Picasso and what you're really paying for.

There's a conversation that crops up now and again with wedding guests that goes something a long the line of "you get a lot of money for one days work though". As a wedding photographer I always think if only that was the case! It always reminds me of a story an old friend told me about the artist Pablo Picasso. It's a story that has never been confirmed but it serves a purpose.

Pablo Picasso, Waterlooville Wedding Photgrapher, Hampshire Wedding Photographer

The story goes that Picasso was having lunch in a Spanish restaurant when another diner approached him and asked if he could do a sketch on a napkin. The diner insisted he would pay whatever Picasso thought the sketch was worth. Taking a charcoal out from his pocket Picasso very quickly sketched what looked like a goat. Picasso then held it out to the diner and said "That's £10,000." The diner was shocked and said "£10,000? But it only took you 30 seconds to draw!”

Picasso looked at him and said “no it's taken me 40 years.”

As a professional wedding photographer it is much the same. When you hire me you don't just get one days work. You get years of experience behind a camera, the courses I've done, the material I've read and the videos I've watched. You get the learning from the mistakes I've made previously and the expertise to know where to position myself in a wedding ceremony or reception to get the shots needed.

You get all of my camera equipment, which at any wedding will be 3 camera bodies, a whole selection of lenses, flash guns and other peripherals. You get my second shooter (if we're using one) all their equipment, training and expertise too!

Then you get my computer equipment, editing software, data storage and back-ups. The space I edit your images in and the time it takes. You've had use of my website, marketing, internet and phone. My business insurance and all my other overheads.

When people say "you get what you pay for" they're not wrong and with a professional wedding photographer you get a lot. Although you can be safe in the knowledge that unlike Mr Picasso I won't be charging you £10,000 for a picture!

Picasso and what you're really paying for.

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