What do Wedding Photographers Really Do?
It comes up a lot. Usually when I’m standing in the buffet line for dinner, or when there’s a slow time during the day when I’m not taking pictures.
“So you’re the photographer?”
“Yessir, I am, and I absolutely love it.”
“Well I don’t doubt it. You’re doing a great job out there. It must be great to work only one day a week!”
I hear similar stories from other wedding photographers. There seems to be a lot of misconceptions regarding what wedding photographers actually do all week. It’s perfectly understandable, after all, the only time most people see us working is at the wedding. So I thought it would be interesting to survey wedding photographers and discover what they really do besides take pictures every weekend. Hopefully it will help clear up some misconceptions and give some insight into what goes on behind the scenes after we leave the reception.
About 50 wedding photographers responded so it’s a fairly good sample size, and I’d be surprised if a larger response would yield a much different result.
The Perception
How some people think wedding photographers spend their time (and how some photographers WISHED they could spend their time):
The Reality
How wedding photographers REALLY spend their time:
We clearly spend more time in front of our computers than behind our cameras, which is a sign of these digital times.
Photographers, does that sound about right? If you think we’re way off or if we missed anything, let us know in the comments.
Quotes
Here are some exerpts from some of the responses that were sent back from the survey:
Looking for a wedding photographer in your area? Check out the ISPWP Wedding Photographer Directory featuring the best wedding photographers from around the world.
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The one thing that the graph is missing is for those of us who have kids and family. I do everything on that graph, but add in the time it takes to get the kids out the door to school, make dinners, do homework, take them to karate classes, keep up with the house (laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, ect.) and somewhere in there find time to do the fun family things you are supposed to do: Birthday parties, go to the park, school functions, game nights, family nights, holiday parades, playing Monopoly, bedtime stories, playdates, ect.
Some people just don’t understand the work that it takes to run your own business, make it succeed, plus try and have a little bit of a life outside of work. It’s tough, but it’s the best job in the world!
Great post and insight!
the biggest thing people don’t realize is how much we give up weekends and family time. if i actually have a weekend free i try my hardest hardest best to spend it on my family and stay away from all the work pending on my computer.
for each major event shot it’s a week’s worth of completion processes .. and if clients take their time responding to our questions or calls then you can stretch that week into 2 or 3. it just all adds up. groan.
Great insight into the life of a wedding photographer. It helps to love what you do to keep you going.
Thanks for posting this. I think that this hits the mark dead on. I sometimes wish that wedding photography was just about snapping some pictures and then we would be done. But there are so many things to focus on. Thanks and Rock on!
I love this very true, funny, and eye opening post. Thanks for sharing.
Ha! Those pie charts are awesome. This is funny but also so important… really spells out what makes us PROFESSIONAL wedding photographers, as opposed to just folks with fancy cameras and cushy jobs.
And amen to sarah alston’s comment… I chose to start this business myself because it would allow me to stay home with my little boy. But being home with him and trying to run this business… Something’s gotta give, and it’s usually sleep! (and a clean house…)
Sounds about right. But we just traded PCs for dark rooms. I have always spend more time in dark room then photographying…
How accurate is this! It’s a conversation I’ve had many, many times
Very accurate pie chart! Props for putting this together. I say it fits my life to a “T”.
my personal chart also has playing online video games in it
On a more serious note, eye-opening chart for people that don’t really know or appreciate how much time this job really takes.
Funny!
:):) The chart is accurate! 
Good point Kittyk. Do you miss the smell?
Right on the money. So this is a business opportunity for someone willing to help assist in editing. That would drastically improve how much time is spent on other important tasks.
Great article, Going to share it with my followers.
Wow! I actually think I spend even more hours a day on my PC editing images, designing albums, dealing with emails, preparing images to print , updating our website, and all the marketing/social networking for business purposes than suggested here! Wedding days are my favourite though – the highlight of the week! I hope you don’t mind but have linked to this page and used this pie chart on our site too now!
xx Elaine
Excellent post. Thanks for the reality check…I think this will be great for people who are not photographers to understand. I don’t think the breakdown of time only applies to wedding photographers…I know photogs in a variety of genres who would agree with that second pie chart.
I will be sure to tweet this post…I think it is great to share.
Totally agree, and so very well put. I’m still in denial that I am a wedding photographer. After 18 weddings in a matter of months, I realized, not sure I want to only have that title… So for now I’m a photographer that happens to do Alot of weddings lol It’s a hard job, but I still think it’s one of the best…
Tasha Prescott
BeU Photography
That’s really true! I think in my time taking pictures is less than 28% . Best regards.
time or effort quantified
i spend 90 % of my energies and efforts dealing with haggling couples wanting a zillion pictures like they were from mario testino for 50 cents
i almost have no energy left to take pictures any more
so true… some of the tast really need outsource to get more time for… partying like rockstars
So true. Perhaps we should be outsourcing some of our time behind a computer so we can stay true to our first love: shooting!
I completely agree and I’m not even doing it full-time yet! There are so many facets to this job I’m still learning. Thanks for the great breakdown! Very good reality for not only photographers, but an understanding for the customers.
100% Totally true. And the best thing about being self-employed? We get to choose which 12 hours of the day we wish to work!
CENT PERCENT TRUE!!!!!I agree with you wholely and solely.
I am with Sarah…being a mom and trying to balance full time demands of motherhood and family — that is a huge part left off the pie chart.
This is so true. The glamorous life of photographers is not always so glamorous. There is also hours of worry and frustration.
Alot of late nights for me! I’m usually up till 2am editing and more editing. During the daylight hours I spend my time in a dark room editing! Take a short lunch break and actually notice the daylight!
What day is it???
Todd
Hehehehe Great
Love it..
My pie chart is more like the top one though.. lol. well a couple of days a week anyway. lol. I wish.
I
I’ve noticed how people make those types of generalizations about a whole range of professions or occupations (from wedding photographer to at-home parent to pastor to whatever). It’s like they enjoy making comments to suggest that other people don’t work very hard, even though often it’s said of people who do in fact work very, very hard behind the scenes.
Great graph and quotes!
So, so true – this should be shown to all potential client.
A good reality check for all the newbie photographers. I spend way too little time actually taking pictures.
i went back to shooting film and it freed up a ton of stuff that you have listed here. photography is an art dont get caught up behind a computer trying to make what should allready be art right out of your camrea.
All the best!
I must be doing something wrong, I spend at least 85% of my time editing photos.
Oh so true! Fun to read though!
Thanks so much for this article. I posted it on my FB page! So many people seem to think that all i do is “snap” pictures! What many fail to realize is that just like a gifted singer, painter, or dancer… a photographer must have the skill to get those beautiful shots! And “snapping” the picture is just the beginning of a good photographer’s job! Thank you again!
Absolutely. Great post, this is SO true! I agree with everyone that said family time. I think, for my personal pie chart, I would smoosh all of that into half of the pie, and then the other half would include getting the kids clean, dressed, fed, off to school, home from school, off to ballet/martial arts/whatever, making dinner, off to bed, and spending quality time with the hubby too. Not to mention, for me, church, friends, extended family, etc. And yes, there is pretty much no “me” time in there. I have a TON of my own personal pictures that are untouched. Sigh.
great post–ditto some of the other comments–love the pie chart—will use it the next time one of my clients wants to know what actually goes into delivering a superior product/experience