Your Wedding Flowers - What Are Your Choices?

Setting aside for the moment the actual photographic talent and personal skills needed to become a professional photographer, one must be realistic about the costs. It can take a good $20,000 dollars to become a professional photographer, even before your first wedding. This may seem like an incredible amount of money when you only need a single camera, but if you are truly interested in being a pro, here are the costs:

Electronics: You need two SLR cameras ($1400 each), 3 professional grade lenses; one wide, one telephoto, one zoom ($1500 each). A powerful computer will be needed to process your pictures in a timely manor ($2500). Two flashes ($350 each), memory cards (5 at $150 each), and batteries ($300) Total for electronics, $11,500

Advertising: A necessary evil, but how else are people going to find you? Places like Adwords and online directory charge on a monthly basis, so expect to pay $300 a month, or $3600 a year. Then expect to pay another $1500 for literature, so $5000 a year. Then add in another $1000 for a professionally designed website, so $6000.

Materials: Camera bags, tripods, lighting stands and the such aren't all that expensive, until you add them all up. $1000...

Legal: Unless you like skating on thin ice (and especially as a new photographer learning the ropes) you want to get liability insurance and probably incorporate as well. Fees vary on state, but expect to pay $1500.

Education: Let's face it, you know very little, and need to know a lot fast. Your options range from books ($250) to professional organizations such as PPA. You can also participate in professional forums, such as http://www.weddingvendorforums.com ($10 - though free to join initially.)

Misc: Unless you want to do your own taxes, another $400.

Add this all up, and you are just about $20,000. Now if you are good, and can bring in business, you can earn this back in a little under a year. But not many people do this, so it is important to fully understand the costs involved in becoming a professional wedding photographer. Of every 10 who try, 9 are no longer in business 5 years later.

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