How I got started............ one year in the making........

I've been very reflective over the last few days and I recently had

someone ask me how I got started. I never thought to ask this

question, but if I had considered wedding photography as a possible

profession, I probably would have. From what I have seen, not many

people are willing to share their beginning journeys with the general

public, for whatever reason. Part of me fears that sharing my full

story instead of maintaining some sort of anonymity will destroy any

credibility that I have earned with other members of this forum, but

it is my story for better or for worse. I have learned A LOT in the

last year, and perhaps that will help to illuminate a path for someone

who can't envision their own.

 

First off, I want to congratulate everyone on making the first step

toward doing something you love. No matter how risky it may seem,

life is so much more fulfilling when you are pursuing something you

can give your heart and soul to. When you do things out of passion

and love, the world has a funny way of supporting you and helping you

succeed.

 

I decided to get into this because I wanted to help people, not

necessarily because I thought I'd make a living out of it. The first

wedding I did was for cost only. At the time I had just finished

getting married and I had a great photographer who did my wedding for

travel fees only. I thought, what a wonderful way to really help

others out! Photography in my area starts at $2,500 for a decent

photographer - and there wasn't much for people who couldn't afford

that (now there's a lot!) At the time, I was still on a wedding

planning message board sharing ideas and wedding advice when a girl

posted about how one of her family members who had promised to

photograph her wedding completely bailed out on her. I felt so bad

for her, and some crazy cell in my brain decided to offer to take the

place of her family member! To this point, photography had only been

a hobby for me which I had developed through self-study in my free

time. At the time, I only had an Olympus OM-10 manual focus, manual

aperture camera that was a hand me down from an uncle. Now that I

look back on this- WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?!

 

In preparation for this first wedding, I needed people to practice on,

so I started paying more attention to how I would photograph my

friends weddings and I offered to do engagement portraits for free

just so I could practice on my friends. One of my friends showed her

engagement pictures to another friend who asked if I could do pictures

for her too! I said sure and just asked if she could cover the cost

of film and developing- she agreed. I started giving my friends

mini-albums and photo gifts from the pictures I had taken at their

weddings because I couldn't really afford to give them something nice

from their registry (but apparently I could afford to snap off 6 rolls

of film and pay for developing!) This apparently started a little bit

of a buzz about my photography. I started getting more invitations to

parties and concerts and people often asked if I was going to bring my

camera. I also put everything I did online, on a simple website- not

because I wanted to advertise, but because I wanted friends and family

to view the pictures from the events without me having to make prints

for everyone. Little did I realize, I was actually advertising myself

as a wedding photographer without even knowing it!!!

 

In preparation for the first wedding (cost only), I bought a new (but

cheap) SLR film camera that had auto focus and a few zoom lenses to

cover a variety of situations. I also bought a cheap prime lens for

low light conditions (and because I loved the prime lenses that I

already had on my OM-10). I also realized that I needed a better

flash if I was going to make any kind of decent pictures in the

reception hall. I studied A LOT about flash technique, which was

something I hadn't studied before and determined that I needed a

detachable flash that could swivel and tilt so that I could bounce the

light off ceilings. I practiced a lot, but in retrospect, I should

have practiced much more with the flash techniques because I still

wasn't entirely comfortable with them for that first wedding.

 

The biggest mistake I made for the first wedding was letting the

couple choose the film and processing. They chose the cheapest film

(Walmart Fuji Superia- maybe expired?!) and Walmart processing. The

results were horrible. The colors were off, there was dust on the

prints, the negatives were overexposed, etc. I was devastated. I

salvaged what I could and had them redo everything possible (which

they were not happy about and thus didn't put in any effort to making

things better), but there were other problems which occurred in my

camera that only after the fact did I realize something went wrong and

I didn't even know it. Half of the formal shots were ruined due to a

syncing problem with the flash and camera (probably because the flash

was not entirely compatible with the camera). In retrospect, I

shouldn't have used the flash for fill because it was a beautifully

overcast day and there were no harsh shadows to compensate for.

 

Other things went wrong with the wedding itself which upset the bride-

like her crinoline which she picked up at the last minute didn't fit,

her location was rained out and her guests weren't aware of a backup

plan, so the ceremony went from being a nice location along a river to

a VFW hall in front of a fireplace with cheap paper decorations. The

bride was pissed and depressed and I had no idea how to help. Being a

recent bride, I understood her devastation and I offered to restage

her vows at the original location on a better day. I watched the

clouds all day long and when it stopped raining for just a bit, I

found a great place outdoors to have some pretty formals done. I

assured her that no one would be able to tell from my shallow DoF and

excellent background framing that the pretty location was actually a

trailer park. Sure enough, unless you were there, no one would be

able to tell from the pictures that it was anything other than a

pretty park. She never did take me up on the offer to restage her vows.

 

I did the best that I could with that wedding. I did it for free.

Things happened to me that could have happened to anyone who wasn't a

professional. It was a HUGE learning experience. If I had thought

that I wanted to make a career out of wedding photography, I would

have sought out a photographer to assist before attempting to do a

wedding on my own. That would have been so much smarter, and so much

less pressure than trying to figure out everything without having any

prior experiences or mentors to learn from! I used the internet

photography forums to help me out as much as they could. I was a

lurker for a long time, absorbing every bit of information before

asking redundant and simple questions that no one wanted to answer.

Despite my utter devastation with this first experience, I found some

personal satisfaction in being able to help someone who wasn't going

to have anyone dedicated to capturing her special wedding memories if

I hadn't stepped in. (In retrospect, I'm sure her family would have

captured enough of the important stuff, but probably not the other

candid stuff that I love.)

 

Remember the friend of a friend who paid the costs for her engagement

pictures? Apparently she liked her engagement pictures so much that

she cancelled her professional photographer (who she must not have

liked to begin with) and wanted to hire me for her June 2005 wedding.

She had seen some of the other wedding pictures I had taken for

friends online and felt comfortable that I would do the job the way

she wanted. She stressed that she wanted to PAY me, not just cover my

costs, so I thought $800 was a fair deal because it was half of what

the cheapest photographer charged and would help me put money toward

better equipment or more chances to practice. There really wasn't too

much rationale behind and figure, and now I'm realizing the effects of

that.

 

In preparation for this second wedding, my first PAID wedding, I did a

LOT more practicing. Now I knew what it was that I didn't know! I

knew how important good film and good processing were, so I started

practicing with better films and I tried every developer I could find

to look for the best processing for her wedding images. The films

impressed me, ultimately the processing did not. I found that simple

mistakes like dust on the negatives happened no matter where I went!

How could professional labs let this stuff slip by?! It was a pain to

correct these simple mistakes over and over again on my images. It

was a drain on my gas tank. I decided that I needed to have more

control over the quality and production, so I went into debt to buy a

great digital camera- a 20D. At the time it was the only product

between a consumer $700 DSLR and a $5,000 ProDSLR. I also knew that I

needed the best flash I could get, so I went into more debt and bought

a 580EX. These investments eventually made me decide that I should

probably try to help a few more people out with their weddings for an

affordable price so that I could pay off the equipment.

 

Going digital did a LOT to help my photography. I got instant

feedback, practiced as much as I wanted (especially with flash

technique), and was able to have control over the processing with no

waiting for a developer or traveling back and forth between a lab. I

had to buy an external hard drive in order to handle the huge files

that I was adding to my computer, but it was all worth it. I also

wanted to try out one of the online professional labs who hosted

pictures for guests to view, so I shopped around to everyone that I

could find. I learned that some of them just host the images for you

and send you emails with orders. Some of them let you set your own

prices and give you templates to customize. Some of them are full

service labs that handle everything for you and also let you customize

everything you need to. After signing up and inquiring with each

service, they started sending me specials that would entice me to sign

up with their service. Most of them had monthly or annual fees, but I

figured I could cancel if I wasn't making enough money to support the

costs. I ended up signing up with PICTage on a deal I couldn't

refuse. I also liked that they sent me print samples for free and

they took care of all the online fulfillment. The prints were

beautiful, and the quality was the highest I had seen from any lab.

Once I created an account with them, I was terrified that they were

going to give me free advertising on the weddingchannel.com! I wasn't

ready to go PRO! I didn't have a logo! I didn't even have a business

name! I had to make one up, and fast!

 

Remember- this was only 8 months ago! I put together a contract from

different contracts that photographers had given me when I was wedding

planning, and the rest is history. Since then, I have been

overwhelmed with inquiries, and while I really love wedding

photography, I never had a chance to sit down and make a business plan

for myself. Things just kind of spiraled out of control and I felt

trapped into offering these really low prices because I just viewed it

as a hobby and desire to help people. People have since dragged me up

and down the wall about raising my prices, so I finally did this year,

but still not enough to make other photographers happy- just enough to

help out brides in need and book last minute weddings when other

photographers cancel on brides. Some of the best weddings have come

from people who had someone cancel on them! Oddly enough. :-)

 

After June of 2005, I had 9 more brides book my services for that same

year. Before I had even photographed their weddings, they were

referring me all over the place. This year I have 16 weddings booked

(just about every Saturday during prime season), and I would have a

LOT more if I were taking weddings after mid-August (fall is so

popular here). I'm still picking up last minute gigs and helping

people out when they are in a bind. Most people are pleasantly

suprised when they see their pictures. They never expected a back up

plan would produce such nice results. I recently had a bride plan her

whole wedding around my availability, and my sister is having her

wedding on a Sunday so I can attend. This is just crazy to me, I've

only been doing this for 8 months! I'm not famous!

 

My husband is now looking for jobs out of state. He works in

education, so I knew that if he got a job, we'd have to move at the

end of August. Luckily I knew far enough in advance that I was able

to avoid taking any work for the fall and my last wedding job will be

finished with enough time for me to collect my senses and move to a

new location. This move has been a blessing in disguise. Even if we

do not move out of the area, I will now have time to re-think my

photography as a business, and not just something that helps other

people out. I will be able to put better boundaries on myself and

what I can handle, and I will be able to take a better look at my work

and its true worth.

 

I got into this to help people out, but eventually I just became taken

advantage of because I was so inexpensive. Some of my brides value me

and some just booked me for the price. I want to have personal

connections with all of my brides and I want all of them to choose me

because of ME, not because of my price. I still want to help people

out who can't afford much, but that will be something I'm going to

have to negotiate within my overall plan.

 

In a few days we will know about my husbands job and what the future

holds. It may not give us a definite answer about moving, but it will

definitely give us a better sense of what direction our lives will be

taking us in the year ahead. My degree is in Music Education and I

plan on looking for a full time public school teaching position in the

fall. Wherever I end up, wedding photography will remain something

that I do out of passion when I'm not teaching. I do not take the

craft lightly, and I highly respect people who make their living from

pursuing their passion. I will never stop learning about photography

and how to better my technical savvy and creative eye because there is

still so much that I can learn. I will be submitting my first set of

photos for contest in a few days. Whether or not I win, I'm putting

myself and my art out there for all to judge as a learning experience

and an opportunity to grow. I am grateful that I can have these

opportunities in my life, and the freedom to pursue them.

 

So.... that may be sooo much more than you wanted to know, but I hope

that it gives you a picture of my journey and how I got from point A

to where I am now. If I were to start all over from a professional

angle.. I would definitely find someone to be my mentor. Photo.net,

Craigslist.com, other photography forums, or just local pros - these

are all places to start and to put yourself out there. You may start

by simply assisting and just observing instead of shooting yourself-

but there is so much to be learned from that. I wish I had that

opportunity- I almost had it and turned down a paying job for the

chance, but the photographer cancelled on me. I learned on my own in

spite of not getting the help I would have benefitted from. Joining

professional organizations like the PPA, WPPI, and others will help

you find the resources and make the connections you need to help

yourself professionally. First and foremost- don't let anyone break

your spirit, no matter how hard they try.

 

All the best,

Anne

 

PS. If you actually read all of this... you MUST be passionate about

photography!! Now get out there and do something with it!

Nah, I'll wait for the paperback version :-)

LOL!!! I don't blame you!

Thanks for taking the time to write and post that information, it is very helpful.

Anne, thanks for sharing your story! It means a lot to me. Please do continue to share your photographic adventures.

 

I'll be shooting my first wedding February 25th, and I have to say your story is an inspiration to me....if you only knew.

 

Best,

Dan

Wow!!! Anne I am impressed!!! And I did read all of it cause I to am very passionate about photography. I had a very great mentor, her name is Dar short for Darlene she was a Pro for over 20 years and took me under her wing many years ago, when the time came she pushed me out of the nest so to speak to go out on my solo flight. I have never looked back and I keep flying. I do miss Dar, this all took place in PA and I now live in SC for almost 3 years now. Here's to Passion and Mentors may we always do you proud!

Anne,

 

Thanks for the post... as I have started doing weddings for free it's nice to know pros have to grow,learn and use less than professional equipment just like the rookies on photo.net. I have seen some photographers that are just getting into weddings get chewed up and spit out on this forum never to post again. I think your post should stay on this forum so all newcomers can read it...

 

Thanks again

 

Jonathan Jones

It's so funny to hear someone else call me a "pro"... I still don't view myself that way and I

question whether any other photographers in my market view me that way. In fact, I feel

like they all still think I'm a "hack". What a horrible word to describe someone doing what

they love!

Anne -

 

Thank you so much for your words of wisdom - truly an inspiring tale for those of us starting out. I wish you were in the DC area - I'd try to pick your brain even further!

 

Best of luck with your upcoming move - hope that it is a great one!

Thanks for posting that Anne. I've shot 2 weddings at cost for friends and another for a friend for $500 bucks. All were with the understanding that I had never done this before and that they were going to get what they get. I too researched and researched everything I could get my hands on prior to doing the weddings, but even so, the more I learn the more I understand how completely unprepared I was and lucky I was that things turned out well.

 

I do have another friends wedding that I will be shooting in May which I feel better prepared for thanks in large part to this forum. Still though ... I've so far to go. You so often read from pro's who have spent so much time and money on formal education and mentoring under somebody that it can seem daunting to start from nowhere and hope to someday be able to make a career of this. It's nice to know that there are others out there starting in similar ways. For those that have all of the education, I respect you and the knowledge you bring both to your work and to this forum. For those that don't, I respect you as well for your guts (naivety? lol) in sticking it out and learning this craft.

 

Anne, I hope things continue to go well for you and whether you move or not that your photography will continue to be a passionate part of your life.

Go Anne go!! It was meant to be, and I mean that in the best way!! Now you have me all fired up for this Saturday's wedding. I'm going to get an award winning image out of it, I can feel it!!!

I think you are too Colleen!! Now that you're in the WPJA, you've gotta cash in those free submissions for contests!

Thank you, Anne. This is a great inspiration for me. I am about 1 year behind you. I just hope I can turn out to be as good of a photographer as you are!

 

Sincerely,

 

~Aaron Lee

Gosh Colleen, you got some really fine goodies in your gallery!

 

Wow!

Anne,

 

You certainly have come a long way in a year. I suspect that it is as much personality as it is pricing and photo technique. I looked at one of your engagement slide shows and I could almost feel the rapport you had with the couple. You don't learn that in a book.

 

You live near Rochester, do you not? I'm near Birmingham. I'd love to get together with you sometime and trade war stories over a coffee. Maybe we could lure some other forum lurkers, also.

 

Marv

Anne, Love the title! I printed it to add to my nightly reading, can't wait! Thanks for sharing! I'm sure you will inspire many especially newbies like myself!

Colleen, since Dan mentioned it, I peaked at your gallery and have to say how much I adore the boy and dog picture! Soooo sweet!

Marv, I'd love to get together with other photo.netters. I was actually looking forward to a

meeting with other PICTage members tomorrow, but a family obligation came up at the

last minute. I was really looking forward to meeting some of those people too!!!! I know

there are quite a few in Michigan who lurk more than they post. Maybe a photographer

get together would bring them out of the woodwork. ;-)

he he, I'll come if someone pays my air fare :-)

 

Thanks for sharing your story Anne, you are certainly an inspiration.

Thank you for sharing this with us Anne!

 

I'm pretty much a newbie here, I lurk much more than I post. As a beginner I frequently feel frustrated and overwhelmed by all there is to learn and by the changes in the industry--and wonder if I'm crazy to consider possibly entering this field as anything other than a hobbyist.

 

Thank you for being so encouraging to those of us starting out. Your post is so inspirational---thank you!

 

And yes, I read the whole post! LOL!

 

Stacy:)

Newbie

Thanks Lauren and Dan! I try!

Thanks Anne! I LOVED IT! - TWO THUMBS UP! - A MUST READ! - INSPIRATIONAL!

Really, I never would have known when I met you on here last summer it was your first summer! This is a definite re-read to save in my printed files. Thanks for sharing

Wow! What an inspiration! Congratulations!

We should have success party for you! This is in such short time, it's actually amazing! You not only have talent you must be great with people (well I've been reading your posts here and know you are).

 

All left to say is that I wish you GREAT pictures for this season and lots of fun!

Anne,

 

Ok. Let's plan a meet. I'm flexible right now, so pick a time and place that might be convenient. How about someplace along Rochester Rd. and not far from M59? That might be central enough for other forum lurkers, also.

 

-Marv

Thank you so much for your comments, really, it means so much to me. If I can help just

one other person release their fear of pursuing something they are passionate about, than

revealing myself was entirely worth it.

 

I fear that some people may read this and negate my technical understanding because I

never studied in a classroom with a directed curriculum. I want to assure the skeptics that

I have done a lot of reading and a lot of applying that reading to real life situations.

Perhaps even more-so because I wasn't required to, and because I did it out of pure

interest. I started studying the optics of the eye in 5th grade, which morphed into an

interest of how light behaves, which morphed into an interest in understanding

photography. All of this was coupled with years of artistic training in different art school

programs and museums.

 

One thing I don't take for granted is that my education is "complete". Because of that, I'm

constantly seeking new information. I don't feel like I "know it all" because someone gave

me a paper with a seal on it. When someone brings up a topic that I haven't heard of or

don't understand... I do my research. One of the easiest things I think we do naturally (for

efficiency's sake) is dismiss topics and words which we don't understand instead of taking

the time to research and understand them. Many of the answers are at our fingertips with

the invention of the internet, but often times the REALLY good stuff is still sealed away in

printed paper versions only available through a library. Some people in my generation

have never even stepped into their community library! Did you know you can borrow (not

rent) movies from the library? Like Academy Award winning movies? And cheesy romantic

comdies too? :-) (My mom's a librarian, I guess you could say I'm a bit of an advocate.)

 

In the next five years I would like to pursue a Masters Degree in Fine Art. This is not to

make me more credible (though that may be a side-effect), but rather to introduce me to

things which I may not come into contact with in my self-study and need-to-know way of

learning. I want to learn the obscure things which only certain people know about. ;-) Life

is one big adventure for me and I'm always looking forward to the next journey.

Anne,

 

Thanks you SO much for this post. I'm finding myself starting on a ride that might resemble yours - I'd give details, but this is YOUR story, not mine - and the inspiration is invaluable.

 

~Skip