Personal Question Regarding Wedding Business Issues

[todd frederick]

I retired from public school teaching 3 years ago.

 

Much of my wedding photography marketing was derived from persons involved in my teaching job, both co-workers and parents of my students. The jobs just came to me, and I did not charge high rates since most of my clients were friends or friends of friends...at least that was my rationale (excuse?).

 

I guess what I'm asking in this question concerns MARKETING.

 

Most of my source of clients was through my job and I had to do very little promotion.

 

My last two weddings a few weeks ago were related to these types of referrals. In both cases, I photographed the weddings of all their children over the years.

 

I now have no bookings up-coming!

 

I'm beginning to run dry. My plan was to retire from teaching and operate a wedding photography business for about 10 years or so at $1,500 rates or more as a retirement income supplement business.

 

My source of clients seems to be drying up, so, based on comments here, it would seem that *marketing options* is the problem I'm facing.

 

I'm not depressed; just frustrated and a bit lost regarding where to find good paying clients.

 

I think I need to do some marketing research.

 

Thanks again for the good idea and support regarding a personal issue.

[todd frederick]

I also want to say that all of you are very kind and concerned people, and I appreciate the time you have taken to respond to my question.

[cliff_henry]

Hi Todd,

 

Sorry if I'm late with this post, but I had a wedding Sat. and it usually takes me a day of two to recover - I'm 63 also. I'm located in South Texas and the summer heat is pretty bad here. An outdoor wedding or reception, as Sat's was, can really drag down my old body, but not my spirit.

 

I started doing wedding photog about three years ago. Photog was a 35 year hobby and after retiring early about 10 years ago, I started shooting for a studio just to break the boredom of retirement. As we all know, wedding photog can be physically taxing, but I find I enjoy being in that environment.

 

Now I find I am at about the same decision making spot as you. I am frustrated with working for a studio and find I enjoy the experience much more when I book the events myself.

 

My thinking about how to approach marketing my own services, yet not really wanting to invest large amounts of up-front dollars into a business that I don't expect to continue for more than a few years, is to put up a web site, make a couple of display albums, spend a little ad money to list my web site with some of the on-line wedding services, and raise my price to $1200 for 6 hours coverage, which includes one set of proofs and negatives and/or CD files. I plan to be a little selective on the events I book. Last year I shot 32 weddings and so far this year I have shot 19. I think I would be happy with about 20 shoots a year at my new price.

 

Please keep us informed as to how you approach your photog future. I'm interested in what you decide to do and what marketing works best for you.

 

 

Cliff

[KenPapai]

Todd, consider too what I just emailed you. Like Derek writes, you MUST have a Web site, even if it is small. But just having some sort of Web presence is crucial.

<p>

Ken, also SF Bay Area

[todd frederick]

Cliff,

 

Cost is also a factor for me right now. I'm not sure what a small websit will cost to create. It's a Catch-22: I need to shoot a couple of good weddings to get seed money to market my business!

 

Ken,

 

I'll get back to you soon on your idea.

[Ian Taylor]

Spend a few weeks and learn how to make your own website. It's dead simple. That way you will be control of the thing 100% from Day One.

[andre j.]

Todd, keep doing it! Get a website! Contact Aundrea at BluDomain.com. They have

wonderful templates for $800 that can make you look cutting edge instantly! You will be

amazed at what a site like that will do for you....

[robbie_caswell]

I'm considering an offer I had froma guy to build my website for $500 and a nominal fee each month to service it. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I've built my own and they stunk...

 

In another thread a new photog asked if she was getting a fair shake working as an associate for another photographer.

 

Maybe shoot for a studio and let them do the post processing. Make half the money but shoot twice as many???

[djphoto]

Todd has shot for another studio in the past. I don't think it was a happy situation for him.

[todd frederick]

Dave is totally correct.

 

I worked for a studio for a summer to learn some studio operations, and it was a total disaster.

 

The owner asked me to work for her and I was told that I could employ my own style, and that was approved on seeing my portfolio, but it was a lie. Everything had to be exactly the way she photographed weddings.

 

I could go on and on with examples of this. I won't do that again unless you beg me ;>).

 

I did learn a few good techniques, but, overall, it was not a good experience and the pay was $25 an hour. Wow!

 

OK...here's ne good example:

 

I know how to photograph Vietnamese weddings. I have done many for friends and referrals, and I know that at Vietnamese weddings the bride must be photographed with every guest and ever guest receives a photo. **The studio did not allow this.** The less photos we took, the better...a cost issue!

 

Well, knowing what the client wanted, I broke the "RULE!" Shame! I took photos of everyone with the bride. Oh how I was chewed to pieces and spit out by the owner over that, however, I found out later from the bookeeper that the bride bought $9,000 in reprints of the forbidden photos I took!

 

What was my commission on that? You have three guesses, and the first two don't count! (^O^)

 

Don't work for a studio unless you have a very solid agreement and you can have freedom to do what you do well.

[fotografz]

Todd, I'm weighing in on this a bit late, but what the heck ....

 

By hook or crook, get PSCS2. Use your education connections if you can. I'll help you via e-

mail in the simple steps required to process 600-800 images in a day or less.

 

Stop making 4X6 proofs of all those images on your little Epson. Burn them to a couple 50

cent CDs and have a local lab print them for you. The cost is the same, and you don't have

to sit there printing every one them yourself.

 

I don't even give proofs with my packages. I print large "Contact Sheets" which PS

automates for you. Not one client has complained, in fact they like it that way a lot.

[._._z]

<i><blockquote> I'm wondering if I should continue with my small wedding business

or simply just stop.

</blockquote> </i><p>

 

Todd, I'm not the first to have noticed that you have jumped rapidly from one camera or

camera system to another, frustrated by something or another which you've attributed

to the equipment. But I've also noticed that you've repeatedly vacillated about what kind

of photography you wanted to do, personally or professionally. In recent months you've

repeatedly posted about re-evaluating shooting weddings, dropping weddings

altogether (posted just last month!), getting into art photography, etc. How far along do

you get in your decision-making process before usin this forum as a sounding board?

There's nothing especially wrong with that per se, but when you jump back and forth so

often and radically and publicly I have to wonder how much you're considering the

issues before posting these types of posts.

[steve_hovland]

As someone who has had a lot of therapy, I think you need some.

 

You need to know what your feelings are so you can figure out what you want to do.

 

That is the question: what do you want to do?

 

Are you done with photography, or is there some other subject matter that you would love to shoot?

[steve_hovland]

One quick way to get a web site is to upload some images to the Kodak Gallery, formerly Ofoto.

 

Then all you need is a home page with a link to that gallery.

 

See the May 2004 Issue of Professional Photographer on "Strategic Deployment." There are a number of online services such as Moments4Ever, MorePhotos, Collages.net, PictureMyWeddingOnline, dotPhoto, PrintRoom, and Kodak Proshots that can provide display and fulfillment facilities with various degrees of of sophistication.

 

I live in San Francisco. Want to meet for coffee? 415-647-8710.

[todd frederick]

I thought this thread was dead! (^O^)

 

If you're still looking here I have a couple of comments.

 

Marc, I agree, and I'll get in touch later by e-mail. I need to learn Batch Processing of RAW images. I need to find a lab I can trust to print good proofs from a CD. I've had some problems in that regard. The idea of making large proof sheets is a good idea. I'm making 8x10 index sheets with file numbers now anyway.

 

.[.Z, I do often think it improper to bare my personal concerns on a public forum, and should probably not do that, but I am at a transition point, and I have received many good ideas from members of this forum. I usually think about it after I post the question!

 

Steve, I'll get in touch with you a bit later in the summer and we can get together. I meet with a few other Photo.net members in our area on a regular basis. There's more to this wedding business issue than what I've mentioned here, and I don't want to get into some of these areas publically.

 

I appreciate the information on creating a website, pricing, and such. Thank you.

[todd frederick]

Steve,

 

I did set up an account with EP-Online.com and it has a link to my wedding gallery on PBase.com. The listing is a bit expensive ($25 month) but I want to try it to see if I get any responses. that will give me time to set up a proper Website.

 

This is the listing. Clicking on "Website" links to the gallery.

 

https://www.ep-o.com/detail.asp?strImage=1&cust_pk=2039&mi=0

[karenco]

Todd - I'm late to the party, but here's my opinion, FWIW.

 

I'd say you should go for it. I echo the advice that you need a website to be the tineies bit competitive in todays market. But that doesn't mean you have ot have a top of the line, avant garde website. Bludomain or any number of other places that specialize in websites for creative people can help you out. I believe Bludomain now has HTML based templates that run about $500.

 

A simple website to showcase your work and a couple of inexpensive listings on places like EP-O and so forth should get you all the side business you need or want, based on what you've said here.

 

If I were in your position I'd love to be able to pick and choose the weddings I do for the fun and the extra income, rather than to constantly be having to watch the bottom line. Set your prices at a medium range for your area and just be very descriptive and definite of the style you provide. There are people for every type and style of work - from the most traditional-formal, to the most avant garde Yervant style, to those who just want to produce good solid images for a reasonable price.

 

You can do some great marketing w/out having to spend a lot of money - just a little investment of your time and effort.

 

Good luck to you and feel free to email if you want. I dont' know that I can help much, but I'm willing ot be a sounding board.

 

Oh, and FWIW, I'm 38, been doing this since I was 23, and am looking forward to doing this for another 20+ years! :)

 

Karen

[anesh]

Many responses here, haven't read all. Here's my piece. I'm 37, qualified medical professional and worked in a hospital for 7 years. I quit 'cos I did not enjoy it. Started a retail business and three years ago opened a small factory. But, I've always loved videography and photography, and particularly in the last year bought several books to learn and became more active on this sight (though joined in 1998). I will start my wedding photo (and video) business soon, I don't really need the xtra income but I have the passion for it. I will simply be turning a much loved hobby into an income. I left my first profession because I didn't have that passion anymore. Moral of the story Todd: If the fire is still burning within...continue. Furthermore, to remain focused on what you're doing rather than expanding has several advantages. Just see yourself and let others see you as a super-specialist.