Brilliant! Got any more great ideas to share, Gary? We're all ears.

Love the idea, Gary.  I've got quite a few high end weddings this year as well -- seems I'm popular with doctors and lawyers this year!  No calls yet...but I'm confident I'll sell some tag-alongs.  I've got great information on how to make thousands of dollars shooting weddings part-time and I'm willing to share.  :)

If someone has the money that idea is fine but like Missy said, not everyone has that kind of money and not every area is productive like that.  I love the way ideas are presented like they will work everywhere all the time when reality is no they won't.  I don't believe in charging to help someone.  Sure you get the money but is that all we are in the business for? How about just the pleasure of helping someone and furthering the craft of photography.  That can bring the pleasure that the almighty dollar cannot give.

I still stand by original view and I agree with lightinspiration. I attended a lunch with 10 photographers today (it'll probably be on my blog tomorrow or the next day) where the main photographer that invited us was just so into "giving back" to those that needed help or inspiration. I got so much out of that 2 1/2 hours and feel blessed that it just cost me the price of lunch and some gas money.

What this person above is doing doesn't seem that different from a workshop though - it just has a wedding thrown into it. I'd love to be a fly on the wall and see the faces on the guests, though.

Well the way it's going to go down is that this wedding is going to have about 300 guests. Adding another person with me isn't going to make things difficult and there won't be any major direction or anything that will slow down the wedding at all from my part. Clearly there is a desire for something like this, and you're right not everyone will pay, but many will. These shooters are all skilled photographers, they aren't coming to learn how to use the camera, they are coming to be a part of the market that they want to market too, and how do you market to those people if you don't have the experience?

wow. people are wierd.

Happy for ya! I'm just starting out, and i am still trying to figure out how to get some clients.  i only have 1 so far...any ideas?

Exactly kymberlia (hope I got your name right). We should not let money stand in the way of teaching our fellow photographers on how to be better.  Everyone learns, benefits and the craft of our work grows and gets better for everyone.  Give back.  Not everything has to be about money, charging for our services is what we need to do but helping out other photographers is giving our help and skill to further our craft.  We don't need to be greedy and charge, charge, charge.  Help each other freely and photography will be all the more better for it for everyone, not just the ones with a healthy bank account.

Well, the reason I am charging is to cover my time and expenses, and the photographers will be getting some very valuable information that quite frankly, took me five years to work on.
I don't know why this is causing so much drama. Since we're on the topic of charging, what do you all think of Mike COlon charging 2499 for 4 days of "learning" and shooting trained models on the beach and in an empty church?

I would have cut my left arm off to spend the day with someone like Ansel Adams in Yosemite!!! So paying to tag along and learn from a PRO during a real wedding is cheap in my mind at any price!!

Thank you Nikonis. I'm not charging because I'm a pro or anything like that. It's for the opportunity and the information that will be provided. Real information that will work....not information like "the turning point in my business was when I raised my rates from 3k to 20k" - that just isn't reality for 99.9% of you out there.

It's now fully sold out!
Click here to see my work.

It cracks me up how people like to tell others when to be giving and when to offer their time and experience for free. Really, don't you think that is kind of funny? Like for instance... Lightinspiration (by the way I would love to know who you are... do you have a website?) if you are a photographer and I came to you and said... "HEY can't you shoot all your weddings for free? I mean come on, what happened to helping people out? Why do we always need to charge charge charge? Don't let money stand in the way of helping ALL your bride and grooms get great photos. Charging your brides for your service is not necessary. give back to them!!! No need to be so greedy with your brides.

I mean, does that sound silly at all to you?

Thanks Melissa. The people that complain are the people that can't do.

andreas.... I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to say it.

Missy - I pretty much speak my mind at all times. Whatever the issue.
I think that this type of revenue stream cannot be provided or offered by every shooter out there because at a certain point it actually becomes redundant and a bit crazy, much like a lot of the workshops out there, everyone is saying the same thing right? I grew my business very quickly in Toronto, and focused from day one on making loads of money working with great couples, great vendors, and charging more than anyone else in Toronto upfront...pre wedding. That is what I'll be teaching..how to elevate the business you're in.

I agree, I don't think that anyone can do this, but I don't think you need to be a celebrity photographer or really well known all over the country to be a photographer that offers this. I think if you are popular in your home town, you can do this. Maybe not at $895 a pop, but if you are decent and know how the wedding industry works, then you have something to offer someone that knows nothing about it. I was shooting weddings in Canton, Ohio... hello... not the best city in the world for "high end" weddings. But I still had people emailing and asking about how everything works. I think photographers would be surprised to know that there are soo many other people out there that just don't know where to even begin when it comes to this industry. Spending one day with a professional could give them so much information.

And if there are people that want to "give" this info away, then maybe do a drawing or a contest and give one spot away for free. Like Jessica Claire does when she shoots one free wedding a year. Obviously that is to give back but also boost more traffic. Everyone tunes in to see who will get that free wedding. More traffic, more sales.

oops I misspelled Lightsphere.

"The people that complain are the people that can't do." Wow. What a shame to show that side of you.

People weren't complaining about it - they were discussing their views on it. I guess some have to berate others for not agreeing with them instead of agreeing to disagree. :/

Missy, giving advice and helping other photographers is different than charging to do a wedding, you of all people should know that.  Helping other photographers I do not consider offering a service.  Yes, Kymberlia, it is getting so that people cannot offer different views with out being criticized.  In other words, if you don't agree with something on here don't post it.  Talk about intolerance.....Missy and others, would you charge someone to change their tire or teach them how when they did not know themselves?  That is the same principle, you should not charge to help people, that is outright greedy.  If you were broken down you would be more grateful in someone helping you out of the goodness of their heart and not charging you rather than charging you for everything they do for you.  Giving back does not expect a return.  Furthering the craft of photography is payment enough for me. I love helping for FREE and charging to photograph is business.  There is a big difference.  Look into it.

If I were out on the road everyday and 60 people a week asked me to help them change their tire.... YES I would start charging because it would become a business and a full time job! You are missing my point. This is NOTHING like helping people change their tire. This is helping people MAKE A LIVING!!! Start a CAREER!!! Chang direction in life!!! Unless you start changing tires (or start working for AAA) as your full time job, then it's not the same thing.


If you want to "help" people every now and then... that is fine!!! I am not talking about that. I already do that. I have helped several people start up photography businesses. WHAT I am saying is that when it consumes your TIME TO WORK, THEN you should start tapping into that BUSINESS!! You are so missing the big picture here.

Just like shooting weddings is a business, this can be too! Picture it like a school. They charge you to attend class don't they? So do you feel the same way about every college or institute in the country? Are they greedy?

This isn't just "giving advice" ... this is TEACHING!!! If I am getting what you are saying, you are talking about sharing ideas or advice with other photographers, right? Well if that is what you are thinking, then we are not on the same page!!!!

You can agree to disagree, but why don't we get on the same page first? Maybe that would help!!!

And... correct me if I am wrong... but didn't the criticizing start when someone said that this is just greedy and if you do it you will live a soulless life? I wouldn't really say that is agreeing to disagree, would you?

It's NOT greed !!   It's business.

I am an aspiring photographer & would gladly pay to have the opportunity to spend the day at a wedding with a skilled successful experienced photographer.

I would expect a professional to charge for their time, I personally value my time very much and giving away knowledge gained from experience for free should not be expected in my opinion.

Yes, I agree that if you help someone and don't charge them, that is admirable and generous, however charging for your time & knowledge does NOT fall under the definition of greed.