THIS IS A GUEST POST COURTESY OF LAURA BAROVICH of LUMIERE PHOTOGRAPHY
So you want to make that jump into the unpredictable world of wedding photography. Many of us photographers have to start somewhere, whether it be photographing your family, friends and even your church. You find out after much soul searching and prays that you enjoy documenting precious moments because let’s face it, we are the history keepers if it weren’t for us many key moments in history would just be lost. I started just like everyone else, a girl with a mediocre camera and a dream.
In my 1st year, I shot everything and everyone I could get my hands on. Then one day I was asked to shoot a friend’s wedding. I didn’t ask for any form of payment just maybe to bring home some cookies. Armed with my nifty 50 and canon rebel off I went, nervous, borderline having a panic attack honestly. Let me tell you! Some guests had better cameras than I did! But it didn’t care, I was there, mentally and emotionally ready to rock. I worked all day and into the late evening hours on end, the couple gifted me a tip and I was astatic that someone would pay “little ole’ me”.
From that wedding, I booked 4 and it trickled on from there. Here we are about 5 years later and I am exclusively a wedding and engagement photographer. Now you can read as many books and look at as many podcasts as you can to prepare you but nothing prepares you like the school of hard knocks (hands-on, On-site experience). To get you started here are a few tips and wisdom I’ve learned throughout my journey to becoming a wedding photographer.
1. Meeting in person
I can’t stress enough how important it is starting out, to convey your message and enthusiasm to your potential couple. We all want someone to be excited and invested in our life, whether it be weddings, birthdays or anything milestone. Express your personality and who you are. It’s very difficult for someone to not love your work when they love you and your energy!
2. Show your best work in prints
There are so many variations of screen resolution that images can look different from screen to screen. Physically show them how your work looks printed in front of them. This aids in their vision and it shows you are invested. Moments nowadays get shared instantly, then lost in news feeds, show them the value of physical prints.
3. Network, network, network!
This is one of the most important points I will be mentioning. At any wedding, I chat up with all the vendors, venue, DJ, florist, catering, anyone that is willing to talk to me. These guys are one of the key players in my business. Couples build trust in vendors they hire and often end up hiring recommended vendors. I also give vendors the images of their work via their own gallery, sometimes when I’m sending in my print orders, I order matching images for the vendors I’ve worked with so they can display in their businesses as well. Trust me, this goes a long way.
4. Make reviews a part of your workflow
Every year so many couples are looking for their perfect dream wedding team. They are searching through so many photographers in such a saturated market. Reviews are so important to let other future couples know what it’s like to work with you. It gives you a great foundation to build trust.
5. Consistency
I can’t emphasize this enough. Be consistent. Not only in your style but response times, phone calls, check-ins, emails. Everything. People build trust in you being consistent.
I hope this has helped. Remember to never be afraid to make the jump. Wedding photography when planned correctly, becomes a song and dance with you and your couple.
What advice did you find most helpful when you began shooting weddings? Tell us in the comments below!
This article was featured in Summerana Magazine | November 2019 | The Composite Issue. See the full issue here.
I’m doing wedding this coming Saturday what lens will be suitable and why?
What type of shots and poses will you recommend for bride and groom getting ready?
I struggle to get the exposure right in the church with a flash as the lighting is not great in church buildings, normally I get the foreground well exposed but the background is dark I want the entire image to be well exposed?
What mode should I shoot in to get the best results AV, P or Manual, I do shoot a 70D crop sensor camera
Your feedback is much appreciated.
Regards
Vernon
Hello Vernon
Having a selection of lenses is going to be important for a wedding, and if you can get your hand on a second camera, it will stop you needing to switch lenses mid shoot. A wide angle and a longer lens would be ideal.
When using a flash in a dark room, it is good to expose for the ambient light, and use the flash to fill the subject and freeze the motion, this sometimes means using a slower shutter speed, a wide aperture and high ISO and a lower flash power. You will need to experiment to see what settings work best at the wedding. Manual mode will give you all the control you need.
Have you had a chance to join our facebook group, its a great place to get inspiration for poses. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/summerana Everyone is so friendly and helpful there =)
What would you recommend is a great book to use to enhance your photoshop skills? I currently hand PS CS 6
That is a great question. There are probably many books to choose from on amazon maybe search by reviews, so you can find a book that many have found useful?
Have you tried watching video tutorials instead of books? Videos are nice as you can stop and start and see more of the process, with our videos, if you have a question about a particular process, you can email us, or ask in our facebook group and we can help <3 Our tutorials are using Lightroom, Photoshop Cs6 and CC.
Here is one of our tutorials on our blog: https://Summerana.com/how-to-clean-up-strays-hairs-and-retouch-a-portrait-in-photoshop/
That makes sense that you would want to consistently email the client. My sister is getting married in June and needs a good outdoor photographer. I’ll have to hire someone who does well in low-light.