Would you fly a photographer out to your wedding in exchange for a free photographer and package?
I am a photographer who enjoys wedding photography and book weddings during the weekends on top of my regular job. I see a lot of people are choosing far out destinations or resort weddings and therefore paying top dollar for pro photographers. Just for some feedback from those of you who are married. Would people pay for an international flight in exchange for wedding photos, album, prints and all? I love to travel and that is all I use my wedding money for, so I see it would make sense to give someone a great deal and travel in exchange anyway. Feedback anyone? where would one advertise this?
Just to clarify….I do weddings in order to save money to travel international, ie. NZ to USA mostly and visit friends and have a decent holiday. So to me it's the same thing as someone paying for my ticket and I do the photos. Tickets cost around USD00. There would be no extras because I would already be coming here on holiday and paying for that myself, I see it more as a working holiday and it's an exchange rather than paying, so I wouldn't need to charge what I normally would with taxes and all.
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I understand you like to travel and such, but if you don't charge anything for the work you're doing, you're never going to make money unless someone else is supporting you or you have another job.
If I liked your work and felt comfortable with you I would. It would save me money.
You could advertise on the internet. I would charge $100-150, plus flight. That way you get something out of it….atleast part of the cost of developing the pics, and albums. And if I were to do it all over again, I would definitley take that deal.
it depends how much the ticket costs and if that's all their paying
Yeah definatly it would save money.. it costs about £2000 for a good photographer in UK.. so I guess it would be cheaper.
I would send a letter, email, and cold call every travel agent and wedding planner in every well-off area of the country. Contact those in Manhattan, Malibu Beach, Scottsdale, etc. Even the nice areas of your own city. Make sure you advertise this on your own website.
You need to do some advertising in your area…..If you want to advertise in all the major catalogs….thats a start…or find out when is the next local wedding expo…you might want to rent a booth….word of mouth….myspace…..facebook…etc…..
This is the numbers game. If it costs less to fly someone out, then it is to hire a local, then it's worth it. If it costs about the same or is more, then it's not worth it.
You'd really have to make it someones worth while to invest in this. It's risky, in my opinion.
I am a photographer that hates wedding photography.
ABSOLUTELY not. You charge them all expenses AND the wedding package.
What happens if you make this deal and for whatever reason they don't like your finished work? Let's say, for example, someone trips over something and keeps you from getting one of those HAFTA Have pix. You'd find yourself in court forever.
Ohh, what a great idea! I would post under the barter section and services section of Craigslist. Also, get a booth at a wedding expo.
I paid $2300 for a full day of wedding photography. I would absolutely have flown out a photgrapher to an exotic location for maybe a week and in exchange get photgraphy, not just of the wedding day, but the rehearsal dinner and any other special event.
This is especially good for you, because you can advertise to brides all over the country!
What about weddings on cruises, too?
In all honesty I wouldn't. It would be much cheaper for me to hire on a local photographer and pay for the services, rights and prints than it would to pay for a ticket.
You could try advertising on some wedding forums you may find a couple willing to fly you in.
Related to Rod's answer: how would you handle the payment? Would the couple have to buy your plane ticket outright in advance (possibly months in advance to get a decent fare) and then hope you show up?(not disparaging you personally, but you know what I mean) Or do you arrange your own flight and then get reimbursed from the couple? (who may or may not reimburse costs you may or may not be able to get refunded) If I were the couple, I wouldn't want to do the former, and if I were the photographer, I wouldn't want to do the latter. I think you're better off to charge a rate for your work, collect the half up front deposit, get the rest right before the wedding, and make and pay for your travel arrangements yourself.
If you decide to barter your services, be sure it's very clear up front whose responsibility it is to pay for what (your airfare only? airfare and ground transportation? airfare and hotel/resort expenses?), and who books what. Also know that bartered services are still taxable in the US under IRS regulations (I'm not clear if you're based in the US or NZ), so you'll need to account for the value of the item(s) bartered if you're subject to US income tax.
I can see that as a fare exchange. I guess it depends on whether you're also expecting room and a rental car as part of the package? Or are you just looking for a free flight?
I LOVED my photographer and would absolutely fly him out in exchange for free photos.
If the work is worth the cost of the trip, then I wouldn't see why not… It evens out, anyways…
I just want to be sure the photography is good
It depends on how much the ticket costs. $5,000? You're out of your mind. $1,000? I could do that.