lubitel
Well-known
This is a great thread. I dont know about joe but after reading this thread -- doing weddings professionally is the last thing I want to do LOL
Wedding Photography Adviece
- Thread starter Creagerj
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dmr
Registered Abuser
lubitel said:
Yeah, LOL! This is one aspect of photography I don't think I would even consider.
Weddings can be very stressful for many of those involved.
Ever heard the term "bridezilla"? 🙂
Rafael
Mandlerian
Creagerj said:
I don't think your answer is "stupid" at all. But I wonder whether you aren't skipping a step here. From what you've written, it seems that you are looking to earn a bit of extra income by putting your photographic skills to use and taking a few paying jobs. Is this correct? If so, it's a great idea. However, you have still not really answered the question of why you want to try wedding photography in particular. Why not some other type of paying work? The choice to make some money with your camera and the choice to take up wedding photography (even if on a casual basis) are quite distinct from one another. Maybe you have already thought all of this through. I don't know. But I do think that you should be clear on your reasons for taking up wedding photography in particular.
You have been given some very good advice and pointed toward some very good resources in this thread. I would only add a bit of encouragement: if you want to become a wedding photographer (whether as a career or on more of a casual basis), why not learn to be a really good one? Don't set your sights simply on getting a few paying wedding gigs. Right now, your ambition is to supplement your income. But who knows? Maybe you will love wedding photography and decide to make a career out of it. Or maybe you will one day want to shoot the wedding of a friend or family member. Imagine the gift that you could offer that friend or family member if you had really learned the craft of wedding photography.
Wedding photography is a funny thing. Many people complain about what they perceive to be the high prices charged by some pros. And yet, most people (brides in particular) have very very high expectations for their wedding photographs. Even the bride who "just wants some nice shots from the wedding" usually has in mind some very artistic photographs shot by experienced and very skilled pros. Learning those skills will put you in very good stead, no matter what you decide to do later on. And, like many others on this thread, I think that the best way to start getting an education in the craft and business of wedding photography is to hook up with a pro. As has already been mentioned, you will likely make as much money working for a pro as you would working on your own. So it would really be a win/win proposition for you.
Good luck!!!🙂
MelanieC
Well-known
I've only taken pictures at one wedding, my brother's. There was a professional photographer as well, with a gigantic Nikon dSLR setup, lights, an assistant, the whole works. She worked a VERY long day and I did not envy her.
I very much enjoyed myself and got mostly "photojournalist" type shots, with a few medium format portraits that everyone was glad to pose for after the official portraits only because I was family and using my father's camera. I like the way my photos turned out, but I wouldn't have gotten photos like the ones I got had I not been (a) a family member and (b) a member of the wedding party. What I was doing would have been quite intrusive had I been a paid professional.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26167
I doubt the official photographer could have gotten the shots i got, but neither would I be able to replicate what she did and I would not want to have been responsible for shooting the whole shebang. I had the luxury of being able to fail, since if I screwed up they'd still have photos from the real photographer. That made it fun. I have less than no desire to shoot weddings for people I don't know and love.
Anyway, good luck whatever you decide. It definitely isn't easy money.
I very much enjoyed myself and got mostly "photojournalist" type shots, with a few medium format portraits that everyone was glad to pose for after the official portraits only because I was family and using my father's camera. I like the way my photos turned out, but I wouldn't have gotten photos like the ones I got had I not been (a) a family member and (b) a member of the wedding party. What I was doing would have been quite intrusive had I been a paid professional.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26167
I doubt the official photographer could have gotten the shots i got, but neither would I be able to replicate what she did and I would not want to have been responsible for shooting the whole shebang. I had the luxury of being able to fail, since if I screwed up they'd still have photos from the real photographer. That made it fun. I have less than no desire to shoot weddings for people I don't know and love.
Anyway, good luck whatever you decide. It definitely isn't easy money.
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Perhaps one answer to try a combination of making money, building some experience and knowledge.
Find a professional who will throw you $200 USD for the day and you shoot candids of the events (prewedding, ceremony, trip to reception, reception). This would free him or her up, give you a chance to observe him and perhaps on other jobs assist. I would avoid trying to assist and shoot at the same time, you will miss a lot of shots.
Another alternative is to look at less affluent clients who may accept the fact that you are giving them more than they could afford if you were fully experienced. Give them the scans of the negatives so they can get reprints.
Just a few thoughts.
B2 (;->
Find a professional who will throw you $200 USD for the day and you shoot candids of the events (prewedding, ceremony, trip to reception, reception). This would free him or her up, give you a chance to observe him and perhaps on other jobs assist. I would avoid trying to assist and shoot at the same time, you will miss a lot of shots.
Another alternative is to look at less affluent clients who may accept the fact that you are giving them more than they could afford if you were fully experienced. Give them the scans of the negatives so they can get reprints.
Just a few thoughts.
B2 (;->
somecanuckchick
Tundra Gypsy
Creagerj said:
My advice would be to meet up with some pros in your local area... and see if you can serve them in some sort of capicity... and learn the ropes - like many of us do - from the ground up.
somecanuckchick
Tundra Gypsy
BillBingham2 said:
Everything you've said here is constructive, and as far as I'm concerned, bang on - in terms of advice.
I wish people looking to get into the game... were more willing to start from a place a little lower on the totem pole than expected. Paying one's dues as a 2nd or 3rd shooter... or even being the one to carry the gear... is not the worst way to learn the biz.
🙂 N
Creagerj
Incidental Artist
To answer the question of are there other areas of photography that I would be interested in beside wedding photography...Yes. I love music and so any chance I get I usually try and do some photojournalistic shots of a band on stage or back stage. Usually the band members are friends. After considering everything it appeals to me a lot more than it did before. However wedding photography seemed to be a more obvious way to make money while doing something I like doing. Actaully I'm still not turned off from wedding photography. I like doing candid shots and working with people. I've always been a people person. I also don't have a problem wiht dressing profesionaly and acting profesionaly. Beleive me I know what it is like to deal with people who are nervious. I'm a part time sound engineer at Central Washington University. I deal with bands all the time and they can be a lot like mother in laws, especially their managers. The whole "one shot to do this right" issue is something I deal with a lot. Bands are not forgiving when things go wrong. So that doesn't really scare me. Anyway, I thank all of you for your advice. I have a lot better understanding of what it takes to be a wedding photographer. I think I'll try finding a pro to tag along with to give myself a chance to see what it is like first hand.
BrianShaw
Well-known
As another way to get started in the wedding field, don't forget to look for other opportunities where big reception-like parties are given: birthdays, retirements, quincenera (or however that is spelled), 50th anniversaries, etc. The requirements are similar (formals and candids, cake, room decor, etc) and many times people are willing to hire a less-experienced photog for these events.
I recently did a sweet-16 with about 100 guests... about 4 hours of shooting. For this it was an "in-and-out" job. The mother of the kid didn't want to pay lots of money (pro quote was too expensive for her) so she asked me to do for time only... she was to provide film to my spec and processing. I took the risk (she brought exactly what I asked for, thank God) so all I had to do is shoot and scoot. They even bought me a "real" dinner" and offered a seat at the grown-up's table, not one of those "vendor meals". I find it difficult to eat and shoot, but I did eat some food (after finding an empty place at one of the "kids" tables)... it was GREAT!
This job had no "bride-zilla" issues -- both the girl and her mom were extremely sweet. Mom wanted a shot of the kid with each one of hte guests (individually) for some sort of craft project they were doing as a rememberance. Coordinating that was the most stressfull part of the event.
Only "problem" is that I never got to see the images. I generally like to cull the occasional bad shot before anyone sees the uneditted shots. She must be happy because she keeps raving about the pictures and has asked me to shoot two subsequent occasions (graduation party and first communion) PLUS she has passed my name on to several of her friends... including one who is herself a very accomplished studio photographer. I'm flattered but not really in that business so I end up turning the jobs down.
I recently did a sweet-16 with about 100 guests... about 4 hours of shooting. For this it was an "in-and-out" job. The mother of the kid didn't want to pay lots of money (pro quote was too expensive for her) so she asked me to do for time only... she was to provide film to my spec and processing. I took the risk (she brought exactly what I asked for, thank God) so all I had to do is shoot and scoot. They even bought me a "real" dinner" and offered a seat at the grown-up's table, not one of those "vendor meals". I find it difficult to eat and shoot, but I did eat some food (after finding an empty place at one of the "kids" tables)... it was GREAT!
This job had no "bride-zilla" issues -- both the girl and her mom were extremely sweet. Mom wanted a shot of the kid with each one of hte guests (individually) for some sort of craft project they were doing as a rememberance. Coordinating that was the most stressfull part of the event.
Only "problem" is that I never got to see the images. I generally like to cull the occasional bad shot before anyone sees the uneditted shots. She must be happy because she keeps raving about the pictures and has asked me to shoot two subsequent occasions (graduation party and first communion) PLUS she has passed my name on to several of her friends... including one who is herself a very accomplished studio photographer. I'm flattered but not really in that business so I end up turning the jobs down.
Kevin
Rainbow Bridge
BrianShaw said:
The problem with this scenario is that you have lowballed yourself and all subsequent recommendations from that client will expect the same.
BrianShaw
Well-known
Actually, yes and no. You are quite correct that the possibility exists but my experience with referrals from this job has been quite positive. There has been a greater focus on quality of work than on cost-cutting.Kevin said:
Out of curiousity, what part of that deal do you consider "lowball"... not marking up the cost of film/processing/proofing? There never was an interest in an album so there was no money to be made there. The day rate charged was quite standard in terms of hourly billing for labor and equipment. The only issue that I have reservations about is not doing the culling myself. Seems like I may have given up a trade secret.
