29/01/2025
A brain surgeon only has to keep someone alive, while a wedding photographer has to capture the exact moment Aunt Linda ugly-cries during the vows. Totally equal stakes.
One Shot, No Do-Overs – If a surgeon messes up, well… let’s not go there. If a photographer misses the first kiss? Might as well enter witness protection.
Cutting Skills – One cuts open skulls with a scalpel, the other cuts drunk uncles out of family photos with Photoshop. Both are essential.
Years of Training for a Few Hours of Stress – A surgeon trains for over a decade to perform a procedure that might take a few hours. A photographer spends years mastering their craft, all so they can get screamed at because the bride's hair looks "weird" in one shot.
Steady Hands Required – Surgeons need steady hands to avoid nicking an artery. Photographers need them because tripods are for amateurs.
Everyone Thinks They Can Do It – "Oh, I watched a YouTube video on brain surgery, seems easy!" said no one ever. But "I have an iPhone, I could totally be a wedding photographer!" is heard at least once per reception.
Surrounded by Overbearing Family Members – In surgery, it's "Doctor, will they be okay?" At a wedding, it's "Photographer, make sure you get a picture of cousin Steve’s new girlfriend. No, not her, the other one."
The Pay Doesn't Match the Stress – Surgeons might get paid more, but at least their clients don’t haggle. Meanwhile, wedding photographers get, "£3,000 for photos? My mate Dave has a camera, he’ll do it for a pint and a Nando’s."
The Expectation of Miracles – "You will save their life, right?" vs. "You can Photoshop my ex out of all the photos, right?"
Both Jobs Are Done While Wearing a Mask – Surgeons wear surgical masks, photographers wear a pained smile while pretending they’re not dying inside.
Honestly, if wedding photographers started calling themselves "Memory Surgeons," they could probably charge double.
