Comments on: Why are so many Wedding/Portrait studios going belly up?

By: antoni m

antoni m — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:28:59 +0000

2 factors -

1. the digital revolution means people are satisfied with "macdonlads photography"

2. less people get married nowadays

a
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By: pjgoros

pjgoros — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:20:59 +0000

I hate to sound cynical or derogatorry but here goes:

Quality is being replaced by quantity. Blame that on a few things:

1) digital cameras have made photography a very inexpensive hobby compared to film cameras. Therefore, more people are snapping more pictures. Some of them *think* wedding photography is a piece of cake and after setting up shop, they get jobs for a few hundred dollars and deliver pretty bad work. S/he doesn’t really know the difference between good photography and bad photography so, being a human being and naturally biased, s/he concludes that their own photos are great, especially because…

2) the clients don’t really know the difference between good photography and bad photography so, seeing that the images are on par or slightly better than they themselves could produce, they are happy. And they saved a few thousand dollars over the other photographer who…

3) through years of learning and applying his/her skills to producing the best images possible, spends much time post-processing images and fixing odd obstructions here and there, adjusting color balance for good skin tones, removing warts, zits and other unsightly blemishes from the bride’s or groom’s face, making sure the wedding dress is white and holds some detail, all this for the best possible results that the clients could hope for… this guy/gal gets brushed off because the price is too much just for a bunch of "typical photos that our uncle could take just as well".

In a way I’m surprised that caterers still flourish since the same logic could be applied to supplying food: why pay for an experienced caterer when mom could make some bologna or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for next to nothing?

Photography is an art and a skill. While 99% of the world who can afford a camera has a camera, only about 5% of those people really know what to do with it, sadly.

Hopefully we won’t see a day where doctors are closing up shop because someone’s uncle bought the new, automated, push-button heart-bypass surgery machine, which saves thousands of dollars over the obsolete hospital thingie…
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not a wedding photographer but have several friends who are.

By: Lamont J

Lamont J — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:35:59 +0000

With so many people using digital cameras and about every other person either being a budding photographer or knowing one... it's a lot easier to ask a friend. Also a lot of wedding photographers have traditionally overpriced and offered the same standard shots. Take that versus "amatuer" photographers that try to be a lil different along with programs that offer more of a variety of th ings to do with the pics(such as burn to disc for slideshows, or e-mailing), it makes more options available.
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By: Alexa K

Alexa K — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:54:59 +0000

I agree somewhat with the first answer. With the possibilities that digital offers (the quality of picture with a good camera, and the amount of pictures you can take without much of an additional cost..) it is much more cheaper to buy a nice camera and ask a friend to take the pictures for you. I know many couples who have done this. I have also been to weddings where the bride and groom put disposable cameras on each table and let the guests take the pictures. Wedding photographers have a history of being very very expensive and it seems like weddings are trying their hardest to avoid using them. It is so much easier to take photographs with a digital camera when there is an almost limitless amount of pictures you can take.
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By: MyNameHere

MyNameHere — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:23:59 +0000

Personally I have not seen a rise in photography studios closing however, I have seen a rise in the amount of independent photographers who work out of home. With the rise of digital photography, photographers are finding it is less expensive to work out of home. You have your equipment and a computer then shoot on location. in special event photography you are shooting on site and the use of a studio is unnecessary. Then the photographer can work his proofs at home then send them to a printing lab to have them processed.

Also you may have noticed there are now portrait studios in every walmart, sears, JCpennys, etc. Independent businesses cannot compete. I would imagine the amount of studios are the same just being replaced by these corporate runs places.
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Photographer. BFA photography, MFA painting student.

By: Michael B

Michael B — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:11:59 +0000

"Digital" has lowered the standards of photography and made it "Cheap". Customers are now less likely to pay enough for a quality photographer to make a living.
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