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need advice
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hi,
i,ve shot 3 weddings for friends, and i,m considering trying to make a career out of it
i know its tough and competitive
but is there any advice from anyone who started in a similar way
all advice welcome
thank you :)hi Paul
I’m not too far ahead of you, but am working on it.
My advice is probably quite obvious – research. read everything you can. join wedding forums, talk to brides / grooms,research, try and assist with an experienced photog. Decide on business structure, packages. The nugget will be trying to do something that others don’t or can’t. Let me know if you figure it out? :lol:
Also, it’s very different when the bride and groom are your clients and not your friends. :D
Get yourself covered by both public liability and professional indemnity insurance before you do a wedding for payment. This is something that has become more important over the last 3 to 5 years as the “claims” culture in Ireland is now an epidemic. Ten years ago probably only one in twenty had some kind of cover …… they were simpler times then.
One piece of advise – don’t do it :!: :!: :wink:
Only kidding. I am coming into my third wedding “season” after taking the plunge and it has its good points & bad points.
As mentioned above, research as much as you can. The actual photography probably only takes up about 10-20% of the work. I’m not sure of your personal circumstances, but if you have a mortgage & kids to support be prepared for times when you don’t have a lot of work coming in, can you budget for this ?
Set yourself a marketing budget. The best way of getting work is from referrals but this takes time. Advertising in mags. is quite expensive but it gets your name out there. Make sure you have a website which shows your work at its best and is easy to navigate. (My site is undergoing a much needed & expensive facelift at the moment) Source different types of albums and plan different packages.
You should also be prepared for not closing out enquiries. You might get plenty of enquiries but there is still a lot of work to actually close the deal. You can’t let this get you down. Most couples meet 5-6 different photographers so be prepared for some disappointments even if you think you have the deal. Don’t promise anything which you can’t deliver on, one bad report can but a serious dint in your plans.
Set up a financial model for what you want to earn from a wedding and stick to it and try not to underprice your service just to get work. As has been mentioned on this forum in many guises, if you seem too cheap people have a tendency to think there is something wrong. Never sell yourself short and be confident with your pricing structure and final product.
Have at least one sample album of your best images made up and available to show couples.
Its tough out there, I’m sure you will come across photographers whos work you think is only average but they seem to be getting lots of bookings, but there are also those whose work is great and are struggling. It takes time, patience and a bit of luck to get things really moving. Give yourself at least 3-4 years before you can make an adequate earning from it.
These are just some of the things to look out for, and hopefully its doesn’t sound too bad. There are big pluses. In my situation I am not getting to spend a lot more time at home with the kids (In my last job I worked abroad 2 out of every 4 weeks). I enjoy taking photos, meeting new people and taking part in their wedding. Just last night I delivered a finished album to a couple and the bride was in tears at how the album turned out (tears of joy !). I had a great feeling when I was leaving her house and she has already been in touch with me this morning thanking me again. That type of reaction can make it all worthwhile.
I could go on for hours on this but if you want any further details just drop me a pm and I will get back to you.
Best regards & good luck with your decision.
Rgds
Kevin
I don’t envy anyone who makes wedding photography their profession.
War photography strikes me as less stressful. At least there the worst thing that can happen is you’ll be killed.
Dealing with megalomaniac in a wedding dress?? Where are those tickets to Baghdad….
It’s only stressful if you let it be or can’t handle it (or the people). If you ‘choose’ your clients well, the day will be great, and you’ll have a laugh all day with the bridal party.
thank’s for all the great advice
i have a lot of research to do and training i guess. . .Quick edit –
These are just some of the things to look out for, and hopefully its doesn’t sound too bad. There are big pluses. In my situation I am not getting to spend a lot more time at home with the kids (In my last job I worked abroad 2 out of every 4 weeks).
– I meant to say I’m getting to spend a lot more time with my family.
Don’t want to sound completely heartless !!!
markcapilitan wrote:
It’s only stressful if you let it be or can’t handle it (or the people). If you ‘choose’ your clients well, the day will be great, and you’ll have a laugh all day with the bridal party.
Thats another great piece of advice ……. choose your clients carefully! After more than 20 years now I can almost “smell” trouble or difficult people at a distance. If I find during our initial sit down together that the couple may be difficult to work with I just wont take them on. There are plenty more photographers that they can go to and make life a misery for without making my day a bad experience. I’m too long in the tooth now for putting up with unreasonable people. Life is far too short.
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