Hi ladies. Loads of good advice going on here :) I totally agree with the comments for finding a good photographer. One big piece of advice is missing here! There are a lot of Photography agencies operating in Dubai now, who hire photographers in for the day, and then pocket all the extra money themselves. Make sure you know who your photographer is going to be, and that you have met the person shooting your wedding! It's a big day and you need to be comfortable with each other.
Have a look around. There are other photographers on the market apart from the obvious few, who have years of experience and don't charge as much. While it doesn't come down to just price (because you get what you pay for), it's good to know what your options are :)
Hahaha, Pennylane. Love it!
Ladies, a trade license still does not entitle you to be able to shoot where you want to. You technically need to get a permit to shoot on any public location which is approx 3000AED, depending on the venue. This is why photographers don't get them for non advertising shoots, because otherwise the fee would have to be charged to you as well (plus weeks of organizing the paper work!). Yes, it's the unfortunate thing about Dubai, but there still are lovely locations to choose from which you can discuss with your photographer.
AED 8,500 for 10 hours x2 photographers
I am in the wrong business - thats a massive monthly wage if say doing 2 weddings a week.
I had to add a comment about this Clairehdp :) Yes this price does sound like a lot, but take that figure and divide it by 2 (2 photographers). Then say you book 3-4 weddings a month. That's 4250 x 4 (if you are fully booked!) = 17000. Then start subtracting. Subtract the trade licence fee and desk fees a photographer pays every month (the legal ones, I am) - 2850AED, subtract website and SEO fees, about 2000AED a month, marketing material - business cards, pamphlets, cd covers, prints, frames, etc etc, about 1500AED, continual gear costs - if you are a professional your gear averages around 40-60000AED and you are always buying more lights, reflectors, batteries, props, laptops, hard drives, screens, memory cards ETC ETC. If I average gear costs a month, I pay about 3000AED a month into all that. That leaves about 7500AED profit. That does not include assistant fees, take another 2 grand off. Take off about 2-3 months of wedding bookings over the summer where you don't earn an income because everyone has gone away.
That leaves you with enough money to cover rent and food.
It's really tough being a photographer, it's not glam at all. It's hard work, long hours, late nights, no paid holidays, no paid sick leave, no benefits. It's dedication and hours and hours of marketing and tests and emails and phone calls.
I've been a photographer for over 10 years, so I know what it's all about. You will know a professional when you meet one, and it's that that you need to pay that money for :) There are a lot of chancers out there and people who think they are photographers because they went and bought themselves a 5D Mark II, but the proof is in the pudding. The portfolio says it all.
Anyone still wanting to be a photographer out there? :)
