experience

- The equipment that they use is more expensive

-  Award winning makes them more expensive

- Some include albums and printed images in their packages

But! Having said all that sometimes you can find great photographers without any of the above and still get great photos!

Good luck! :)

They are simply better on most occasions.

A cheaper photographer doesnt have the experience of cheaper photographers. Take myself for example.  I have shot over 400 weddings and have over 80 five star reviews on easy weddings.  I have 2 cameras together worth over $20000 plus $10000 of studio lacation lighting! I am not cheap but the experience plus the photos can justify the expense.

The reviews and the experience of a photographer almost always makes an 'insurance' athat the phots will will be amazing.  Now, inexperienced photographers can charge an expensive pricetag.  Here's the thing, you can look at the portfolio of the cheaper photographer and ask, do the pictures justify paying extra?  If yes - thats seems like a good deal.  But...( I am adding my own experience here) just this last weekend I booked an airbnb on the web without any 5 star rieviews...and...usually only I book due to reviews...well...the place smelled of a dead rat and looked nothohng like what was presented...it was terrible...However... when I book a  place with 50 5 star reviews on air bnb ...usually, I am not disapointied.... reviews speak for themselves plus they give reason to the higher pricetag.

Heres the bottom line....does the inexperienced photographer have great photos as well as amazing reviews?  Then, youve found a bargain...go for it!!! Seriously!!!! Wow!!! If the work is average at best with very little 5 star reviews...well...thats your gamble!!!  Good luck!!!

When looking for a photographer firstly I would consider whether you connect with the images and check out their testimonials. if you get a good feeling from that then meet face to face with the photographer. From that meeting do you feel comfortable with their manner and then choose on price, what their packages consist of and what their products e.g. albums look like. Obviously you have a budget to consider but its important that the special moments are captured and the photographer blends unobtrusively in to the day.

I would agree with other photographers that:

1. Experience & Manner

2. Quality of Equipment (and back up equipment)

3. Quality of Images (not Quantity)

4. Customer Satisfaction

5. Quality of Products

should all be considered when looking at prices.

Hi - that's a great question! Most photographers base thier fees on the ammount of time the shoot will take but the hourly rate they use to calculate it does vary a lot! Sometimes, a high price means a photographer is packing in a lot of extras (e.g. two photographers, high  quality equipment etc etc) and sometimes a high price refelcts the fact that the photographer has a good reputation. But a low price doesn't necessarily mean low quality. In my case, I'm aiming to bulild up my business so am deliberatley offering what I feel is a very attractive rate even though I feel I offer a great service.  

Ultimately, the only judge of wheter a price is 'good' is you - the customer so I'd suggest selecitng a photographer that you feel fits your needs and is within your budget rather than using pure price as the guide.  Hope this helps!

I believe it is a combination of things, and rarely comparing apples for apples, as they say.

When starting out photographers may charge less, then once the learn the costs of doing business e.g. insurances, on going training, memberships etc, their costs do add up and then prices may increase.

Their experience and knowledge along with how much time they put into their planning, and meetups before the day.

Also equipment.  Quality equipment is expensive, and we often use a variety of lenses through the day, and have a spare just in case something goes wrong.

You often spend 8+ hours with your photographer on the day, meet with them, have a look at their recent weddings rather than just their galleries.

The question would probably be more accurate reversed - Why are some photographers half what others are.? ;)

 The question boils down to

1. The quality of the work he or she produces 

2. The years of experiece of the photographer has

3. The artistic ability of the photographer

4. The ability of the photographer to plan well how he or she will use the time they have to produce the best outcome for their client

5.The computer work the photographer may do to each image that goes into the album

6. What clients are prepared to pay for the quality of work the photographer produces

7. The quality of the equipment the photographer uses

You are not buying the same product from each photographer. Every photographer is different.

There is a very good reason there is a big difference in prices for photography....firstly is experience.  There are many photographers who have little experience with photographing weddings so their prices should be a lot cheaper.  If it were my wedding I would never engage a photographer with little experience (less than 5 years full-time photography experience) as you can't photograph the day again when they don't capture the beautiful photography that you would love to have that shows the story of your day.  We have over 15 years professional wedding photography experience so we really know what we're doing and are ready for anything.  The next is gear.  Some photographers go to a wedding with just one camera and one lens.  What happens if they have a malfunction?  We go to weddings armed with at least 4 cameras, 6 lenses, lighting equipment, this is how we capture those amazing sunsets that everyone raves around.  The next important thing is quality of products.  There are wedding albums and then there are WEDDING ALBUMS!   They can vary from tacky little albums with tissue paper between the pages or you can opt for the gorgeous albums that we offer....bookbound leather albums with acrylic cover and gatefold pages plus some of the pages in metallic.  They're amazing...or so everyone says when they first see them...they say they've never seen anything like them before.   The next is Awards.  We are an award winning photography company having won Wedding Photographer of the Year for Queensland a few years ago as well as many other awards for our wedding photographs.  At the end of the day you really only get what you pay for.  If you're investing quite a large sum into your wedding and what it captured beautifully and have a wonderful experience with your photographer, you really should put the investment into the photographer as you will either cherish your gorgeous wedding album for the rest of your lives or you will regret that you didn't put enough importance into it when booking and went for the cheap option.  I hope these words help you make the right choice.

Many photographers charge less when just starting out, they feel that offering cheaper packages can help to build their folio, and that couples shouldn't have to pay as much as they would with someone who has been in the industry for many years.  Depending on your needs and expectations from your wedding photographs, check the price versus the experience before making a decision.

For some photographers, weddings are not their main source of income, and they don't have the overheads that other photographers may, so they can afford to charge less, and still make what they consider a reasonable wage.  Ask your photographer if photography is their main source of income before deciding on hiring htem.

Some photographers aren't professional in their business, they don't have all the legal paperwork or insurance, this cuts their costs, but places couples at a greater risk - CHECK that your photograper has insurances, back up teams and gear etc before hiring them.  They won't be the cheapest, because these things cost money, and add to the cost of a wedding, but the peace of mind is priceless.

I hope this answer helps you to find the perfect photographer for your day.