I Bet Your Camera Takes Great Photos

I was talking with a friend the other day. He asked me what the going rate was for photographing weddings. When I told him he looked surprised. He then mentioned that he knows someone who charges about one fourth of what I charge. He paused, thinking about the difference, and then said "well you are probably using a bigger camera". I told him I've never seen my camera take a picture. This conversation reminded me of a similar story a writer once told years ago. A fan who enjoyed one of author's novels and his writing style was curious about what kind of typewriter the author used . . as if that was what made the author such a great writer. Certainly equipment is important, and I want to use the best equipment I possibly can when shooting. But when someone hires me for an event, they are most likely not concerned about what equipment I use. They are hiring me, along with my shooting style and my experience. Quite frankly that is what they are paying for. When it comes to photography for a wedding, there is no going rate. I would expect to pay more for a Picasso painting than I would for some unknown artist (note: I'm not comparing myself to Picasso). To ask what the going rate is for an 18 x 24 painting therefore is unanswerable because it could range from $40 to $4,000,000. The same is true with wedding photography, and there is more to it then simply comparing what is included in a package.