bo_douglas

1) Ask your past brides for referrals.

2) Provide outstanding products and services to your customers so you get referrals without asking for them.

3) Set up a great web site.

4) Start blogging.

5) Be active in your community.

6) Make sure everyone you come into contact with knows that you are a wedding photographer.

7) Know who your target market and hang out where they hang out.

8) Know who your competition is and advertise where they advertise.

9) Spend at least 30 minutes a day learning (reading)something about marketing and managing your small business.

What metering mode were you using? I would have to guess you were using matrix metering. I think your meter was trying to get the bright white of the piano keys and the music to be underexposed by about 1 stop, and the child ended up being more than one stop under exposed.

-Bo

I am a photography student, so I have little experience "in the business" but I have a few thoughts on this offer. Take them for what they are worth.

$600/8 hours=$75 per hour.

This would be a pretty good deal if they provided you with all of the equipment you needed, paid your expenses, and at the end of the wedding, all you had to do was turn over your memory cards to the boss. That might be a fun way to earn an extra $30k a year by working one day per week.

But it sure doesn't sound like that is what they're offering you. Really, what this company is doing is taking care of all of the marketing, sales and billing and putting you in charge of all of the shooting and editing. Worst of all, THEY become the owner of the images.

This doesn't sound like such a good deal to me.

"...another photographer that has been inviting herself to weddings..."

Is this 'other photographer' an invited guest of the B&G or is she a wedding crasher?

If she is not an invited guest or has not been hired by the B&G she has no right to be there, and is trespassing. I would ask the father of the bride if he would like to be the one to throw her out, or if he would prefer you to show her the door!

Maybe that's a bit harsh, but it is still true that if she is not invited guest she has absolutely no right to be there.