I keep reading this on forums. New people are ruining the industry. So what? Who cares? Maybe they are. Maybe they’re not. It’s just how things go. Is wedding photography doomed? Beats me. But if it is, it is. I don’t really think so, though. Because all the people doing it for nothing will eventually have to charge more, and the rate of entry will stabilize. The new equilibrium might be lower than it used to be, but that’s just how things go.
Apparently, at one time, screws were considered a very specialized part with no standardization. You’d have to go to a machinist to make them, and because they were all unique, you had to use the same one who made the original if you needed a replacement. Then, someone standardized them, all the machinists lost that revenue, and they had to find something else to do with their lives. Sometimes, things happen. You can’t stop the market.
Fortunately, I don’t think wedding photography is like making screws. It’s far too complex and personalized. And does anyone even have any real data to support the point? People’s concerns assume that couples just go for the bottom line (price), but if that were true, I doubt people would spend anything close to what they do on a wedding photography. Reliability, style, and trust are key factors in buying wedding photography. Worrying about it is a waste of time. Instead, use that time to find ways to enhance reliability, style, and trustworthiness.
One thing I think is for sure. There’s no way to spread the word to convince enough new photographers to stop undercharging. First, it’s questionable whether they’re really undercharging in the first place. They’re charging what is commensurate with their experience. Second, they have every incentive to want to undercharge, so making the appeal that it damages the whole industry is a pretty tough sell. It’s just how the marketplace works.
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