betty_lowrey Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 <p>Before I did this full time I worked a horrific desk job. I hated it with every fiber of my being. I decided to take the plunge and give it a whirl after I was unceremoniously "fired" from this desk job (I guess they got sick of me surfing photography sites at work! LOL). So, what led you to this job?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobcossar Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 <p>Weddings were part of the package one had to do at the time....and maybe still are, if you are to make enough money to get a start. <br> I don't like that things are this way, but for many people they are.<br> Years later, when I could afford to <strong>not</strong> do them....I didn't. But gradually found I missed them in some ways and so went back to doing some, but I was choosey about which ones.....Bob</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedding-photography-denver Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>Mostly getting asked to by someone.</p> <p>I love to shoot weddings though, one of the most rewarding persuits, if you ignore the $$$. :-)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roseberry guitars Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>Quite by accident actually. My wifes cousin was getting married in Rome, Italy and we went over to represent the Canadian branch of the family. To make a long sad story short, the pro they had hired messed up big time. Arrived late, had camera problems and no back-up, messed up the lighting at the church and on and on. </p> <p>Being an long time avid photographer I naturally had my film kit with me. So as it turned out my shots taken as I wondered around being the annoying relative with a camera (they don't seem to have as many point and shot cameras in every Grandma's hand over there) were the only useable photos they received of their special day. </p> <p>One thing lead to another, another relative asked me, I agreed, and so on and so on... After all, HOW HARD could it be? What did I know? Well, you live and hopefully...you learn.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garry_anderson3 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I started out taking portraits for family and friends, won several awards for my portraits, and people started to ask me to photograph their weddings.</p> <p>They still do. Without any advertising or website, I still do 25-30 weddings a year by word of mouth. 2009 is nearly full and bookings are coming in for 1020. I'm no longer cheap and I get to travel all over Aus. doing something I love.</p> <p>Previously I was a fulltime musician, and believe me being the photographer is much easier then being in the band! </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary_ann1 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I started photographing friends weddings. I'd been working as an editorial photographer for many years and prfered the hours and the pay. Not to mention the work is more pleasant. I'd take brides over car crashes and fires any day.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_nealy Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I was a sports photagrapher. My wife had a friend who was a "professional" she destroyed my wedding photos. She used a rebel xt (great camera) no 2.8 glass oh, and Pop-up flash! The pics were orange, poses and crops were terrible. Many were blown out, She shot on the "green Box" mode. She was very unprofessional. Photos were processed badly, and printed at Sams Club. I decided then and there to put sports on the back burner and learn weddings. I don't want anyone to have the experiance that I had.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrodgers Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I went after weddings on purpose. I like that they are "real" (from a certain point of view), as opposed to studio work. I love street photography, because it's real, but it's very dangerous, and I'm not that forward. At a wedding, you are expected to shoot real emotion, and it's unlikely that your camera will get smashed on the pavement. I really love the emotion of weddings. You get happy, sad, angry, frustrated, and very VERY drunk people, all performing willingly.</p> <p>I prefer it to all other types of paid photography, and photography is just what I have always done.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hassy501 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>Bills.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_kinosh Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I shot stock for a few years and oneone had seen some of my people shots. THeir Phogorapher backed out at the lst minutre and they asked if I could do it. They KNEW I had nver done a weddings but said no proble. It came out great, and they recommended me to a few others and it just happened. I do NOT shoot full time as I LOVE my real job ( it has medical benefits)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjogo Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>A way to supplement my fine art endeavors .... in fact I was using a Rollei that had a flash sync of 1/30 >> could not even take a shot of the bride in the sun.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niccoury Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I work as a newspaper photographer full-time and shooting wedding is similar to shooting sports and news events.</p> <p>It helps me always be shooting, which is really all I care to do.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_evans Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I had always toyed with photography - ever since my first Kodak Brownie Starmite in the early '60s and then the very kool Polaroid 600s. I was a photography minor in college, and was able to use that experience as a step into corporate level technical/scientific photography. A co-worker asked if I'd ever photographed weddings to which I replied 'no', but that I'd observed enough to know what NOT to do. She asked if I'd be willing to shoot hers - which I did for cost - and found that I really enjoyed working for and with brides. My wife and I had already started a small part-time commercial photography business (jewelry/tabletop/catalogue work), and decided to add social/event photography to the mix - we've been at it ever since. I took a brief sabatical of about 7 years when I just got tired of dealing with labs, proofs, negatives, and making albums. But we got back into it with the advent of acceptable digital imaging back around 2000 with a pair of Kodak/Nikon DCS 315s - and have not looked back. Like an earlier poster, we don't advertise, only work on referrals, and are comfortably booked through '09 and into '10 --Rich</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagesax Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 <p>I love nature photography. I found that shooting weddings could pay for those expensive cameras and huge 600mm lenses! Also, as a 5 year old child I had a blast with my dad playing in the darkroom. I thought it was magical seeing a piece of paper come to life.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsay_dobson Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 <p>It's very, very difficult to make a living as a photographer. But there are plenty of weddings each season and if you're good at what you do, and personable, the demand for your services will be there. I see it as a way of doing something I love, and loving what I do has become more and more important as I've grown older. I believe weddings create endless possibilities to stretch ourselves to the limit, to improve, to be inventive and to shine. It's also quite a competitive field, which I like. </p> <p>George. I don't believe you when you say you do this purely to pay the bills. I think your passion shines through in so many ways.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jill_gately1 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 <p>My absolute love of people and photography. If you have the passion--the images will follow. Money was my last motivation.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lou korell Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 <p>I heard that if you get a good camera it is easy and you can make lots of money.<br> LOL. Not really.<br> I just love people, especially happy people. A wedding is the perfect opportunity to be a portrait, fine art, photojournalistic, commercial, etc. photographer all in the same day.<br> You have to really enjoy weddings. They all have similar elements and are sometimes very repetitive in those elements, but the challenge is to shoot the same things and make each one look completely different. You will see many of the same colors, hear a lot of the same music, taste the same food, and hear the same words, but you will meet a lot of really fun people and spend the day having a good time with them.<br> Weddings are a very special event. The idea of marriage has somehow been very distorted in our culture. Marriage has been made to be a very difficult and even an easily disposable relationship. So, obviously it helps if you believe marriage is a good thing. Your attitude on that day will be of utmost importance in executing the responsibility of photographer.<br> There will be generations of people who will depend on the job you did that day - people who haven't even been born yet! Think about that. Is that not a compelling reason to shoot weddings?<br> Lou</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew_so Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 <p>1) A great way to exercise my creativity, in addition to landscape<br> 2) A great way to finance the expensive hobby.<br> Matthew</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografz Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 <p>I shoot people, and tell stories with my camera.</p> <p>There are a lot of people at a wedding, and a love story unfolding before your eyes.</p> <p>Perfect.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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