Letter from the editor

?Over the years, PDN has seen a steady increase in the number of readers who report that they shoot weddings. These include many full time, dedicated wedding photographers, but also a large number of commercial assignment and stock shooters who have discovered that shooting a wedding is a good gig. It's a long day of non-stop shooting, and lots of follow-up work is required after the big event. But you get a check in advance and you retain control of your images.

I've said before that commercial photographers have much to learn from the savvy business model of wedding photographers, especially their attention to customer service. What I most appreciate, however, is that wedding photography has not yet been turned into a commodity, as so much stock and assignment photography has. An anxious bride realizes that a photographer with talent, style, experience, and a proven track record of delivering the goods may be a better bet than Uncle Sal who just bought a digital camera, and she's willing to pay for that reassurance.

Why don't more editorial and advertising photographers take some cues from wedding photographers, and demand fees based on the similar intangibles they bring to a job? Budget-conscious clients share some of the blame, but photographers have brought commodity pricing upon themselves. The persistent practice of charging a day rate for their services, rather than a creative fee or percentage of the ad agency's media buy, is one way that advertising photographers have perpetuated a view of themselves as day laborers, rather than irreplaceable problem solvers and collaborators. Whenever I hear that stock photos are fetching higher prices than images shot by over-eager photographers happy for an assignment, I fume. What other industry allows customers to get custom-made products, tailored to their exacting specifications, for less than they would spend to buy off the rack?

It's a business school maxim that you will always compete against the guy offering the lowest price if your business is based on giving customers what they need. If you can give customers something they desire, they'll pay more for the experience. That's why so many people bypass the 75 cent coffee at the corner deli to lounge around Starbucks, why drivers who never leave the pavement covet SUVs, and why brides pay royally for a photographer they trust even though Uncle Sal would shoot for free.

I admit that the wedding photographer is in a unique position in regards to the potential customer. The bride knows there's no chance for a reshoot, and she has an enormous emotional investment in seeing those photos come out right. But any commercial shooter who's ever calmed a jittery art buyer or a panicked marketing director when the props didn't show up or storm clouds moved in knows something about the premium that's placed on problem solving and hand-holding. All it takes is a little faith that clients, like brides, are willing to pay more?maybe a lot more?for your style, experience, and ability to provide some peace of mind.