If you’re a photographer hoping to step into the luxury space, this is for you.

Not as a warning, and not as a critique. But as an honest look at the difference between being ready to charge more and being ready to deliver what luxury clients expect.

You Can’t Rush the Eye

When you’re starting out, your excitement is your strength but it’s also your blind spot. You see inspiration everywhere, and your work is improving fast. But your eye, the ability to see light, story, emotional connection, and imperfection in real time takes time to develop. It’s not about filters or presets. It’s about vision. And that vision only sharpens with time and intent.

Too often I see new photographers or videographers get over excited and forget to be present and read the room. Newer photographers and videographers don’t have the awareness needed to deliver a high quality service to know when to step in and out in real time.

Moods change quickly, and often it is what is not said that is the most important. But when you are new and over excited you forget one simple thing: to listen. I’m not talking listening for your benefit. I’m talking listening for the couples benefit.

If you’ve just had to pause to think, then good. Let’s continue…

Luxury clients aren’t just hiring you to take photos. They’re trusting you to see things they can’t see to anticipate the emotion, to capture the nuance, to deliver imagery that feels timeless and effortless. That can’t be faked. It has to be earned.

Styled Shoots Are Not Real Weddings

It’s easy to get a beautiful image when you’re shooting over someone else’s shoulder using their eye, their styling, their experience, and their years of investment when you are shadowing them or second shooting for them. It’s easy to curate a “luxury” look in a styled shoot where the conditions are perfect, the timeline is generous, and you have all day to photograph one table or two people in golden light.

But your styled shoot is not someone’s wedding day.

Real luxury photography isn’t about more time. It’s about delivering immaculate, emotionally resonant, editorial-level quality in less time, under real conditions, with real stakes.

The true measure of mastery is being able to create exceptional work even when the lighting is bad, time is short, the timeline is off, or emotions are running high. That’s what luxury clients expect. And that’s what separates experience from surface-level aesthetic.

Let me be clear: styled shoots are great to collaborate with our vendors and shoot what you want. But they are not a real wedding and if you cannot deliver the same high quality in a real wedding as you would a styled shoot I think from the get go you are causing confusion on your clients or potential clients.

Grow With Integrity

Yes, you should charge your worth. Yes, you should be proud of your work. But know this:

If you’re entering this space looking to make fast money, this isn’t for you.

You’re not just selling photos, you’re being entrusted with one of the most emotional and vulnerable days of someone’s life. And if you haven’t developed the skillset, systems, and understanding to carry that responsibility, the outcome is predictable: regret. I think most people forget when they are new, no matter if they are a photographer or a videographer that this couple you are shooting for will have these photos/videos of their days until they are old and grey. This is usually on average for the next 70+ years. The rest of their lives together.

Let me say that again: THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

And then their children, and their childrens children. This will be shared forever in their family for generations to come.

Cool, if you did not understand before just how important this day is well now you do. To you it may only be one day, another tick in the portfolio but to them it is forever and if you miss something a wedding day only happens once.

You cannot redo it. Sure you can redo your wedding portraits in golden hour or if it were raining, no worries. But you cannot redo memories with their loved ones.

I’ve spoken to too many couples who came to me post-wedding, heartbroken, disappointed, and confused. They booked someone who seemed high-end online but didn’t deliver the depth, professionalism, or clarity they needed. Most of the time, they weren’t trying to cut corners they just didn’t know what to look for. And often, it was a photographer who raised their prices before raising their standards.

You can’t fake luxury. It shows. Or more importantly, it doesn’t.

The Investment Never Stops

I’ve invested more into my business than the value of three brand-new cars—and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Because in this space, investment is not capped.

It’s not just about the best gear or editing software. It’s about mentorship, creative development, education, client experience, refinement, and relationships. That’s what allows you to thrive in the long run.

This industry is filled with people who try to skip the hard part. They raise their prices, copy a look, or borrow someone else’s direction in a workshop—and think they’re ready. But when it counts, they can’t deliver. And their couples end up disappointed, sometimes devastated.

It breaks my heart to say it, but it happens all the time.

So if you’re wondering why someone charging only a couple of thousand dollars still has a “luxury-looking” Instagram page ask yourself what’s missing. Because something is. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

As the saying goes: the poor man pays twice. Don’t let that be your client. Don’t let that be your reputation.

There is no shame in the stage you’re in. But there’s danger in pretending you’re somewhere you’re not.

Grow slowly. Grow intentionally. And above all, grow honestly.

Because luxury is not a price point. It’s a standard.

And the people who reach it know it’s not easy, it is not a overnight success story, it takes YEARS and most drop off after a few years and will go back to a 9-5 because they realise they can’t handle it. The patience it requires, is alot. But if you can continue investing continually in your business (even with no profit!) and keep going and show up better every time it’s worth it.

Not everyone is meant to be a business owner, not everyone can but for those who can they’ll never do anything else. Because to those (like myself) they live for it.

If you’re a new photographer or videographer looking to up level yourself and your business with someone who will support you no matter what stage of your journey you are in and give you actionable help to elevate. Then reach out here to book in a one-on-one mentor session with me.