anne_schwarz

<p>Hi Michael,<br> great to see you have done quite a lot of work on your website and you're geared up for a busy 2017. Just to echo some of the suggestions made by other people<br> - I'm aware that you only have two weddings to draw from but IMO your portfolio needs slimming down. There are a few photos in there that I would personally get rid of (e.g. the top left group photo image gallery 3 and similar). The best advice I ever got (from the esteemed Gabe McClintock, no less) was that you should only have images in your portfolio that reflect stuff you want to shoot MORE of. So unless you want to keep shooting super low budget weddings, slim your portfolio down to 10-15 images maximum and only show your BEST work. There's no point having 'filler' images in your portfolio, all your images should be 'killer' - and if that means you end up with only 5 photos that's better than diluting your portfolio by adding 10 bog-standard pictures just to pad it out. </p> <p>- I guess site builder is quite restrictive but still... your website does unfortunately look quite dated due to the textured background (white, grey or black works best for showcasing photography online and also looks professional), the black borders around your portfolio images, and the choice of font. I'd also make the portfolio photos much bigger (750px width is standard) and have only only one or two per page. At the moment the portfolio looks very 'busy'.</p> <p>- Regarding the text: everyone is waffling on about the same things on their websites (I'm guilty of it as well) but you're a photographer so ultimately your images should do the talking. If you're talking a lot about candid moments, your portfolio has to reflect that etc. Less is more. In the first instance, most brides just want to look at some pics, read 100 words about you (if that) and get an idea of pricing...</p> <p>-...which brings me to the final point: I've extensively researched this and one of the things people always tell me in consultations is that they disregarded all the photographers who didn't have prices on their website. This is probably different for the super high end shooters but for the mid-range there's no point in keeping people in the dark about your pricing. Most couples have a budget in mind and if you don't display your prices they'll either not bother to get in touch or if they do and you're out of their price range, they won't book you and you've just wasted everyone's time. It's always good to mention that you are open to customising photography packages etc to cater for the 'just outside our budget' clients but other than that I'd add prices to your packages.</p> <p>This forum is such a valuable resource and there's such a wealth of experience, I hope you can take our comments on board without feeling disheartened. </p>

<p>looks like a VSCO filter to me. You can buy the sets on their website and apply in lightroom. Most wedding shooters use those or similar (tribearchipelago, redleaf etc) and adjust in Lightroom to personal preference. You could of course set up your own Actions in photoshop or lightroom (color selective saturation, desaturation etc)... </p>

<p>Hang on, so you have a contract, initially they booked you for their December wedding, now they keep changing the date? Do you have no weddings booked for 2017?! If it's not in your contract already, I'd put a clause in regarding postponements/cancellation asap. Not sure this works for everyone in every country (I'm in the UK) but the standard clause is that cancellation by the client means no refund of deposit if 3 months before the wedding or less (unless I can find another booking for that date). Postponement means deposit is transferred to new wedding date <strong>subject to availability, </strong>otherwise I treat it as a cancellation unless I can make a 'replacement' booking for the original wedding date or it's well in advance i.e. at least 6 months before the wedding date - in which case I happily refund the deposit in full.<br> Contract issues aside, why don't you just say that you're not available for their new wedding date? That's perfectly reasonable. <br> Out of curiosity: what work is it you've already done for them? Sounds like you haven't even done the engagement shoot yet...</p>

<p>The real question is whether you want to be a storage facility for your clients' photos and take on that responsibility? <br> I download and backup all my cards straight after the wedding onto my desktop. I check that the files open correctly in lightroom and then I also back them up onto two external drives. <br> Once I've edited the photos I send a USB with high res JPEGs to the client together with a note that explains their license of use, how and where best to print their photos, and that they should back up their photos on a laptop and/or external drive as I am now no longer responsible for their images and I do not guarantee safe storage on my own system in case the USB fails. I have also included this in my contract. <br> Mind you, I do keep all edited client photos plus RAW files stored on two backup drives for 2-3 years - but I don't guarantee safe storage - because it makes album production a lot easier if I don't have to borrow a client USB to do it! When I run out of space I start culling. <br> Maybe I'm just a wimp. I feel very uncomfortable about safekeeping of client wedding photos, it's too much of a responsibility and potential liability issue.<br> Maybe Cloud storage would be an option for you, Bilal? At least there wouldn't be a lot of harddrives or DVDs sitting in your office gathering dust ;)</p> <p> </p>

<p>Hi Mike, fellow UK wedding photographer here. </p> <p>Can I ask why you think that each of you would need 4 camera bodies? You only have two shoulders, so not sure what good two additional bodies do if they'll sit in your camera bag. </p> <p>I am a working wedding photographer (7 years full time), I shoot the usual mix of photojournalistic and posed family/couple photos. I have two Nikon bodies I carry on a sunsniper double harness (back and shoulder problems are a given if you just use your normal camera straps). There are really only two viable professional set ups in my opinion:</p> <p>1) zoom lens set up: one body with 24-70mm f2.8 and one body with a 70-200mm 2.8 - covers every situation you could possibly encounter without ever having to change lenses. And I mean. EVER. Noise levels these days are so low that you can comfortably shoot up to ISO 4000 without any problems even if you're missing out on the extra stops you would get with a high end prime. <br> 2) prime lens set up: one body with a 35mm f1.4 and one body with a 85mm f1.4. Plus additional wide angle lens, portrait lens and/or long lens of the prime lens family. </p> <p>Until I was confident enough in my ability to judge which focal length was required in different set ups I used a 24-70mm on one body and a 105mm f2.0 to give me extra close up power during speeches and in big churches. The reason being that I found the 70-200mm too heavy to carry all day. </p> <p>I now use Nikon D700s with 35mm and 85mm 1.4s and swap the 35mm for a 24-70mm for the ceremony, just to give me extra flexibility in a constricted space. If it's a massive church or a big reception venue I'll swap out one of the primes for my trusty 105mm f2.0. When it gets dark I"m back on the primes and utilise the extra f-stops and low noise of the D700 to their full potential. </p> <p>I used to wear the spare lenses on a belt for a while but I now make a judgement call during the location reccie and then mount the required lenses while the spares stay in my camera trolley nearby. After the ceremony I ditch the 24-70mm and use the 35mm unless I'm working in an awkward space. Group photos I shoot on the 24-70mm just to give me a bit more flexibility in terms of wider angles.</p> <p>There is no time saving element in having four camera bodies with lenses attached ready to go versus two bodies and changing lenses occasionally. You can't carry four bodies so two will stay in your bag somewhere in a corner and you'd have to walk over and change cameras instead of changing lenses. Time saved? Probably 10 seconds. Since you should never change lenses when time is of the essence anyway I don't think doubling up on camera bodies is of any benefit. Just costs more in terms of insurance and you are lugging more stuff around. </p> <p>I've been using D700s for 5 years and at weddings I often encounter guests with newer gear. I still shoot indefinitely higher quality photos than they do on their D4s or whatever. If money was no object I'd buy 4 bodies (two for each of you), invest in the best you can afford and then I wouldn't worry about upgrading for the next 5 years at least. Instead I'd hone my craft if I were you because it's not the gear that makes you a great photographer it's hard work, a good eye and lots of experience. If it was about the gear then people like Leo Patrone, who shoot weddings on film using creaky old Nikon cameras, wouldn't produce such stellar work and command such high fees. </p> <p>So yes, take it from someone who's worked in the business successfully for what feels like and eternity. You don't need 4 camera bodies, even if you can afford it. If you want to throw money at something, I'd invest in the latest speedlights (two for each of you) and a set of Pocket Wizards and light stands to give your first dance and night portraits that extra 'wow' factor. </p> <p>And a word of warning. You don't have tons of experience. You have the technical knowledge to use a camera properly. That's not the same thing and I personally would be very careful not to conflate the two. The reason I'm saying this is that I have a dear friend who has been shooting professionally and full-time for 35 years, very successfully, and he wanted to make some easy money (haha) and tried his hand at a few weddings - with all his pro-gear and decades of experience - and gave up after 2 weddings because the stress absolutely killed him. He then admitted to me that he had thought that weddings are for people who can't hack being 'real' photographers. Ah yes. </p> <p> Hope this helps and doesn't come across as patronising. I sincerely wish you all the best with your new business venture.</p>

<p>Sounds like a difficult wedding to shoot. We've all been there with the unhappy client and the uneasy feeling in our stomach, I don't envy you.<br> A 70-200mm is in my experience almost always a bad choice to cover the ceremony. Its just too long! If you only have one body and you have to choose, I would always go for a 24-70mm F2.8 or if it's an outdoor wedding and there's enough light, the 24-105mm F4. <br> Can you explain to the client why there aren't many images like the ones she had in mind? It's not going to make her less disappointed but might help to explain your thought process and the issues you had (very short ceremony, lots of people blocking you, officiant moving people with no warning). Not to make excuses, just to explain hat happened. <br> I would be inclined to offer them a mock-up of the ceremony (without the officiant), just the two of them in full wedding gear exchanging rings, vows and a kiss on the beach. Not sure that's do-able or feasible? You'd obviously have to do it in roughly the same light conditions so it fits in with the rest of the photos but it might be possible to organise? <br> You don't have to show the bride all the unedited photos but it might help illustrate the point you're making about lack of space and people blocking you. Sometimes it also helps if a client sees that you are not hiding any "extra special" photos from them for some weird reason...</p> <p> </p>

<p>I think most wedding photographers have experienced what you are going through right now, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't suck. IMHO we all try very hard to produce the best possible photos when we shoot weddings, but it happens occasionally that despite our best efforts someone isn't happy. It's a constant learning curve and it doesn't really matter how many weddings you shoot a year. Granted, the more experience you have shooting weddings, the better you get at dealing with stressful situations and bad light but from how you describe it, you acted nothing but professional so I would try not to worry too much about the bride taking you to court. (I'm not a lawyer, but "I don't like my teeth in my wedding photos" probably won't persuade anyone to award any form of damages to the bride, besides, you have a signed contract and provided the service agreed upon.)<br> What I have learned from a similar situation is this:<br> COVER YOUR A**! (which you did)<br> - have a contract which clearly states that the bride and groom grant YOU creative and artistic license in relation to locations and poses used, photographic style and number of photographs taken and that you'll do your best to honour requested photographs but DO NOT undertake to guarantee any specific picture, background, location, or group arrangement.<br> That way, if things are running late, if the schedule is very tight, people don't rock up for group photos and delay everything etc, you're covered. <br> - say it out loud! (which you definitely did). From my experience, if the bride and groom suddenly decide they don't have time for all the photos on their shot list or if there simply IS NO TIME to honour all the requested photographs, make sure you have a witness (bridesmaid, usher, parents) within earshot and then have a nice but clear chat with the client about the issue. Make sure they understand (and remember later) that you tried to get those missing photos done but it was THEM who decided not to do them. Don't just talk to the bride, get them both together and then let them know your thoughts. And a little trick I learned over the years: instead of launching into a lenghty speech about timelines just say "There won't be another opportunity to do these photos and I want to make sure there is no disappointment later but ultimately IT IS YOUR CHOICE. What do you want to do?"<br> - never, ever include any form of 'satisfaction guarantee' in your contract. <br> - most importantly: if someone wants to hire you and you do an engagement shoot and it turns out that the client does not like the photos because of their own insecurities: WALK AWAY. You'll save yourself a lot of grief. </p> <p>When you send them photos to the bride, try not to take it personally if she doesn't like them. I know it's hard and an unhappy client can cause a lot of anxiety but if her photos are of the same quality and style like the ones in your portfolio I guess all you can really say is that you are sorry to hear that she doesn't like her smile in the pictures but you hope that the many lovely pictures of her guests and husband and all the precious moments you captured make up for it. I'd also gently remind her that there were issues with the schedule and they decided to forego the shot list. Also, don't offer any refund to 'compensate' as there is nothing to compensate for. If you want to be nice offer her a 10% discount on future album purchases and a free print as a little sweetener.... Besides, her family and friends are probably going to tell her how great the photos are, which might put things in perspective for her as well. And the worst that can happen is that she doesn't recommend you. Hey ho. </p> <p> </p>

<p>Hi Leila, sorry I'm a bit late to the party, just wanted to add my two cents worth regarding becoming a sport photographer... better late than never!<br> Andy and Bernard have covered it pretty much, but here's a few thoughts from the girlfriend (that's me) of a professional UK sports photographer...<br> - there's no money to made in sports photography, especially not by selling individual images to newspapers. all the big newspapers get their sports images exclusively from agencies (with the exception of The Guardian - they send Tom Jenkins to all the big events) which means that you'd have to get a contract with an agency.</p> <p>- to get in with one of the smaller agencies (PA, BPI, Action Images etc) you need a decent portfolio. So what you're doing, shooting smaller events for free, is a great start. I would probably focus on football and rubgy, because that's what sport agencies want you to shoot but definitely a good idea to include some more 'niche' sports, cycling, running, abseiling (awesome!). </p> <p>- when you have a portfolio together, email all the agencies. The industry is in bad shape but there are still jobs going for newbies who are willing to work hard. Agencies pay either 'per shift' (recommended, as your pay then doesn't depend on photo sales) or 'split' (you get a percentage of the sales of your pictures).</p> <p>- if you want to work as a pro sports photographer (I'm not talking peanut newspapers, I'm talking professional work for an agency) you will need to be able to edit pitch side on a laptop and send photos to the server whilst shooting at the same time. Newspapers layout their papers (and their websites) while the match is still going on. So you have to be quick with Photo Mechanic, Photoshop and FTP.</p> <p>- Sports photography happens mainly on weekends so that might be difficult to fit around your weddings. A typical football weekend for my boyfriend means: leave the house at 11am (kickoff early afternoon) to get to the stadium, get a photographer's bib, find a good space pitch side (based on which team is more likely to score or which team might be more 'newsworthy'), sit and wait, shoot the match whilst doing a 'first edit' (newsworthy stuff like managers, goals, action, fouls, celebration) and sending that off to the agency. Half time is more editing and sending. After the match has finished, edit and send some more. Pack up, get home by 8pm. Weekday matches are 5pm to midnight. </p> <p>Really sorry if that sounds like I'm trying to turn you off the idea. Because I actually think that sports photography can be a great profession! But it's bloody hard work and 80% annoying. Even my boyfriend says that and he's been in the business full time for 6 years now and is making a decent living. He loves the perks like going to the football world cups, wimbledon, rugby world cup, all that. But the weather! Oh man!</p> <p>If you want to chat to him about sports photography (rather than getting secondhand info from me), ping me a message and I'll send you his email address. I think he could be persuaded to have a look at your portfolio and give you some feedback... if you want? ;) </p> <p>Good luck!</p>