INTRO alla guida
E' caro o costoso?
💭 Perché i fotografi di matrimonio "costano così tanto"?
Una riflessione sincera
It happens a lot: I send out my list and get negative responses.
I get it – planning a wedding requires choices, priorities, and every couple has a different budget to manage. But I feel the need to explain a little better what’s really behind a professional photographer’s prices.
There is still the idea that an expensive camera and a good computer are enough to do the job. But the truth is that being a full-time photographer means so much more:
- It means devoting myself 100% to my clients, with time, care, attention, vision.
- It means incurring real expenses, investing in continuing education, running a business that has fixed and variable costs, like any other profession.
And it is no one’s fault if these things are not known: even I, when I think of industries I am not familiar with, have no idea what is behind the price of a product or service.
That is why I decided to write this guide: to tell in a simple and transparent way what is behind the work of a wedding photographer.
Not to justify myself, but to share. Because behind every price is a story, a craft, a passion — and a lot of invisible work that deserves respect.
1.Perché la fotografia di matrimonio ha (giustamente) un certo costo?
I know, I’ve heard it a thousand times:
“But really, for one day’s work you are asking this amount?”
I completely understand the question. Even I, before I made it my business, did not imagine all that is behind it. But trust me: you are not paying for “a few photos,” you are entrusting your memories to someone who will treat them as a small work of art.
I put my heart, my eye and a lot of rock’n’roll into it as well. I’m not just there to shoot. I am there to tell your story, with soul and vision. And that starts long before “yes.”
I often find myself in the evening testing color tones or imagining how to tell you through a unique visual palette.
Every wedding for me is a “soundtrack” to be translated into images.
2.💡Tutto inizia molto prima del grande giorno
The magic starts months before. When we get to know each other, we chat, I listen.
🎤 I listen to your story, your wishes, the details that matter to you.
🎸 I create with you a timeline that allows you to experience everything with serenity, without rushing or stress.
🎬 I study the light, the location, the timing of the day. I look for harmony between aesthetics and emotions.
3.📸 Il giorno del matrimonio: presente, invisibile, rock
That day I am everywhere …and nowhere. I look at you without invading.
I feel when the right moment comes. I recognize it, I feel it vibrating inside.
⚡ I capture the details that speak of you: a gesture, a laugh, a silent tear.
🎯 I can handle the timing, the unexpected, the changing light, a sudden rain.
🖤 I’m not just the photographer. I am also the one who adjusts your veil, hands you water, makes you laugh when you feel tension.
But there is one more thing to say, and it is often underestimated:
a wedding photographer’s day does not last 6-8 hours like an office job.
We are in the field for 10, 12, sometimes 14 consecutive hours–always on the move, always alert, never a real break.
We run, we duck, we move constantly with our gear on, paying attention to every detail, ready to seize the moment even when no one notices.
And for those who, like me, are also involved in destination weddings, a single wedding can take up 3 or 4 days, between moving, scouting, serving and returning.
Those dates cannot be assigned to other clients-they are locked in just for you.
That’s why the field service day is an important part of the final cost.
Because it is not just a day. It is an intense, all-encompassing immersion in your world. And I enter into it wholeheartedly.
I often find myself tying the groom’s tie. – True story
4.🖥️ Dopo il matrimonio: parte la post-produzione
(e non è magia, è lavoro)
While you are still immersed in the sweet euphoria of “we’re married!”, I turn on my computer, prepare the right playlist … and start working through hundreds (sometimes thousands) of images.
- 🎧 I select them one by one. Like a DJ creating the perfect set list, I create the visual narrative of your day.
- 🎨 Every image is edited with maniacal care. No automatic filters, no shortcuts: just attention, taste, eye and lots of love.
- 🎛️ I work on lights, colors, contrasts, unifying the shots together so that everything has a coherent soul and tells a true story.
And NO, it is not done in an afternoon in front of the computer with a coffee in hand.
For the initial selection alone I spend an average of two full days, where I skim, compare, carefully choose the images that really speak.
Then come another three or four full-time days for full gallery post-production. And every gallery is different: the lighting changes, the atmospheres also. It takes time to find the perfect balance.
📦 Some photographers delegate this part to specialized outside studios – it’s a legitimate option, but it comes at a cost. I prefer to do it myself, because every shot I deliver must have my touch, my look.
💾 And of course I back up more than an astronaut on a mission: your photos must be safe, always.
This process accounts for at least 50% of my total work on a wedding, but it is often the least visible part.
Yet, it is where your story takes shape.
5.Dietro la macchina: attrezzatura, formazione e tanta, tanta passione
You don’t just shoot with your heart. Also with the right head, technique and tools.
📷 Bright lenses, reliable cameras, lights to take anywhere, batteries, backups, memory cards, original and updated software.
🎓 I’m constantly updating myself: courses, workshops, photography communities, visual inspirations, travel.
🧠 Every year I reinvest a portion of my work in training and new technologies.
🎸 Perché chi si ferma, si spegne. E io voglio continuare a suonare forte.
6.💸 La parte meno romantica del mio lavoro? Le tasse
(e tutto quello che ci gira intorno)
Okay, I admit it: this is probably the most boring (and frustrating) part of my job.
But also one of the most important.
When we talk about the price of a photo shoot, we often forget that the fee you see written on the quote is never what ends up in my pocket.
No, really.
From that number must be subtracted all the out-of-pocket expenses we have already talked about (equipment, software, travel, training, assistants, post-production…)
And then they come: taxes.
In Italy, those who work as freelancers know that the VAT number is not a toy.
Even under the flat-rate regime (as in my case), between INPS contributions, taxes, accountant, legal advice and miscellaneous, the percentage of real earnings is reduced quite a bit.
Sometimes, I swear to you, the net hourly earnings do not even reach that of a general worker on minimum wage.
Yet all of this is necessary:
because working professionally and transparently, in compliance with the law and clients, is a responsible choice.
It means ensuring contracts, protections, clarity and quality.
And while paying the accountant is never a joy … knowing that I offer a legal, serious and safe service for those who rely on me makes me feel proud of my work.
📌 That is why I urge you, always, to check that the photographer you are about to hire has a regular and active VAT number.
Because professionalism can also be seen from these details. Even from the ones that no one sees.
7.💥 Non è solo una foto.
È la vostra storia.
È il vostro mondo.
Choosing a photographer is not like choosing a bouquet or a location.
It is to choose who will have the honor, but OVERALL the responsibility of telling the one thing that will remain forever: your memories.
🌹 Choose someone who makes you feel comfortable.
🖤 Choose someone who can still get excited every time.
⚡ Choose someone who will put their soul into it. I do, every time. Seriously.
If you feel I could be that person, write to me.
I will be happy to meet you and tell your story — with a dash of madness and a rock soul.
8.🤘 In conclusione
I hope this little journey into the behind-the-scenes of my work has helped you look at a photographer’s list with slightly different eyes.
It’s not just about numbers, but about invisible hours, conscious choices, responsibility, commitment, passion.
And yes, even dreams – yours and mine.
Because when you work with your soul, each shot is more than just a click.
It’s time, experience, care… it’s everything you need to make your memories something precious and authentic.
If you are curious about how I work, what I include in my services, and what possibilities I have planned for you,
🎯 you can take a look at my price list by clicking below.
And if something resonates with you, write to me.
I am here, ready to listen to you – and to tell you as you deserve.