Starting Out in Wedding Photography

Hi All,

 

I had a question regarding starting out in wedding photography.

 

Recently I have gone out with a pro-wedding photographer to shoot a

couple of weddings which was very kind of this photographer. However,

I would like to start shooting on my own so that the subject is

looking at me rather then the pro-photographer who's shoulder i am

shooting over.

 

However, without an adeuqate portfolio or album this is difficult. I

was thinking of posting a small at at my local newsagent advertising

myself as a wedding photographer for people who were planning on

simply getting a friend to shoot their wedding. That way I get

experience and they get photos that are better than the average

friend would normally shoot.

 

Is this an appropriate way to get started in wedding photography? Or

have others of you got a better idea for starting out? Unfortulately

I don't know any friends who are getting married anytime soon either!

 

Thanks

 

Jason

People have different opinions about what the "appropriate way" to get started in wedding photography is, so you may get various responses to this question. You already sort of have your foot in the door because you have pictures from the weddings at which you shot "over the shoulder" of the pro photographer.

 

I was in about the same situation just over a year ago; I'd shot one wedding for a friend (free, as a wedding gift), but other than that had nothing in terms of a portfolio. I built a website (not a good one, since I'm not too computer savvy) made up of photos from the one wedding, and various portraits, and listed myself on frugalbride.com, which is free if you put a reciprocal link to them on your site. I'm a student (though not of photography), so I also put up posters around my university advertising "budget photography for students." I didn't know how much of a response I'd get because I wasn't sure how many starving students would be getting married while still in school, but apparently lots of students do get married! When I met with brides/couples I would bring along a portfolio of portraits, and explain to them that I'd only shot one wedding, to make sure that they were o.k. with my inexperience. In most cases, the couples were on such tight budgets that they would have otherwise not been hiring a photographer at all. I shot 11 weddings basically at cost, but I now have a bit of a portfolio built up. I have now raised my prices slightly (so that I'm at least compensating for a missed day of work at my day job, and for the hours that go into the post-production and all the driving around), but I'm still advertising as a "student photographer" for the time being, since my prices are still very low.

 

So, it's not hard to get started, you just need to market yourself to the appropriate audience, and be honest about your lack of experience with weddings themselves while presenting people with portraits that prove you can take good pictures. You will also be able to feel good about being able to help people who would otherwise be relying on friends with disposable cameras!

 

That got excessively long! Hope it helps!

 

Oh, and read as many books about wedding photography as you can get your hands on!<div></div>

You should really make the most of the the chance you have to assist before going on your own as you will gain a valuable insight into the the trade. Also if you want to continue to assist and do your own jobs too then you should run this by the photographer you are assisting as after a short period of time rightly or wrongly people will associate you with this photographer if they see you assisting her/him one week and shooting on your own the next they may well think that you could be working for her/him this could cause unforseen problems in the future and a conflict of interests between the two of you.

Hello Jason,

<p>

I'm a beginner as well. By assisting you will get the feel of the whole thing and 2nd shooting will help you build a portfolio. I would however, rethink about shooting "over the shoulder" of the main photographer. It is merely a "copy-paste" of what he/she is doing. If you are just the second shooter, you absolutely have no pressure and you have the freedom to cover the event from all the angels as long as it does not obstruct the main photographer.

<p>

You might want to check out these links:

<br>

1. <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BLq8">Excellent How-To Link for Weddings by Karen Simmons</a>

<br>

2. <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009ICE ">Wedding Photography -- A Primer by Melisa Mckolay

</a>

<p>

 

Have a fabulous day!

Your question is about starting a business.<br>

There is no set rule.<br>

Do whatever it takes.<br>

I did so many things to promote my business.<br>

Once I walked around the whole city, passing out fliers.<br>

Try 100 different things, 1 or 2 will hit the jack-pot.<br>

On my first wedding (less than 2 years ago) I didn't have any portfolio.<br>

I showed them my family pictures as a portfolio, and made $180.00 net profit on that wedding.<br>

My net profit doubled & trippled in less than 1 year & I did 27 weddings last year.<br>

I have never assisted anyone, I never felt the need.<br>

It's only a business, do whatever it takes, come up with your own idea, come up with your own style, come up with your own system... there is no rule.<br>

To me, it's all about the having fun. Then, motivation follows.<br>

Photography is one of the easiest jobs to make quick, big money.<br>

If you are not motivated about that fact? you are missing out..

Derek C.

Liked your response. Would love to hear your thoughts on a post I made a few days ago (Yearn 2 Learn). Feel free to email me.

Hi Jason, as I have found...there's a lot more to starting out than having a portfolio or even having a website. There's getting your business license, applying for sales tax, insurance, etc. I got a little behind on the whole sales tax thing. I was charging sales tax, but did not have my license to do so! That was a big uh oh. But it has all worked out. I have seen some good books on not only how to market and begin your own company, but also the business side of things. Contracts, pricing, estimated tax payments, etc. But I have found that my living and learning, you will get it all figured out! Good luck! So far I just do it part time, as I am a full time mommy....but its great fun!

I started out with a portfolio i built while i was in school which included portraits, architechtual and design, not one wedding included.I also charged only 50.00 dollars plus cost , my second wedding i charged 400.00 after that i established my own 3 level package deal starting at 400.00 and ending at 1500.00 now i price individually by what the customer is asking for , then seperate charge for re-prints.

Suzanne (and other part timers) I also am in the same boat. What do you do about things like liability, taxes etc such as when running a business if you are starting out and doing things ona part time basis? It seems difficult to make a transition to "professional wedding photographer" when you are doing it part time or for not much money. If you charge anything for your service does this make you a pro that needs to have insurance etc?

The only way is,getting out with a "pro"!, Many Wedding Photographers,like me....Need an assistant and..there you are!

Now ...Photographers work..with differents styles ..and you must find your own !

HECTOR VILLABLANCA

SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA

WWW.FOTOVILLABLANCA.COM

www.fotovillablanca @yahoo.com

Thanks for all of your contributions. They have been most useful.

 

Allan, In regards to what you were saying, how did you get that elusive first wedding by yourself?

 

Following from an earlier comment, I just went to RMIT (a university here in Melbourne) and they have a number of notice boards around the place. I will have to put up a flyer advertising my services as a "budget wedding photographer" and see how that goes.

 

Jason

I can understand giving away your product (time) early on, but be careful it doesn't label you. I personally can't stand cheap people. I'm fortunate to have built a nice business. Fifteen years ago, I was a bellman at night, going to school in the morning and delivering hotel supplies in the afternoon. No pay for one year! Just a dream!

 

Today I sell tons (pun intended) of linen to people with no loyalty, who want something today for nothing, and want to wait 90-120 days to pay for the goods.

 

I've always been pretty good with my camera and now working on the technical stuff. If/when I'm ever gonna get paid with my camera it will be real money for quality work. I have the luxery some don't in my job security, but that is just the way I feel about cheap people.

 

FWIW... my wife is a very talented esthetician and runs a small spa in a gym. Hardly any overhead, its basically a converted storage closet, skinny and long but nicely designed. Starting out she gave large discounts.

 

Eighteen months later, and just today she was complaining that one lady came in a month after the Valentine's special had ended and got her "mini" facial. Normally $40, the lady already had the check made out for last months $30 special price. She has them trained to think she's cheap!

 

At this point an extra $10 per facial over the course of a week/year would amount to a large growth in her business with no extra work.

But even as her business has steadily improved, she's stuck in low budget hell although slowly but surely working her way out.

 

Thanks for the replys and all of the useful, helpful info!

I'm glad to read that most of these responses have been upbeat and positive. Having

restructured myself from another profession into professional photography I have

encountered alot of negativity from others that has made it seem like swimming against

the tide. Nevertheless, I continue to forge ahead. I am now thinking about entering the

wedding and event market and thus read

this thread with similar interest.

 

While I also see a market in affordable photography for the many who engage friends or

otherwise do without a photographer, the sentiment expressed in this thread about being

labelled as the "cheap" photographer is a very valide point and one that I am struggling

with. As someone who has invested alot of time and money into the mastery of

photography you do deserve to ultimately be compensated accordingly and be able to

make a living at it. Many photographers come and go as a result of insufficient pricing. In

any business, not just photography, your customer base comes to associate you with your

level of pricing. If your pricing is low, even in the interest of getting a foot in the

profession, it may become difficult to lose that association. The successful photographers

that I know have done so by delivering quality at a price that allows them to have a

business that thrives. In photography, because so many people own a digital camera and

flood the inboxes of their friends and family with such candids, there is already a

mentality out there that has a cheapened impression of photography. Your ultimate client

is one who appreciates the professional difference and is willing to pay a fair price for such

a service.

 

My stratgegy is to photograph a few weddings where my rates will compensate for my

newness to the market, but once I feel I have established myself in the wedding market

with a story to tell and examples to show, my business will have to go upscale. Business

survival aside, there are some great products, e.g. albums available to professional

photographers that I would like to make available in turn to my clients. They provide a

beautiful memory of the event but they come at a price in not just materials but design

time required to put them together. This is something that only the more sophisticated

wedding client would want or understand.

 

Good luck with your business. If photography is your passion, keep pursuing it and don't

let anyone's negativity get in your way.

 

- Arthur