don_hill

<p>There are no pro chargers but you will want to find a 15 minute charger.</p>

<p>About three years ago I traded in a Quantum Turbo for a 15 minute charger from Radio Shack and two sets of AA's. That setup got me through three seasons and I am still using the same two sets of AA's. I would use one set for about four hours, swap out the batteries and charge the depleted. In all types of weddings I never had any problems with charging and never needed more than eight batteries. </p>

<p>One tip I heard about and stuck to was to not mix the batteries - this might be an urban legend but I can attest that these batteries still work like new. Four batteries were charged and dropped into the flash. The other four were charged and left in the charger for transport. At that point it is trivial to not mix set A with set B. The batteries are only 2000 mah but I never have problems with recycle time.</p>

Any wedding photographer who has outstanding talent and business skills would not be working for a large chain as they will be booked year round with no open dates to farm out.

This is a false assumption.

The money made shooting for a large chain is NOTHING compared to booking your own client.

Depending on talent and experience this is also a false assumption. When you consider overhead as well as time spent per client in pre-sales, sales, shooting, post-production, delivery, and follow-up , most small shops will put an average of 44 hours towards each client. That figure does not include hours lost to clients who did not book. ;That being said, an average booking of say $1500, what most brides are expecting to pay to receive full coverage, two photographers, album, and engagement session, after expenses, will get you about $5/hour if you are in a legitimate business that pays taxes. Most "photographers" are not.

Compare that with a large chain that pays $500 per event to shoot with 1/2 hour phone consultation. If it is a local event you will spend about an hour or so commuting and gathering gear. Since it is a freelance job, you are paid per hour, and as such lets assume you are contracted for 8 hours and spend another 1/2 hour planning after your consultation. It is assumed that you are using studio flash cards and they are doing any and all post-production. ;For the 10 hours of work that you have done you just made $50/hour with a one day commitment.

Now also consider that most professional photographers average $22,000 per year.That is a problem. ;If you like to shoot, shoot. If photography is your hobby do not make it a business. Never;It pays too little and the hours are terrible.Get a real job, shoot weekends for a higher dollar per hour amount as your work improves and you will be the happiest gear collector (notice I did not say photographer) that walks the face of the earth. If you have them, spend the extra time with your kids, wife, husband, or girl/boyfriend. ;Don't spend quality time with Photoshop. It never gives anything back.

<p>Through Bella the client does speak with their photographer, it is part of the process.  I've worked freelance for Bella and for studios that pimped me out in the same fashion, you know, the studio charges a bundle then gives me gas money.  In my experience there was more freedom in working with Bella and the pay was also much better.  The clients loved my work and they got a hell of a bargain considering my normal fee.  I also did not have to work as hard to fill open dates so everybody won.  You get a good portfolio image then use it.  Promote it.  Try that with any small studio that you sub for.</p>

<p>Bella's business model is sound.  The competition for wedding photography is fierce and their prices are probably low for most areas when you consider what they throw in for packages.  I've worked with high end clients and third marriage backyard affairs for them.  The clients smiled when I arrived and always thanked me profusely when I left.  It was never an impersonal service.</p>

<p>I don't understand the Bella haters.  It's just a business.  The only thing to hate is that you didn't think about doing it first, then actually do it.  I find the $500 churn and burn crowd to be more threatening.  Like the time I was in a camera store and a customer came in and plunked her new camera down on the counter with a bang and looked at the salesman.  "Tell me everything I need to know about this thing because I just signed up my first wedding and it's this weekend."  </p>

<p>That's the one you need to be worried about.</p>

<p>Veronika - Do not pay any company if your needs are online proofing and print fulfillment.  What are your specific needs other than fast download times?</p>

<p>I have used www.backprint.com for a few years and unlike any other solution that I have tried, some mentioned above, it is free to use with an extremely easy interface.  I am not certain why anyone would pay for an online proofing and fulfillment house when backprint is an option.  Their work is fast and the inhouse printing is amazing.  I have not had a complaint or return in two years of working with them.  Try them before you spend any money or time on a new subscription site.</p>

I'll chime in here and let folks know that Mike is a fantastic person to work with. I've shot

many weddings with him over the last 14 years and can say that he has a top notch studio.

I remember back to when I worked the counter at a local photography store in the days of

film. Various men with large egos and wallets of equal size would come in and fondle the

gear. Regardless of what functions did what, they would gravitate to the most expensive

toys and pull out the plastic. Two weeks later they would proudly bring in their film for

development with their expensive rigs around their necks like jewelry - and that is all it

was. The expensive camera was permanently set on auto-pilot, and the images were

lackluster at best.

It was a real shock when they brought in wedding images for processing, and many once

in a lifetime events were ruined by these enthusiasts.

That being said, a good photographer is not equal to nor just as important as their

equipment. A competent professional can utilize any tool creatively. And the camera and

lenses are just tools. If a professional can get by with a Rebel, so be it. If they are in a

situation where they need a larger rig, then by all means they should use the camera that

suits their purpose.

What matters most to a client is their photographs. How they are taken is moot.

Lauren,

This is the best part about owning a business. You get to decide the rules, you get to

decide who to work for, and you have the freedom to turn away work that doesn't fit with

your personality and style.

We don't know the entire situation surrounding the exchange between the client and

yourself. If you feel at odds with this, turn it away. No harm done.

Best of luck,

Don

A camera is just a box with a sensor that holds a lens. The choice of camera makes little

difference, but the lens attached can make a world of difference with your images.

The XTI is a fantastic camera, and one that I have encouraged many photographers to

purchase specifically for wedding work. It is a small camera, maybe too small, but with

the added grip is perfect for most hands. It includes an incredible sensor and without the

rear wheel it allows you to work quickly without inadvertently setting the exposure

compensation.

You are also correct in that the camera makes no difference for the final results, and I do

not agree with the idea that consumer grade cameras do not hold up as well. Besides you

can buy just one Mark III, or 8 XTI's with the same cash. However, the proof is in the final

results. If you want to run around with the latest and most expensive gear, go do it. If

you want to do the same work with a Rebel, do it. You don't need proper gear, you need

proper vision.

Look at my website, and let me know if not having professional gear makes a difference,

www.donhillstudio.com. Most of the work is from a 10D.

Don

Another idea is to skip the zooms altogether as you are currently using primes. The canon

28 1.8 is a fantastic lens, but may not be wide enough according to your post. That being

said, the 20mm 2.8 is a fantastic lens and will give you an approximate 32mm on your 1.6

crop bodies. They are about $350 used from keh.com.

With the 5D I have shot entire weddings with just the 50mm 1.4. It is an amazing lens,

and unfortunately mine is on the bottom of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Mi. Not so

funny at the wedding when it rolled out of my bag, but I get a chuckle now. If you have

scuba gear I can point you to it.

The second most used lens is a 100 F2 (much faster focusing than the 2.8, but no macro).

And for a wider view, I added a 28mm 1.8. I can't imagine using any other lenses than

these three.

That being said the 28 was a bit too wide for my work, so I replaced it with the 35mm 1.4.

Pure Bliss. Any of these lenses are much sharper and better quality than my 24-70 L 2.8.

The zoom is just more convenient.

</p>Christine,

</p>You don't need to use a softbox, as an umbrella will do the same thing for much less

and is easier to setup.

</p>For your purpose, you have to decide if you want continuous lighting (as this kit is),

or a portable strobe system that is not tethered to a wall socket. The second

consideration is if you really need a three light setup. Three lights are a bit of a wrangle,

and due to the size will limit your ability to work in a small space. Also, and you can do

just as much with one as you can with three.

</p>For portraiture, you need little more than one portable flash, light stand, umbrella,

umbrella holder for the light stand, and a method for triggering the flash off camera. A

budget kit would cost less than $200 if you wish to purchase all of the above new.

</p><a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html">This link</a>

to strobist will break down everything you need and give you some good inspiration.

Some of the tutorials from www.lynda.com are beneficial, and allow you to view as many as

you would like for $25 per month.

It sounds like Lightroom is the best solution for your needs, it is inexpensive for what it

offers in convenience. Go to www.lynda.com and get all your training online - this is a great

resource for only $25 per month.

I've toyed with the idea as compact point and shoots are convenient and the print quality can

be fantastic. A few years back there was a big noise about Alex Majoli utilizing compact

olympus cameras for his work. The images are incredible and I thought about how his

techniques would play out in the wedding field. I imagine the G9 in the right hands can give

amazing results.

I just about purchased a G9, but I am still holding out for the Sigma DP1. That will be a great

camera for candid work if it ever drops into reality.

As a client I would not appreciate it.

From a marketing angle, it would be a much better idea to send them a physical card on

their anniversary. Hopefully they have spent thousands on you, so spend a few bucks on

them. Be memorable, send one of those goofy singing cards with a personalized message

that is hand written. Throw in a few extra images from their wedding. Flatter them and

thank them once more for their business. This will go much further than an email that is

easily deleted and possibly annoying.

Anyone can send email.

Brent,

I would caution you against shooting the low price weddings if you feel that your work will

be comparable to higher priced studios in your region. There are many bargain hunters

for wedding photography, and if your work is above average (not difficult to achieve) you

will be swamped with a number of low price weddings.

Sub $1000 weddings are not profitable when you consider the time and expenses involved

in running a studio and post-production. Additionally, you will find that most budget

clients are a nightmare unless they are personal friends. Since this is part-time you need

to consider how much time a wedding takes from start to finish. 40 hours of contact time

per wedding is a good estimate when you include sales meetings, planning sessions,

travel, shooting, post production, and delivery. Don't forget the essentials of running a

business such as insurance and taxes. When you consider the time invested and your

expenses, you really need to avoid budget weddings if you are flying solo and wish to

make a profit.

Since this is a part-time gig, have you considered shooting weddings as a contract

photographer for another studio? This makes much more sense as you will gain loads of

experience and depending on the studio a dynamic portfolio that you can show. After

about a year of doing this it would be much easier to command the higher prices due to

your experience. Also consider that If you were paid $400 for an 8 hour shoot you end up

making more per hour than you do running a low-budget studio where you will get about

$2/3 per hour. That and no sales meetings, post-production, or other of the hassles

associated with running a business. It really does make sense to contract with a busy

studio on Saturday and focus on other more profitable areas of photograhy throughout

the week.

Best of luck,

Don

Justin,

Very little. If you can shoot your money is much better spent on specific training and

workshops over a general degree that will take 4 years and 100K.

A better pursuit is to get a business degree while actually working in the field. This alone

will set you apart from the competition. Most photo programs do not teach you a thing

about running a studio, and this is an extremely important oversight. Don't go to

photography school.

Don

Please review my last post as I did not write that your work was bad. I do agree that you

have a style, but within the current market your work does not stand out. This is critical

for the success for your new business as this is a highly competitive visual business. Feel

free to email me off-list for further critique and ideas.

It is hard to avoid clients that want a deal. They all do. I will say that some of my best

weddings were for clients with tight budgets. They also provided me with portfolio

images that allowed me to pursue clients with much larger budgets. Additionally, I was

able to experiment with alternative business models and creatively explore new styles of

shooting. They got a deal and I was able to experiment. Everybody wins. Remember I

said tight budgets, not cheap. Avoid cheap clients like the plague.

The best way to avoid cheap clients is to follow Ron and Nancy's sage advice, "Just Say No."

Determine who would just be wasting your time and politely show them to the door.