By David Walker and Holly Hughes
Photographers have been hit hard by the recession, and wedding
photographers are no exception. Many of the wedding photographers
who responded to our online survey in early April about the state
of business reported fewer bookings and lower income expectations
for this year, compared to last year. A number of photographers
have cut their expenses, including their marketing budgets.
Despite the downturn, however, photographers are holding the line
on prices surprisingly well. Many survey respondents did report
price cuts, but overall, those price cuts were offset by the price
increases of other photographers. Overall, prices have gone up
slightly.
Here are the results of the survey in more detail. Be sure to click
through the slide show to see the results summarized in
a series of charts.
THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS
• On average, our survey respondents reported that 63% of their
2008 income was from wedding photography.
• On average, respondents have been shooting weddings for about 6.5
years.
BUSINESS OUTLOOK '09
• Client bookings are down an average of about 10 percent
compared to this time last year. But many respondents have been hit
hard: half of them said their bookings are down 20 percent or more
compared to this time last year.
• On average, respondents expect a 6.5 percent drop in wedding
photography income this year compared to last year. But 40 percent
said they expect a drop of 20 percent or more.
• Respondents are spending an average of 29.6 hours per week on
wedding work, down from 31.3 hours this time last year. That may be
attributable to the falloff in bookings.
• The survey results show no connection between a photographer's
income expectations for 2009 and how expensive they are to hire,
the size of their marketing budgets, or their degree of
experience.
PRICING
• Despite the recession, wedding photographers are holding the line
on prices and even raising them slightly. Photographers who offer a
la carte services report that they've raised prices an average of
1.5 percent this year. Photographers offering packages have raised
prices an average of 3.2 percent overall.
• Half of respondents who offer packages reported that they have
added a higher priced package this year. And they are charging an
average of 44 percent more for their most expensive package: $8,664
compared to $6,020 last year. Those who added higher prices
packages tend to be photographers who expect their incomes to rise
this year.
• Higher priced packages this year tend to include more prints and
albums, better quality albums, and more hours of photography than
last year's most expensive packages.
• About half (49 percent) of respondents said they have added
lower-priced packages this year. And they are charging an average
of 28 percent less for their least expensive package: $2,271 this
year compared to $3,155 last year. Those who added lower priced
packages tend to be photographers who expect their incomes to fall
this year.
• Less expensive packages this year tend to include fewer shooting
hours and smaller albums, compared to the least expensive packages
last year.
• Price changes reflect the optimism (or pessimism) of
photographers. The more they expect their incomes to rise this
year, the more then tended to raise their prices--and vice
versa.
REDUCING EXPENSES
• Slightly more than 1/3 of respondents have cut some expenses.
Cutbacks seem to be focused primarily on vendor expenses,
advertising, and equipment purchases.
• Overall, respondents report a 9.2 percent cutback in the number
of full-time employees (though 84 percent had no full-time
employees last year, and 85 percent don't this year) and a 6.7
percent increase in the number of part-time employees (thought 58
percent have no part-time employees this year, and 61 percent had
no part-time employees last year)
• Respondents reported that they plan to cut their advertising and
promotion budgets by an average of 4.5 percent this year, from
$4,050 to $3,867 on average.
HOW THEY MARKET
• Wedding photographers promote primarily online: they spend an
average of 33 percent of their marketing budgets on their web
sites and blogs, another 20 percent for online porfolio display,
and 10 percent on search engine ads. Although they plan to spend
less on advertising this year, the allocation of their advertising
dollars will remain the same.
PDN's 2009 Wedding Business Survey Results
April 24, 2009
By David Walker and Holly Hughes
Photographers have been hit hard by the recession, and wedding photographers are no exception. Many of the wedding photographers who responded to our online survey in early April about the state of business reported fewer bookings and lower income expectations for this year, compared to last year. A number of photographers have cut their expenses, including their marketing budgets.
Despite the downturn, however, photographers are holding the line on prices surprisingly well. Many survey respondents did report price cuts, but overall, those price cuts were offset by the price increases of other photographers. Overall, prices have gone up slightly.
Here are the results of the survey in more detail. Be sure to click through the slide show to see the results summarized in a series of charts.
THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS
• On average, our survey respondents reported that 63% of their 2008 income was from wedding photography.
• On average, respondents have been shooting weddings for about 6.5 years.
BUSINESS OUTLOOK '09
• Client bookings are down an average of about 10 percent compared to this time last year. But many respondents have been hit hard: half of them said their bookings are down 20 percent or more compared to this time last year.
• On average, respondents expect a 6.5 percent drop in wedding photography income this year compared to last year. But 40 percent said they expect a drop of 20 percent or more.
• Respondents are spending an average of 29.6 hours per week on wedding work, down from 31.3 hours this time last year. That may be attributable to the falloff in bookings.
• The survey results show no connection between a photographer's income expectations for 2009 and how expensive they are to hire, the size of their marketing budgets, or their degree of experience.
PRICING
• Despite the recession, wedding photographers are holding the line on prices and even raising them slightly. Photographers who offer a la carte services report that they've raised prices an average of 1.5 percent this year. Photographers offering packages have raised prices an average of 3.2 percent overall.
• Half of respondents who offer packages reported that they have added a higher priced package this year. And they are charging an average of 44 percent more for their most expensive package: $8,664 compared to $6,020 last year. Those who added higher prices packages tend to be photographers who expect their incomes to rise this year.
• Higher priced packages this year tend to include more prints and albums, better quality albums, and more hours of photography than last year's most expensive packages.
• About half (49 percent) of respondents said they have added lower-priced packages this year. And they are charging an average of 28 percent less for their least expensive package: $2,271 this year compared to $3,155 last year. Those who added lower priced packages tend to be photographers who expect their incomes to fall this year.
• Less expensive packages this year tend to include fewer shooting hours and smaller albums, compared to the least expensive packages last year.
• Price changes reflect the optimism (or pessimism) of photographers. The more they expect their incomes to rise this year, the more then tended to raise their prices--and vice versa.
REDUCING EXPENSES
• Slightly more than 1/3 of respondents have cut some expenses. Cutbacks seem to be focused primarily on vendor expenses, advertising, and equipment purchases.
• Overall, respondents report a 9.2 percent cutback in the number of full-time employees (though 84 percent had no full-time employees last year, and 85 percent don't this year) and a 6.7 percent increase in the number of part-time employees (thought 58 percent have no part-time employees this year, and 61 percent had no part-time employees last year)
• Respondents reported that they plan to cut their advertising and promotion budgets by an average of 4.5 percent this year, from $4,050 to $3,867 on average.
HOW THEY MARKET
• Wedding photographers promote primarily online: they spend an average of 33 percent of their marketing budgets on their web sites and blogs, another 20 percent for online porfolio display, and 10 percent on search engine ads. Although they plan to spend less on advertising this year, the allocation of their advertising dollars will remain the same.
