Getting Into Wedding Photography: Need Advise

[Monica_Sokoloski]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, so if any of my questions can be answered by an old post, please refer me to that post

Anyway, I need lots of advise.

1. Opinions on what equiptment I should use. (note: I use a cannon 20d)

2. Ideas on various services that could be useful to me like album making companies or software that helps me go through photos in an attractive manner with clinets, and also a company that will allow people to come to my site, enter a code, and see the pictures from their event. I would also like a service that would allow me to charge for prints, and I would get the money, but they would send the prints out for a fee.

3. Ideas on what are approiate prices on services and prints

4. Any other sage advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!!

Hi Monica

I don’t know it all, but I do know what we do so I’ll share that.
equipment
I thinks a 20d is a great for weddings. (Although I’ll get a 5d soon)
I use it natural light as much as I can so does Joanie (my wife) if I need a light I use a quantum with a wide angle diffuser. Joanie uses a 550 but almost never
we use 2.8 24-70 and 70-200 lenses

album making companies or software etc
We make vision art books. http://www.visionartbook.com/ They revolutionized our work. Before offering them I was charging $895 for a wedding Now our wedding package is $6000
We use Breeze Browser http://www.breezesys.com/ For file handling
We use YSI http://www.youselectit.com/home.php
And Page Gallery http://www.yervant.com.au/ to help book design.
We use Collages.net http://www.collages.net For online viewing and print services

Maybe that will help

Jim

[Shawn_Rodgers]

Hi,
I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. :]
Very helpful post Jim thanks!

Here's my big question:

How did you get your first wedding assignment?

No bride wants to be your first.

Thanks much!

Shawn - I had shot weddings for friends many years ago. But when I wanted to get into it professionally it came quick for me cuz I came from a running a wedding and reception venue. (Thatcher Manor in SoCal) I was friends with many photographers who shot at our site and when I had a chance I would take shots for our facility and our web site. So brides started seeing my name on shots. So that would be exposer to the 100 weddings a year we would have there. Yet most are not in that position.

So my suggestion is start shooting weddings some any way you can. Be a 2nd shooter if they give you rights to your shots. Do it for friends even if you get one great shoot out of it. And if they don't ask I would not say how many weddings you have shot or have not shot. During my 1st year no one asked how many I had shot, yet I had told them I recently started. And the sample work I presented stood on it's own and so will yours. In my 2nd year one bride asked how many weddings I had shot the previous year, so I told her. I'm kinda glad she did not ask about the year before that. I'm not saying to misrepresent yourself or get in over your head but, if you are skilled your work can show in not much time.

Also spend the money for great sample products. If you samples look cheap so does your work.

Well Just my thoughts.

Jim Thatcher

[Shawn_Rodgers]

Thanks a lot Jim. I wonder if I should make a new thread with that question?
Might be interesting.

I'm hoping to have 3 friends weddings (done as just a guest with a camera), site built, sample books made, etc, fairly soon here...

Thanks again.

[Bill_Jurasz]

> Here's my big question:
>
> How did you get your first wedding assignment?

Luck? Ok, kidding aside, but luck was pretty what it was for me. I was second-camera at a very good friend's wedding. The primary photographer was another mutual friend who had assisted an established pro for several weddings in preparation for Becky's wedding. Doing the photography was their wedding gift from Kate and I. So that got my first attempt under my belt.

Then was talking to my bank account manager who is getting married in November. Noticed I ran a small photography company, asked if I knew anyone, yadda yadda. Was going to steer her to some people I know until I realized she has no budget. No frills wedding, small reception, etc. She couldn't afford the people I knew, so I showed her my first attempt. Not great, for sure. Lots learned, lots to learn still. And that is where I grabbed an opportunity.

The bride knows full well I do race photography, and only on the side from my day job. But she was very happy with what I did for Becky. I'm doing 3 hours for $250. All prints are ordered later a la carte from my website. Yes I know its dirt cheap, so please no flames. I'm not stealing anyone's business because this client can't afford any better. The bride and I both figure if I goof up she's only out $250. If I do great I'll get some print orders. I'm hoping for $750 when all said and done.

My advice, for what it is worth, and admittedly might not be worth all that much. Try to assist an established photographer. Might be hard, they might realize they are training a future competitor. Dunno. Other thing is to try to find people like my bride. No budget weddings, price it cheap for the service, sell loose prints a la carte. I feel I have no pressure. The bride knows my background, and her up-front cost is low. If I do well, she buys prints and still has a cheap wedding solution. If I do poorly she isn't out much. And I get more experience under my belt. I'm just not sure how to find more clients like her. Probably by talking to local priests and ministers. Last thing I want to do is a cheap wedding for a couple that actually can afford an established photographer, and thus expect that level of quality as well.

Equipment? Keep the 20D. Add a 550 or 580 flash and some NiMH batteries. Lots of CF space. And a 24-70/2.8 is a great starter lens, either the Canon or Tamron. The new 24-105/4 might be worth considering, though for weddings not sure I'd want something as slow as f/4.

Ok, I take it back, I'll invite the flames if done in a nice manner. Anything wrong or possibly risky about my approach of cash strapped brides for gaining experience? Bear in mind I'm being very upfront with my prior experience and that it is not in doing weddings.

[SteveHall]

No one has yet mentioned to you about learning the "business" of wedding photography. Pull up Amazon.com and look for books on how to run a wedding photography studio. This is more important than getting all the "right" equipment. Also, go to as many seminars as you can and in addition to taking interesting seminars from the top shooters, take the classes relating to the business of wedding photography. There are a lot of very good photographers who are bad business people. They may be able to shoot great weddings, but they may not have the business sense to know how to make a profit.
Food and clothing are not optional.