Reddit mentions of Nikon EN-EL4a Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery for MB-D10 Battery Pack and Nikon D2 and D3 Digital SLR Cameras - Retail Packaging

> They paid $4500 for the photographer and didn't get rights to make digital copies to distribute to guests? Who the fuck did they get, Ansel Adams?

you'd have to pay a lot more for ansel adams: he wasn't a wedding photographer, and he's been dead a few years.

"$4500" doesn't really tell me a whole lot. what does that include? is that just to show up? does that include a professionally-produced album? what did the photographer cover? what were his costs (assistants, gear, etc)? for a whole package, $4500 isn't too bad. if that's just to be there, maybe we're looking at "ripped off" territory. if the photographer sucks, definitely.

> I can see making people pay for prints (high res, photo-quality isn't cheap),

i'll let you in on a secret. printing a high-res, good quality photo is dirt cheap. i can get an 8x10 printed for about a dollar. but this is sort of like looking at a painting in a gallery, and thinking it should cost the same as the blank canvas. you're ignoring all of the other materials that went into it and of the artist's work, talent, and skill.

1. one part of this equation is gear. i list this first because it's the easiest to quantify. though it's true that the camera is not the only factor in making a good picture, it is a factor. good lenses, good camera bodies, and good lighting means you can do more things -- like capture the ambiance of the reception, instead of having blacked-out background and washed out faces. do the math for me. if someone shows up to the wedding with two professional SLRs, two or more flashes, a midrange professional 2.8 zoom, a telephoto professional 2.8 zoom, and all the appropriate batteries and memories cards, and maybe a backup camera and fast prime for nice portraits... well, i'm gonna start playing tiny violins for $28 for an 8x10.
   
2. skill. wanna know what a college education costs?
   
3. talent -- and this is the hardest to quantify. do you want uncle fred shooting the wedding on his disposable camera? or do you want someone who knows what they're doing and will make beautiful memories? you really do get what you pay for.
   
   so, when you're paying for a print, it's not the cost of physically producing that print that you are paying for. you're paying for all of the other stuff -- the quality of the image, etc. the photographer has set his prices at what he thinks is fair for his time and effort and skill, and so that he can make enough back to cover his other costs as well as doing things like eat and pay his rent.