What’s a wedding photographer to do in a saturated market like Asheville? Join a collective.

by Ursula Gullow and Jess McCuan . photo courtesy of The Nine

It’s high season for wedding photographers. And in Western North Carolina, there are plenty of them. Until 2008, Asheville wedding photographer Regina Holder ran a site called AshevilleBridal.com, and in 2004, there were only 25 photographers registered. In 2008, there were 115. “Every day, you hear of somebody else that’s new in town,” says Holder, who has a degree in photojournalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. “If [a person has] a good eye, they’ll start shooting weddings.”

Three years ago, Holder and another Asheville wedding photographer, Corey Cagle, made a lunch date with seven female photographers whose work they admired. Shortly after, they became a collective, The Nine. According to women in The Nine, the biggest advantage to being a member is the business support and friendship. Not to mention the extra clients. When any member is unavailable to shoot a wedding, other members step in. This allows the crew to keep up a virtuous circle of referrals, and they trust each others’ work.

The usual wedding package fee for any member of The Nine starts around $2,000, though Holder says her tabs are more often between $4,000 and $9,000. Brie Castell, a member who opened her own Asheville gallery last year, says her packages start at $2,400 and routinely run to $8,000 or $9,000.

To be clear, each member of The Nine has a distinct approach to her craft, and some put more or less focus on outside work. But they do collaborate formally and informally, and all pay monthly dues to cover website and promotional expenses. They also share competitive intelligence. “We can ask each other for advice in a more open fashion than we would with any other competitor in the field,” says Audrey Goforth of Goforth Photo.

Simply having reliable backup is worth it in a competitive market like Asheville’s. “There are a lot of wedding photographers in this town,” says Castell. “You have to think about how you fit into the market and how you’re selling yourself.”

For more information, go to www.theninephotographers.com.