The idea of becoming a wedding photographer

[stephanie_martino]

I'm getting very excited about the idea of starting a wedding photography

business. I have a photography degree, I've been a children's portrait

photographer for about 5 years now, and I'm ready to explore another realm of

this profession. I definitly have the customer service skills, and the

patience to deal with the "bridezillas". I just love the thought of working

for myself! I'm still looking into the proper equipment, and everything else

that goes along with it...but my mind keeps repeating the same question over

and over...for someone just starting out with weddings, how do you get your

first client with no wedding portfolio?! I don't have any friends or family

planning on getting married that I can shoot. This thought kills me because I

know I'd want to see someone's work before hiring them to shoot my wedding.

Any advice or words of wisdom? Thanks, Steph

[sattler123]

I am not a wedding photographer, but how about advertising in the local paper and offering your services for FREE? Look at it as an investment in your career. Just charge for the prints, but give away your time and editing effort. Just an idea....

[Mike Howard]

I'm sure others will chime in, but the way I got experience was doing free weddings for poor relatives. I already had a great deal of photographic experience and a "good eye". Also, and this is also very important, don't do a wedding for pay until you know your cameras/lenses/flashes inside out, upside down, and sideways! You must be able to shoot instantly, without thinking, with the correct exposure, shutter speed, fill flash, etc. One good way to get this is hooking up with a pro as a second shooter or assistant. Good luck, I haven't shot a wedding since before the digital revolution, but it's all the same. Meaning practice, practice, practice!

[nagya]

Work on a website of the work that you have done, including portraits. Show the style that you shoot....regardless if it's with weddings. On the website put some low prices for weddings and register with the online sites. There are tons that will let you list for free. AND PREPARE SOME WEDDING CONTRACTS. Please don't shoot without one. One other thing...when you shoot your first wedding take a lot of photos just in case. Your bound to get some right ;-) Just kidding. If you can work with someone as a second shooter for a while that's your best bet. OH and have fun.

[d_gillespie]

The answer of offering your services as a second shooter/ assistant is really smart and can give you insight to the business without the pressure of a first timer. The wedding business is like no other in photography. If you have the ability to manage your client's expectations, get everything in writing (signed contracts) collect retainers, get paid before at or before delivering final prints then you may have a chance to break in. As you have already discovered, people will not hire you, regardless of your shooting skills, without seeing similar work. As a second shooter you can compile a portfolio that will allow you to do that. I wouldn't hire a really great heart surgeon to do a face lift, would you? Especially her first. Best of luck and a think skin will help too.

[BrianS1664879711]

Do you have any friends that still have wedding dresses (and can still fit in them)? Why not ask them to pose for formals for your portfolio. Need a groom -- a friend in a dark suit will work almost as well as a tux. If you are affiliated with a church, ask if you can use their facilities to "recreate" a wedding.

 

Another word of wisdom. Go out of your way to look over the competition. Sometimes wedding shops have information about photographers (samples, package prices, etc.) or find the wedding shows in your area. Find out what they are offering and then think, plan, and demonstrate in your portfolio and marketing material what you offer that is better. don't forget: cheap does not always equal better.

[timcorridan]

advertise on "craigslist." there's alot of couples who cannot hire a photographer. find them. send out e-mails to all the pastors, padres, ministers, ect.. in your area. most churches have websites now. print up some flyers, post them every where. sooner or later you'll get a "hit" if it takes 6 months, hey, so what. you miss all the shots you don't take. just be clear about your wedding experience,(none) get a contract made up, even for a freebie. everything takes practice, even contracts. spread the word thru family, friends,ect...

[starkitty]

Stephanie,

 

I started my by shooting for a relative on a very fixed budget, then I used those photos for portfolio examples. I posted my services for a VERY low rate on craigslist, and built up from there. There is no shortage of couples on a budget out there, so you shouldn't have a problem picking up a few jobs that will build your portfolio. If your work in other areas of photography is good, getting that first job without wedding examples could be easier than you think. A website is a must from the beginning as well:)

[Spearhead]

Many people start, in a variety of professions, by doing some free work to get something to show. It's often called "paying your dues." I've done it myself with photography, although not with weddings, and it really paid off. I know musicians who played college dances for free (The Cars, for instance, six months before their first record came out and turned into a huge hit, played at my college) and it got them exposure. Very few people jump into things at full pay and just go, because they need to build a portfolio.<p>

[phoneguy]

And get ready to work your fingers to the bone. This has got to be one of the most mentaly draining aspects of photography. I will have 100 hours on my first wedding by the time it is done. (By choice, & they selected a 30 page spread)

 

Doing my first album has been a huge learning experience...good luck.

[devoted]

Second shoot for someone else FIRST. Weddings are much more fast paced than studio

photography. I have the *exact* same photographic background as you - a degree and

children's studio experience - and second shooting for an established pro is the only real

way to prepare for what you're about to deal with. It will help you build a portfolio so you

can go and show something to clients of your own when the time comes.

 

Take your studio at Christmas. See how busy it is? Quintuple it. Then put yourself as the

ONLY person in the middle of that chaos. Believe me, nothing you've done will prepare

you for your first wedding on your own - find someone who will let you tag along first, I

can't urge it strongly enough!!!!

[steve_levine]

The market is presently saturated with "excited" new entrants. However, most haven't a photography degree. In fact most simply own a digital camera, and they assume that this is all that's required.

 

 

Wedding work is a specialty. And like any specialty, it requires vast amounts of skill, tempered by lot's of experience. Each week the "situation" is the same, but the "circumstances" vary 100%.

 

 

It takes many weddings, and a lot of pressure to mold a skilled wedding shooter. We have posts here each week from people that haven't even read their new camera's manual, and they are booking "shoots". The fact is they'll have rude awakenings at either the wedding itself, or after the "pitchers come back from the drugstore". There is more that can go wrong, than can go right.

 

 

Find at least two different shooters to apprentice with for a season each. This will create a solid foundation of knowledge, on which you can build a career. Venturing forth without knowledge is only asking for disaster. And if there is one time a disaster isn't wanted, someone's "once in a life time event", is it.

[jennifer_nichols]

I also have just ventured into wedding photography. I just shot my first two weddings in October and they went really well. I booked these clients through Craigslist with an ad that said "Photographer with BFA in photography will shoot wedding for $350." Within the ad, I said the reason for such a low price was due to the fact that I have never shot a wedding, but have 10 years of photography experience. I immediately got lots of hits and booked 3 weddings through this ad. I think the fact that you have a degree definitely gives you a leg up and makes the client feel confident in giving you that first chance. So, if you have Craigslist in your area, it's a GREAT resource, and posting an ad is completely free! Good luck Stephanie!

[michael_chandler1]

You have gotten some good advice here, but I believe Steve and Gwen are right on target. I would not invest in any equipment for weddings until you get a chance to tag along with a working professional and get a chance to explore the field with no pressure to see if you truly have the right mettle for it. This is real tough, or it was for me when I got started. Join a local pro guild, PPA, or some other type organization where you can meet other pros specializing in weddings, it will be tough but you will find someone who will let you go with them. build your portfolio this way and steer away from "budget" shooting, if you start attracting these type of clients it will be hard to get away and move up later. No one in a forum can really say whether or not you are cut out for the job, only someone who can see and evaluate your skills first hand and ultimately you can make that decision. I enjoy weddings for the reasons that most people do not do them, the quick paced environment, making split second decisions to get "the shot" on a once in a lifetime event is a blast. good luck and FIND SOMEONE TO WORK WITH

[photographydreams]

I've read responses to many similar threads and i think you can generally divide people into two opinions:

 

1) you must never ever shoot a wedding yourself until you have been a second shooter for a more experienced pro

 

and

 

2) go for it by shooting weddings for free for couples who can't afford a 'real' photographer - just make sure you're absolutely clear with the couple about your lack of experience, and the fact that you can't guarantee the outcome.

 

I think it probably depends on your personality, which one of these is better for you. I agree that wedding photography takes a lot of skill, hard work and experience. However, if i was a bride with $0 for photography who was going to rely on relatives' snapshots, i would be happy to have (for free) someone dedicated to just taking pictures during the day, even if the pictures were going to be only of point-and-shoot quality - simply because i'll get more of them, and my aunt/uncle/whatever doesn't have to worry and can enjoy themselves. The problem of course is that you probably have higher standards than that for yourself, so you may find doing weddings on your own too stressful without first getting experience. And secondly, if you mess up (or just do a mediocre job), those pictures will still be around under your name a few years down the line when you're relying on your good reputation.... On the other hand, if you have the personality to cope with the pressure, and are willing to take the risk of having bad pictures out in public, then i don't think there is any ethical problem with going for it, provided the b&g know exactly what the deal is (which probably means they wouldn't have had any photographer otherwise).

 

Just my 2 pennies (from the UK). :-) Don't eat me.

[davebell]

"The market is presently saturated with "excited" new entrants. However, most haven't a photography degree. In fact most simply own a digital camera, and they assume that this is all that's required."

 

Steve Levine, are you implying a photography degree is essential to be a successful photographer, wedding and/or other? I think not. I am an engineer in charge of MSc engineers and I have no degree at all. Enough application and dedication can get you places. In fact many degrees come from clown universities and have about as much cred as my dog's breakfast. Photography isn't like brain surgery where you absolutely have to have the requisite qualifications. Just my opinion....

[steve_levine]

I was actually complementing Stephanie for having the degree. It might not be needed, but it never hurts. And it should give a new wedding shooter a firm basis of technical know how.

[andras_toth1]

Hi Stephanie!

 

I've just moved recently into wedding photography and at the beginning I came across pretty much the same questions as you.

 

PORTFOLIO - you're right this is the MOST important thing for a wedding pohotgrapher. i've been doing model and portrait shot for some time now and I actually got enquieres for wedding photography based on those photos. I didn't even mention wedding on my website but still :) You said you've been photographing kids for some time now, so you should have a strong portfolio. sure it's not wedding though.

so how to get wedding photos?

1. You can either join a pro as a second shooter if you know someone or you get in contact with one. however i chose the other option:

2. do a few weddings for free. as you don't have friends or relatives getting married soon you'll have to find a couple. I've put only one advert in two or three on-line wedding forums that i'm a photographer willing to move into wedding photgraphy and i would shoot their wedding for free. i enclosed some of my best model and portrait work to allow them to se that i'm not a beginner.

then a few couples contacted me, i photographed their wedding and they are really satisfied with the results.

 

another important thing is to get your business moving. read something about marketing, get a website and so on. you can spend a lot of money on advertising but the word of mouth works far the best. it helps if you provide something unique.

 

(i'm lucky that i'm doing a BA in advertising so that's the easy part for me :))

[steve_newberry___northern_]

"Any advice or words of wisdom?"

Yes master on camera flash because you can't control

the lighting at weddings like you can in a studio or

portrait shoot.

Knowing when to up the flash comp or drag the shutter

vs using available light takes awhile to get used to.

I shot a few weddings pro bono initially so I don't

believe in the old school platitudes that one must

apprentice for 2 years with an established pro.

Yes it's a once in a lifetime event but cover yourself with

several cameras or chimp alot.

Have a contract and liability insurance though.

Good luck!

[scot_cross]

Pleanty of input on this topic and I gave up reading all he ideas.

 

Pic a church start getting to know some of the people. First few I did I had drawing for wedding shoot and put the entry forms at different bridal places in the city.

[fotografz]

The idea that shooting a wedding for free absolves the photographer of any responsibility

is a fallacy. It will depend entirely on the personality of the Bride, Groom and their

immediate family. Some people will be as nice as pie, and others as demanding as a high

paying client.

 

None of them will take kindly to failure.

 

This is not to say that failure is in the cards. But what some others here have hinted at is

things can become overwhelming at a wedding ... free or not. Experience is what pulls you

through in those cases.

 

What kind of experience?

 

Not necessarily a wedding, but shooting in "must have" more hectic people situations ...

like photojournalism coverage at a political rally ... with a curmudgeon editor waiting for

the shots. Photographers like Jeff could shoot a wedding based on their street shooting

abilities. That's also how I got my start. People liked my street shots and wanted their

wedding shot that way ... but then I had to very quickly learn how to shoot some posed

work also (which should be less an issue for you given your background).

 

In addition, knowing the flow and timing of a wedding is critical so you can anticipate and

be ready.

 

Gear: 2 of everything, and a third in the car. The "gremlins" love weddings.

 

Getting business: contact local churches and let the officant know that you are willing to

donate photography for a couple in need. Exploit your current client list for portraits with

a mailing/letter letting them know you are now doing weddings. Satisified prior clients

then become your sales staff.

[jennifer_nichols]

Stephanie,

I know a lot of folks say to never, never shoot weddings as a first-timer on your own. But if your a skilled photographer and offer your services at a low cost ($300-$400), you should find some clients willing to give you a shot. Just be upfront about your experience. If they like your work, and they're on a budget, they might be thrilled to find you. That was my experience. And so far, so good. My first two clients were very happy the results. And I got paid for my hard work!I say go for it!

[conraderb]

stephanie - assist a pro. if you can't do that, and you think that you know what you are doing, find a church and tell the pastor that you want to offer the next very poor couple they know FREE photography. or maybe at cost if they can afford that.

 

obviously you know what you are doing, so just do one weddign well, put it in a nice portfolio book, and the rest will follow.