The general consensus in the wedding industry, as in any industry, is to charge what you’re worth and the clients you’re looking for will pay it. Charge less and potential clients will believe you are worth less. Up until this change in pricing structure, my standard package was $8500.

When I rebranded I was looking for a new client base. I wanted to photograph the weddings of people like me. I wanted to cater to people I would be friends with. Can we afford $8500? Nope. I was shutting out the people I was looking to work with.

Does this mean I may need to shoot two weddings for every one I did before? Probably. Does this mean I will be priced out of the luxury wedding market? Again, probably. Higher pricing is usually equated to superior work.

Defining the worth of creative work isn’t straightforward. At this point I have photographed over 1000 weddings. I’m about as seasoned as one can get in this industry. My proficiency in the medium and ability to capture beautiful images regardless of circumstances is something that comes from education and vast experience.

I’ve been working in the wedding industry for over 20 years, starting as a commitment ceremony photographer in Upstate New York in college. I went to photography school when digital became the norm to learn everything I could about the software and how to work in this new medium. I moved to NYC to become a fashion photographer and did for a few years before returning to the wedding market.

My portrait style is influenced by my fashion background and my love of the movies. Have you ever been watching a movie or show and one scene is so beautifully shot you pause it just to take it in? Maybe that’s just me. This is the reason that I often describe my style as cinematic. I want to find and create that epic movie still. I want my portraits to be a work of art that anyone would find beautiful, whether they know the subjects or not.

My documentary coverage throughout the rest of the day is aimed at capturing the real moments and what it truly felt like on that day. Susan Sontag said in her book On Photography that “Photographs trade simultaneously on the prestige of art and the magic of the real”. My aim is always to capture that magic with an artistry I have crafted over my many years as a photographer.

I truly love what I do and think I’m lucky to have been a part of so many important days in the lives of all my clients. Moving forward I want to expand my client base to include people more like me. Luxury wedding photography shouldn’t just be for those who can spare no expense. It should be for everyone.