jennifer_nichols

I, personally, wouldn't want to work for someone who wouldn't let me use my own images for my portfolio. And if and when I ever hire an assistant, you bet they can use any photos they shoot to build their career as a photographer. The notion that photographers shouldn't let their assistants use their photos because they could possibly become competition is ridiculous. I believe that we should all be a community of photographers that help each other out, much how this forum does.

However, in your situation, it completely depends on the agreement you had with the person you interned for.

Thanks so much guys! That's exactly what I'm looking for. I appreciate the info.

Thanks!

I live in Austin, but I'm shooting a bridal session next weekend in Houston

and was wondering if anyone could recommend any locations in the area. I'm not

a rose garden kind-of-gal...I usually like to keep backgrounds simple. In

Austin, I like to shoot downtown, but I don't know Houston very well and I

can't really drag a bride around with me in an unfamiliar area. Anyone have

any suggestions for areas with maybe architectural structures, big rocks,

bridges??

Thanks!

Love, love, love these images!! And your post-processing work is great. I really like old-school tones and I'm a big fan of light flares myself. Beautiful work!

Definitely get the 17-55mm f2.8. I also have the D70 and a D200 and that's next on my list. EVERYONE raves about this lens. I can't wait to own it! And a terrific portrait lens is the 50 mm 1.8 which will only cost you $100 bucks!! It's a steal and a great little lens.

Agree with Anne. When folks are shopping around for a photographer, they're going to sold on your images. Save the text for the "about" or "bio" section, not for your homepage.

I can't believe you even have to ask this question. And I couldn't imagine charging this family a dime for photographs of their dead child. I don't think this is a matter of business and much as compassion and empathy. I guess do what you feel comfortable with, but I would give them everything I had and more if it would help a family remember their child.

Thanks for all the feedback! I knew immediately that I wasn't going to hand over any more images, but I wanted to get some other folks opinions on the matter. Thanks so much for all of your input. Now, I definitely won't be second-guessing my decision.

I received a very nice thank you card in the mail today from a bride stating

that she couldn't be happier with the photos. However, at the end of card, she

requested to see "the rest" of the unedited photos. As a photographer, I

carefully selected the best photos and edited those to present to the couple.

I presented close to 400 photos that I believe fully captured the events of

their day. How do I articulate this to the bride? Any advice is much

appreciated.

Thanks!

Jennifer

Your prices are really steep, especially if you're just venturing into wedding photography. First, you should really invest some time and money into revamping your website and gearing it towards wedding photography. People expect to see a gallery of quality wedding images if they're going to book your services for their wedding day. Photographers in the Pittsburgh area might be charging those prices, but they probably have the experience and portfolios to back it up. You might want to consider bringing your base pricing down to around $1500-$2000 until you build your portfolio and update your site, and then gradually raise your prices as you gain experience. Good luck!

I think option 1 would work if you cropped out the onlookers. I like the couple, but the folks in the background look a little voyeuristic in that dark background.

I LOVE those photos Al! I wish I could've lived through the 60's man. Thanks for sharing!

I use bludomain and love it! Customer service was slow initially, but they got my site up in a timely manner and I've had no problems at all since then. I would definitely recommend them.

www.jnicholsphoto.com

I don't pay to advertise on the Knot, but I have booked about 8 weddings just through word of mouth on their bride forums. If you do happen to book a wedding with a bride that utilizes The Knot, my advice would be to kindly ask her to recommend you to other Knotties if she was happy with your services. It's great free advertising.

O.K., you can debate the age old question, "What is art?" all day long. That being said, I believe that wedding photography absolutely has the potential to be "artistic," and I think there is a demand for images that capture true emotion and provide a new perspective, now more than ever before in wedding photography.

 

Like Jason, I received my BFA with emphasis in "fine art" photography. He's right that comparing wedding photography to "fine art" is not accurate in that with fine art, you have an pre-conceived message or idea that you're trying to convey to the audience through your images. But I don't think the question was about fine art. I will say that in art school, wedding photography was never discussed as a potential way to make a living doing what you love. It was looked upon as a "lesser art" and a compromise. And now that I have discovered how gratifying and challenging wedding photography can be, I kinda resent not being presented with that possibility in college.

 

As far as the notion that the quality and skill of wedding photography has gone downhill, where are these people looking? I have never before seen such amazing, artistic wedding photography as I'm discovering now, and it's so inspirational. Look around people! You might find some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing again. Take a look at these sites below. I don't recall seeing anything quite like this in the genre of wedding photography back in the 80's and 90's. And you're telling me that wedding photography has gone downhill. I'm so tired of hearing this.

 

Here's a link to blogs of some of my fav photogs:

 

http://www.theblogisfound.com/

 

http://mooreblog.wordpress.com/page/2/

 

http://stacyandmary.typepad.com/blog/

 

http://www.boutwellstudio.com/blog/

 

http://bybobbi.blogspot.com/

 

And there will always be "budget brides," because frankly, not everyone has unlimited $$ to hire the best photographers out there. That doesn't mean that they have cheap taste and I don't think this is an indication of where the market is.

 

I'm thrilled that there is such a huge demand for artistic wedding photography that captures real emotion. As photographers, we should all celebrate the fact that wedding photography has changed for the better and is open to our own creative interpretation, and not just cheesy, stiff posed shots that exude 0 emotion or feeling. Yippee!

It looks like she uses a cross-processing technique. This term originated when film was processed as slide film, resulting in rich, bold colors and high contrast, while retaining naturalistic skin tones. One way to get this look is to purchase Kevin Kubota's action sets, and the Boutwells just came out with a great action pack too. Huge time-savers, but I guess it is cheating a little:)

I was able to get a similar look by playing around with curves, color balance, and saturation. I love this look and use it all the time. It's very trendy right now. Good luck!

I was approached by a woman who would like me to help her with

designing/ordering a wedding album and I'm not sure what to charge her. Her

wedding was shot 4 years ago by another photographer. I would be responsible

for helping her select an album, ordering the prints (her wedding was shot on

film), designing the layouts, and then placing the order. She will most likely

go with a matted album from Leather Craftsman. What should I quote her for my

services?

Thanks!

I hear that www.newswear.com has what you're looking for.

 

Function over fashion:)

Thanks Anne! Great info. Especially since I'm just starting out in this business. Much appreciated!

The local coffee shop has been a great meeting place for me and my clients. It has a nice outdoor patio that creates a relaxed mood so we can chat comfortably. I always try to find the table that's the most secluded and out of the way from too much traffic. Try your best to create a nice environment for your clients.

I'm having the exact same issue. I placed my order last week, received an email that said they'd send my link "tomorrow", and now 4-5 days have passed. I've emailed a few more times and I've heard nothing. When I called, their message said they'd be "out of the office" from Dec. 19-21st. Despite their great reputation, I'm getting a little worried.

Definitely Kubota!!

Have you checked out Bludomain's HTML sites? They're about as basic and non-flashy as you can get. And they're under $1000 with a great reputation.

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!

Hi Nathan,

Since you asked for a REALLY tough critique, I think people are REALLY stretching to find something to say besides the fact that your work is beautiful! Nice rich color, great composition, and the emotion is definitely there! In my opinion, you're well on your way to a very successful career in wedding photography.