How I came to shoot weddings and not much else...

[An Exception]

WARNING: This was not intended to be a wall of text, but one paragraph led to another.. and another..and so on...

I got my first DSLR back in April 2010 with the intent of becoming a 'professional photographer'. The Canon 550D had received good reviews, and reviews also said the 18-55 kit lens was very capable. This looked like a reasonable investment to become a 'professional photographer'.
Before that photography wasn't even a hobby, I was just looking for a way to earn a living without having to do something I hated.

Now that I had the tools, I wasn't sure what I wanted to take 'professional' pictures of. I was mainly looking at getting into something like fashion or commercial photography. I began watching strobist DVD's from the likes of people like Zack Arias and David Hobby. I began making snoots and barn doors from empty Frosties packets and everything!

I spent allot of time learning how to light, until one day I happened to watch one of David Hobby's recent (at the time) DVD's.. Lighting in Layers.
Towards the end of the DVD series David Hobby and some students went to the Howard County Conservancy. David Hobby went on to explain that he chose that location as he wanted to divert the resources to a worthwhile cause. (I'm paraphrasing) He said that he could have just hired out a studio and booked a model instead. He said that while it is fun and cool at first, that type of shoot soon begins to feel hollow.
Then the penny dropped, I didn't want to invest all this time and money to do something that would end up feeling like a hollow pursuit. I felt I was right back at the beginning wondering.. "now what"?

At this point I was spending allot of time in this forum. I began to notice Raymond's wedding pictures. I hadn't even considered wedding photography as an option, but something about it struck a cord with me.
I had decided without doubt that's what I wanted to do, the only question was where do I start.
I started a thread in the forum asking for advice on how to find work as a second shooter, but also hoping that someone here would say "hey I have a wedding coming up, you can tag along if you like".
I asked Raymond if he would consider letting me me second shoot at one of his weddings and got a promising reply.

There is a good chance I have a wedding in Oxfordshire next year (September)...I know I said I don't use assistants in the past (not so much to do with skill, more about the other things like attitude, dress code, unknown character), but you seem sound, and competent.

No promises but I am thinking.....lol (your shots certainly do give me thoughts, though I am concern on your natural light work and ability to "SEE" a shot before it happens.)

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18198203

They say if you want to really learn something, write a book about it. I don't like reading books let alone writing them. However the equivalent to me became "if you want to learn something, talk/argue about it". Socratic debate and fact checking became my way of learning for a while. I sold off most of my lighting gear, and natural light, composition, big sensors and wide aperture lenses became my next obsessions.

Nothing came of Raymonds 'possible' offer, I assumed it was due to all the arguing I/we had been doing.
I never take these 'discussions' personally and I really enjoyed looking at his pictures. I was very disappointed when he got banned and his wedding threads deleted (but that's in the past ). Content dried up in the forum.

I eventually got my first gig second shooting a wedding from an advertisement on photographers.co.uk
I would have done it for free, but I was happy the photographer was able to pay me £80. This may not sound like much, but I believe the photographers total fee was £350 for two 'photographers'. The wedding went well enough that I felt comfortable starting out on my own.

I set myself a couple of goals with my photography. I wanted it to be of a high enough standard to be featured on one of the well known wedding blogs. However more importantly I wanted at least some people to feel moved by it. The last one is the hardest imo, as it's not just dependant on what the photographer can see and capture, but the content itself. Some weddings are just not that moving/emotional. However gradually I began to achieve those two objectives more frequently.

Fast forward to now, and I have been shooting wedding's solo for around 2.5 years.
I originally set out to do something I didn't hate and that was relatively easy to achieve as I set the bar pretty low tbh.
Next I wanted to do something worthwhile.

Is wedding photography worthwhile to me?

Well sometimes when I haven't vetted my clients, I'm disappointed when I discover the photography was pretty much an afterthought, and they booked me because I was available and within budget. Especially with my OCD I'm an all or nothing person, and while I still enjoy shooting the wedding somewhat, I would be lying if I said it didn't take allot of the shine off. Thankfully this is a rare occurrence these days.

The rest of the time I absolutely love what I do and the different/interesting people I get to meet.
Sometimes if I have had a particularly good days shooting and I think I have some nice shot's in the bag, it feels very similar to when you have scored a hard earned goal playing football during the drive home.
However that isn't the worthwhile part. That comes when you see/hear/read the responses to your hard work from the couple and their family/friends. Below was what arrived through my postbox this morning...

My new camera's have just turned up, so off to play with them now.

 

[An Exception]

It's hard to show really in a few pictures from each.
Here is my first solo wedding.

Here is one from earlier this year.

 

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Yes I have been using 3 D800E's. I shoot with two bodies with a prime lens on each though, so I use two bodies like they are one. The 3rd is a backup or a camera that I can trigger remotely should my movement be restricted.

 

[An Exception]

Well I worked for a financier company who lent money to businesses. I worked in the department that provided import/export finance through things like letters of credit etc.
It was my job to manage x number of accounts and draw up contracts between our clients and overseas manufactures, as well as advance our clients money to cover the costs of running their business. As was the nature of the job, you can't help but become somewhat friends the clients. The problem was most (not all) were in financial distress anyway, then came along the credit crunch and I was then telling allot these clients that I couldn't advance them money to pay their staff's wages, meaning their business would have to shut down and their staff couldn't pay their mortgages etc. That if we were unable to 'collect out' we would force sale of their family house and so on. It went on like this for a long long time. Eventually I dreaded going into work as the stress was becoming extreme. Colleagues around me were breaking down in tears and running into the bathroom. My managers were signed off with stress.
I looked for other avenues. I know I didn't want to do that kind of work anymore, but to save my sanity I had to find something fast. I found a similar but less stressful and less well paid job to tide me over while I worked out what I wanted to do.
Every time I spoke with my grandma she would say, "I always said you should do something with your art". I was always good at art at school but I couldn't really envision a way to earn a living with it, at least without living in poverty. So then I looked at other creative fields and photography was what I chose.

Right now photography is my sole source of income. I'm not working full time as that is not my intention. I'm looking to shoot between 20-25 weddings a year and keep it at that.

 

[An Exception]

Congratulations on pursuing your desires.

Everyone should do as you have and be fearless.

Superb!

Note; isn't the Bristol reception hall where Dr Watson has his reception in Sherlock?

Thanks Lol, yes it was.

 

[An Exception]

Yes it sure is, it's pretty much sink or swim lol!
Do you find it's changed how you interact with people?
Meeting/talking to strangers is is beginning to feel like that's my comfort zone, where previously I would have been nervous.

 

[An Exception]

Have a go, it would be interesting to hear about someone else's path.

 

[An Exception]

Sorry to hear that DP. That kind of environment isn't fun to work in. I hope it improves for you, or you find a way to perhaps work less hours.

 

[An Exception]

Nice thread AE, it has been very interesting watching you progress over the years You've got a good eye for the shot.

If I'd got into photography when I was younger I'd like to think I may have gone into it as a career. I'm too old now with responsibilities blah blah blah to make the jump. I'd have to do an awful lot of work to match the wage I am on now, and I don't have the skills to charge top dollar!

Thank Rojin, nice to know I wasn't always a royal PITA.

I wouldn't take the risk either if I was in your position. I imagine once you have children your priorities change, and what you want takes more of a back seat in the grand scheme of what's really important.

 

[An Exception]

Wedding photography does seem to be the way out for a lot of photographers. I spent 2-3 years helping people, doing charity shoots, etc, only to be repeatedly shafted by people either stealing photos, not giving credit or not getting back to me after I tell them I don't do photography for free. This last one is amazingly frequent. I get about 10 queries a month asking for free photography for events or bands, or "I'm sure they'll get you a few pints"! Seriously, the amount of people that take the **** asking for free stuff is astonishing.

So yeah, woo! Photography rocks!

Sorry to hear about your health problems. Health is something you take for granted until it goes on the fritz. I'v had a few pretty bad injuries over the last few years, although they are mostly better now. But I do know bad health/fitness can get you down after a while.

Wedding photography isn't much different tbh. Plenty of brides and grooms try to take advantage of photographers. Often if they have booked a nice venue, they think the photographer will discount or even do it for free because they will want it in their portfolio. Others will seek out noobs/students for their free photography.
For allot of photographers wedding photography is hell, and brutally competitive.

When I started out I made a conscious decision to price myself out of that BS (or at least most of it) and just try and deal with the shortage of bookings. I was pretty short of cash for a while, and it would drive my mum crazy when I would turn down offers from B&G's looking to book me at a discount. My mum would be like that's £350 your flushing away when your not even doing anything that day.
I never actually explained this fully to my mum other than say I had a strategy. So she pretty much stayed angry and frustrated with me for quite a while, and thought I was just lazy. I was just worried my strategy might sound a little bonkers.

Basically I'm fairly self aware of my strengths and weakness's as well as certain quirks. Generally I often lack motivation and focus in mundane things and do everything at the last minute. However I knew from previous experience that I become a bit obsessive over anything that becomes a hobby. EVERYTHING.. even tiny things become a big deal to me and I can't help but dedicate huge swathes of time learning/practicing. It's why I'm sure numerous people here have wondered why I have spent so much time arguing over relatively tiny insignificant details in sharpness, dynamic range, autofocus and so forth.. I can't help it.
So basically the plan was to use my OCD/perfectionist tendencies to my advantage.. but in order to do so, wedding photography needed to remain a hobby. This meant I had to try and avoid weddings I wouldn't enjoy.

The main goal was to increase demand by improving my portfolio (I should improve my marketing as well as I suck at that). This meant I placed allot of pressure on myself at weddings. As far as I was concerned I needed to make every one of them count, as my back was pretty much against the wall.

Nowadays things are allot better. Still things are always changing, competition is always getting stronger. I'v noticed some local togs are blatantly copying me. It's to the point where I see they have shot at the same venue as me, but they have used the exact same pose and almost the exact same framing, only more crooked. I'v 'borrowed' allot of ideas myself, but I at least try and add my own spin on it, else it's just a cheap ripp-off.

Also I'm happy that without explaining it, my mum kind of 'gets it' now. I heard her having a conversation with someone who was saying my photography was progressing quickly. She said that's because he becomes a little 'obsessive' with hobbies. Apparently it runs in the family.

Right now the plan is still the same.. treat wedding photography like a competitive hobby and respect it. It's why I set myself a limit of 20-25 weddings a year.

 

[An Exception]

@An Exception
Nice to hear you're doing something you enjoy and that it's working out well for you. In all sincerity good luck with it man.

I'd go the same way myself (not weddings) but a wall of text about my own self confidence and doubts et al to partly justify why I stay in the job I'm in wouldn't make good reading

Well if you are in a job you don't HATE, and you can shoot whatever you like as as a hobby anyway, then in your particular case there may be more risk than reward.
You don't have to be as brave to make the jump when you don't have much to lose.

 

[An Exception]

Decent read! I also do wedding photography, but as I work full time as a photographer in the week, I can't take on more than 10 weddings a year.

I started doing wedding photography with a friend (we already had a photobooth business together) after second shooting for around 3 years. Theres advantages and disadvantages of it being the two of us. We can share the workload, we both have the same vision and style but obviously you only get 50% of the profits as you can't charge double!

This means it can never really be a full time option for us, but we both absolutely love it, it doesn't actually feel like work anymore. I remember we used to get nervous on the day of a wedding but now I can't wait to get started on the morning.

We have taken on 12 weddings this year but to be honest that will be a little too time consuming. With editing/viewings/meetings done at weekends they can take up quite a bit of time when trying to juggle a full time job.

I don't plan on getting rich from weddings, our main aim is to get the nice venues/fun weddings and have enough demand to pick and choose, and earn a bit of holiday money. (we have been able to do this in our second year which is nice)

I like your wedding stuff, it's right down my street. When we started second/third shooting, the style was rather formal and it really did feel like a job then. However when we started up on our own, we covered both formal and our style on the side. Only the informal style would make it onto our website and eventually everybody started to contact us for the style that we enjoyed.

Sounds like you have the best of both worlds, regular income as well as some independence/nice holidays!

 

[An Exception]

I have brides who asks if I won't shoot bridal prep…that actually upsets me a little as I do like it, I try to explain it to them the advantages of having the morning set of photos taken both in terms of memory, and also on the day it gives them a chance of getting used to me moving around them and later on they are less aware of me. I don't see it as I don't have to work as much for the wedding, the opposite in fact.

Yeh I occasionally get that. Usually I think it's because the bride is nervous about having her picture taken, as well as nervous about getting ready for the wedding and wants to eliminate at least one area of stress in order to make things easier.
I tell them being photographed is a bit like jumping into a cold swimming pool. It takes a minute or two to get used to, before you can enjoy the swim. I then suggest maybe it would be better that happens during the morning, than when she's walking into church.
I also advise it's not just beneficial for her (the bride), but all the bridesmaids etc. as for them it's worse as I'm a complete stranger.

The target for me is getting a quality portfolio, I want a killer set of pictures first and foremost. My heart jumps a little when I look at the LCD and sees a good shot, sometimes I go "wow" out loud, the client then go "what?", there are times I make a little smile. It is like a high that I am constantly chasing. Every shot I click has that small chance of me getting that wow, a gasp, and almost like getting high from it , it is this never ending chase that I crave.

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