Wedding Photography?

[PistolPete]

A quick question - how did you guys initially start getting work???

A few people I / my wife went to school with have recently started up photography businesses and I'm shocked if they are getting work on their websites alone.
Either the sites are poor, their portfolios are lacking or their photography is lacking.

Did you build up portfolios first, or did you start with the bare minimum.
Also, the step to wedding photography is quite big if you've not done one before - how did you get people to take you on? Had you been a second tog first?

 

[An Exception]

I replied to an advert on photographers.co.uk for a second shooter, I got the job from showing portraits of strangers I took in the street.
From the wedding I managed to scrape a decent selection of images from that one gig, I then used that to build a website/blog. My blog was my only source of getting work. It was SLOW for a while. Now that I have begun shooting my own weddings, I am now getting referrals.

 

[AHarvey]

I had a d60, took a few at a friends night do and realised the ISO handling was ****.

A friend asked me to second at their wedding, the tog was cool with it so I helped out, all candids etc. Most of their album were might photos.

A work mate asked me to do one, I took a loan out for £7k and purchased pro equipment, and jumped in with both feet.

Done several weddings, upped prices from £200 to £600. Doing studio shoots etc and just drumming up business.

I've yet to look at albums/photo books for weddings and need to develop a proper pricing scheme, same with prints etc but i've hopefully found some space to use as a studio as and when I need to.

Got to get the website sorted next, can't just rely on facebook and word of mouth

 

[James J]

I had a d60, took a few at a friends night do and realised the ISO handling was ****.

A friend asked me to second at their wedding, the tog was cool with it so I helped out, all candids etc. Most of their album were might photos.

A work mate asked me to do one, I took a loan out for £7k and purchased pro equipment, and jumped in with both feet.

Done several weddings, upped prices from £200 to £600. Doing studio shoots etc and just drumming up business.

I've yet to look at albums/photo books for weddings and need to develop a proper pricing scheme, same with prints etc but i've hopefully found some space to use as a studio as and when I need to.

Got to get the website sorted next, can't just rely on facebook and word of mouth

£7k loan to start? Brave guy! Thats not something I'd fancy doing myself to go into wedding photography personally. If I was to actually do it, I'd have to own quite a few of the necessary lenses before hand and genuinely enjoy doing the style of photography needed for such shots.

Still not my cup of tea though, but I'm earning a nice stream of steady cash through Getty every month now which is only going to increase the longer I stay at it. Over everything else though, this is still my hobby.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I typed up a LONG reply on the same question last year but the thread was deleted...

Short version -

I did the first few for free, then got a break with a friend of one of the bride. That was the first paid one, was "cheap" £500, just disc, no albums. (Though i did make 1 for free from Blurb)

I had about 9 months to save up to get gear and prep myself for it, including a 5Dii.

Everything clicked, the weather was amazing, the couple was awesome, the venue is out of this world and the guests was the best !

Did a couple more for the same that year to get a portfolio going.

Then picked up 7 more the year after, then 14 and about 12 this year. It could both easily been more had there not been lots of double booking. I hate that ! Feels like i am missing out.

 

[An Exception]

I hate double bookings, especially if the double booked wedding is at a really pretty venue, coupled with a witty/cheerful message from the couple. Then I really do feel I'm missing out!

 

[Django x2]

Raymond, you used a 400d at our wedding didn't you!!!! and a Canon Ixus if I remember correctly

 

[Raymond Lin]

Raymond, you used a 400d at our wedding didn't you!!!! and a Canon Ixus if I remember correctly

400D?

You'd be lucky...I recall I had to borrow some guy's camera that morning from the hotel, i think it was a Canon D30 !

Made it work though

 

[AHarvey]

£7k loan to start? Brave guy!

I knew the gear I had wasn't up to the job. I won't disappoint a customer, and a wedding it the best day of their lives (generally) so I wanted to make sure I was limited by skill only and not gear.

Yes, it's a lot of money, yes I am paying it off slowly but it's easily manageable. Also saving for a nice D800 + some video bits and a couple of nice prime lenses next to go with the 2.8's

I want to really push it, it's just finding the time with working full time and having a 9 month old!

Then picked up 7 more the year after, then 14 and about 12 this year. It could both easily been more had there not been lots of double booking. I hate that ! Feels like i am missing out.

Find someone you trust and like and refer them and agree a referral fee?

 

[Raymond Lin]

Find someone you trust and like and refer them and agree a referral fee?

I already have a guy for that No fee though, he's a friend.

 

[James J]

I knew the gear I had wasn't up to the job. I won't disappoint a customer, and a wedding it the best day of their lives (generally) so I wanted to make sure I was limited by skill only and not gear.

Yes, it's a lot of money, yes I am paying it off slowly but it's easily manageable. Also saving for a nice D800 + some video bits and a couple of nice prime lenses next to go with the 2.8's

I want to really push it, it's just finding the time with working full time and having a 9 month old!




Find someone you trust and like and refer them and agree a referral fee?

Yeah when you put it like that, makes sense if you are committed to doing the job. Hope everything works well for you mate!

 

[cokebottles]

Still not my cup of tea though, but I'm earning a nice stream of steady cash through Getty every month now which is only going to increase the longer I stay at it. Over everything else though, this is still my hobby.

What kind of photos do you sell through Getty if you dont mind me asking?

 

[AHarvey]

Yeah when you put it like that, makes sense if you are committed to doing the job. Hope everything works well for you mate!

Thanks, so do I

I'm happy with what I provide, i think it can be improved and I am still looking for "my style" but that'll come.

I enjoy watching other togs, see how they do it, how they organise. I've been to a couple where the one tog was purely candid, no set shots at all, and others where everything was set up, even the candid looking shots

It's interesting to watch, and if Raymond even needs a bitch for the day, more than willing to travel

 

[James J]

What kind of photos do you sell through Getty if you dont mind me asking?

Alsorts of stuff mate, depends on what they actually require. Best selling stuff seems to be food shots, especially food macros.

 

[James J]

Thanks, so do I

I'm happy with what I provide, i think it can be improved and I am still looking for "my style" but that'll come.

I enjoy watching other togs, see how they do it, how they organise. I've been to a couple where the one tog was purely candid, no set shots at all, and others where everything was set up, even the candid looking shots

It's interesting to watch, and if Raymond even needs a bitch for the day, more than willing to travel

I find the organisational side of things fascinating, but I'm awful at portraits as I just seem to miss the moments that would be good to capture. Due to that, its doubtful I'll ever take up wedding photography. Think I'll just stick to what I'm good at

 

[Dj_Jestar]

Do getty take/make requests or is it just that's what is "trending" so you capitalise on it?

Swerving dangerously off topic

 

[James J]

Do getty take/make requests or is it just that's what is "trending" so you capitalise on it?

Swerving dangerously off topic

Both Check out their feed on twitter to see what they currently want and upload their photos to flickr and tag them properly and hope you get noticed. The current most wanted is motorcycle repair, specifically model release shots.

Can always PM me if you want some more info so the thread remains on topic.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I find the organisational side of things fascinating, but I'm awful at portraits as I just seem to miss the moments that would be good to capture. Due to that, its doubtful I'll ever take up wedding photography. Think I'll just stick to what I'm good at

You need to step away from the moment to see the moment.

That, I find is a key to seeing the shot. You need to be an outsider, if you are having fun with them then you are missing the shots.

Everyone is good at different things so it's all works out in the end

 

[James J]

You need to step away from the moment to see the moment.

That, I find is a key to seeing the shot. You need to be an outsider, if you are having fun with them then you are missing the shots.

Everyone is good at different things so it's all works out in the end

Yeah thats probably right. Due to the types of shot I do, I tend to think for so long I'd miss most events if I applied it to candid or portrait photography. I'd find it really hard to back off all the social side of the wedding and concentrate on the job at hand, making me potentially disastrous at it

 

[Greebo]

I Then picked up 7 more the year after, then 14 and about 12 this year. It could both easily been more had there not been lots of double booking. I hate that ! Feels like i am missing out.

Yeah you missed out on a cracker in North Yorkshire