Jim Rode Photographer

Mr. Rode, I’m about to beg. I went with ******* photography for my daughters wedding August 18th. She cost $900. We thought you were a bit high, and I was paying for everything so I picked her. My husband says I should have just thrown the money down the toilet. The kids are mad at me. She did alright, but she only took 200 pictures and they are all boring and look faded compared to your pictures. Dan said he could have done a better job.

I don’t see anywhere where you do family pictures, but if we paid you a sitting fee can you take pictures of our family at church around Thanksgiving or Christmas? We always have family in on the holidays and my daughter can bring her gown....etc.
Fran

I asked Fran if I could put her letter on my blog. She said "Do it. I should be a lesson to everyone." She did ask me not to use her real name. She also said I must hear this kind of thing all the time. I don't. I think people make choices and stand by them.

Here is the point of this post. There is a reason so many photographers have a low price. They are uninspired and unprofessional. And 99% (I'm guessing on the percentage here) of these "inexpensive" photographers have some other job 40-plus hours a week. $900 bucks is a huge bonus for the weekend. That is where their passion is. That is where their creativity goes -their REAL job. You might as well give a camera to someone at work and say "Here's a check, come photograph my wedding."

There is a reason photographers like me cost a little more. You are not paying for someone to take pictures. You are investing in Jim Rode, his experience and creativity. I don't have another job. This is what I do, it's all I want to do. I do a lot of things that provide value for your wedding day...from spending the day making creating fantastic engagements with you, to artisically editing each wedding image the week after the wedding. So don't say he charges this much for 5 hours and she charges that. You are not really examining what your photographer is going to do for you. I probably work 30-40 hours with each engagement and wedding. That other photographer made a killing just handing over a cd as she left the wedding reception -She killed a beautiful wedding day.

You don't ask your neighbor to deliver a baby...unless he or she is a doctor. You wedding day should be treated professionally too. And yes, I am helping Fran get some family photographs. I can't do anything about the lost wedding.

The reason the phrase "You get what you pay for," has been around for a hundred years...because its been true for a hundred years.