Archive for Wedding Photography
The Importance Of Wedding Preparation Photography Part 1
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So often in wedding photography we tend to overlook some of the smaller events of the day. Whether it be the grooms preparation because we only have one photographer or maybe the departing shots of the couple because of contract time limitations. All of the events of the day are important and for a bride and groom trying to remember specific moments of the day later in life can be difficult. There is so much emotion, so many family and friends to meet and talk to, so many places to be and schedules to follow that they tend to lose focus of the minor moments and they become erased from memory. I myself think back now and have a very vague recollection of preparing for my own wedding, what I was doing immediately before the wedding, and a lot of the reception is fuzzy and not because of any alcohol. There is just so much to focus on that you tend to just remember the big ticket items of the day.
This is where you as a wedding photographer get to play the superhero. It is your job to capture these fleeting moments in time so that you clients can relive these nearly forgotten memories in a way maybe they didn’t recall. Read More→
Every Once In A While We Need A Reminder
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I was reminded recently why I became a wedding photographer. Not long ago I was visiting one of my wedding clients, dropping off an album from their wedding, when they invited me in to view a wall they had decorated in the house they recently bought just before their wedding. I walked in, turned the corner, and was amazed at what I saw. They had decorated the entire wall with photos from their wedding, engagement, and bridal sessions. All of the photos on the wall were photos that I had taken for them.
It touched me in a way I hadn’t realized before. Seeing how they placed the images I captured in such a prominent way in their home, it made me realize that wedding photography involves much more than just photographing the couples day. What we do lasts their lifetime. To know that the art I create is cherished so much by the people that hire me humbled me. The gift we have as photographers to create art or to “paint with our lens” (like I like to say) touches our client’s emotions. We capture their memories, their most precious moments, on film for them to cherish and enjoy for years to come. As wedding photographers we are able to touch people’s lives in a way that few others can and it is a great responsibility that we should not take lightly. Read More→
Dealing With Less Than Cooperative/Absent Guests
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There is a critical piece of CYA that I incorporate into my wedding contracts that I never thought I would need but got the idea from reading about other photographer’s experiences. The responsibility of capturing important people in the formal photos and ensuring they are present to be in the photo. In one of my previous posts I discussed the possibility of having to deal with less than cooperative guests. I wanted to expand on that and more specifically narrow that down to the formal wedding photos and the guests that are included in them.
Formal wedding photos can be a frantic situation for a new or shy photographer. Generally you have a very limited window to get a very large number of people set up in several different poses with people who all want to move onto the party all while trying not to sweat to death and maintain your professionalism. The most important thing to do is maintain an element of control. You are the paid photographer, you are in charge. Yes, Aunt Sally may want to get a quick shot but unfortunately, you are on a schedule and that schedule doesn’t allow for Aunt Sally to hold the show up. On top of that you realize that Grandma and Grandpa decided that they wanted to high tail it to the reception. What to do now? Read More→
Dealing With Less Than Cooperative Wedding Guests
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Ah yes, the age old problem. Open Bar + Close Proximity To Others + Party = the Less Than Cooperative Guest. It’s something that we’ve all had to deal with and if you haven’t yet as a wedding photographer, you will. There is always the one guest that has had a little too much to drink and either offers an abundance of unsolicited advice or proceeds to just make your night rough. As a professional you should remember that you are there at the request of the wedding couple and most importantly, you have a job to do. This is business, nothing personal.
I’ve had this happen to me unfortunately on a couple of occasions. I’ve had the “friend” who is a photographer come up to me and try to “one-up” me on everything from equipment, to style, to poses for photographs. I’ve also had the gentleman who’s had one too many proceed to try and get in every single photo I took whether he was supposed to be in the shot or not. These kinds of things are going to happen and these aren’t the kind of things your photography class instructor probably went over very much when you took their crash course. The most important thing to remember is to maintain your composure. Most of the time they don’t have a clue who you are and are just talking to someone who will listen. I make it a point to try and be as professional and courteous as possible and let them know that unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time to chit chat right now that the bride and groom are on the move. You will learn what works best for you the first few times you use it.
As for the wedding guest who insists on trying to get in every shot that I am taking whether invited or not, that is going to take a little more tact and a little more “air of authority” in your voice. I make it a point to lower the camera and with a smile on my face, politely ask the guest to please step aside for just a few seconds while I gather this shot. Most of the time they will comply. If in the event they do not, you have a few options but one that I would probably employ is simply to ask the guest you are trying to focus on to simply change their location so as you might get their shot without interruption. I’m sure they will be more than accommodating.
Defining Your Photography Business: by Sheryl Warwick
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Many people who start off in photography as a business will take every single dollar that comes their way. I know because I did, we all have to make ends meet. I started off with the goal of shooting weddings as my profession. I remember what I paid my wedding photographer and thought I could make a good living doing that. I started doing some engagement photography and worked my way into booking weddings. I had shot about 3-4 weddings when I realized wedding photography was not for me. I continued to do it because I loved photography and remembered how much I wanted to do it as a career.
Eventually I had a few clients ask for some boudoir photos as wedding presents. I admit I had given my husband a set for our big day. So I obliged and started doing my research on how to give my clients the best images possible. I did my homework and looked at styles from photographers across the country. I picked what I liked and what I found appealing to me. Then I sculpted it to fit what I envisioned. My first 3 clients shoots went great and I decided I wanted to post a gallery on my site so I could book more of these clients. Since many of my brides had their grooms shop my site for their wedding day photographer, I chose to make a whole new site devoted to boudoir so they wouldn’t have their surprise spoiled. This was the best decision of my life. It might not fit the bill for you and your business, but for me, it’s exactly what the doctor ordered. Read More→
Controlling Efficiency in Photo Processing: by William Petruzzo
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In today’s competitive photography world, it’s a must that the professional photographer carefully select the best images to give to the client and to process each of those photos to their very best. But for many photographers, especially photographers new to the market, or even just the hobby, dealing with a huge number of images can be, well, daunting. Many underestimate the importance of developing and adhering to a workflow that will help them remain efficient with their time and energy. After all, if you charge $300 for a 1 hour portrait session, but take 6 hours to sort and edit the photos, you’ve severely diminished the value of your time. If you’ve read Angelo Stavrow’s outstanding article, “Three Reasons You’re Not Ready to Shoot a Wedding”, this article aims to help you get past number 2.
When I first started my business in 2003, scheduling was difficult because it was hard to estimate how much time I’d have free for shoots and processing of the resulting images. It also added significant challenge to forecasting profits and establishing reasonable pricing structures that made the money worth my time and energy. Over time, we have developed a mature and consistent workflow which all photographers we work with adhere to. It helps to keep us consistent and timely in our delivery of images. As well as helping to ensure that those images are safe in the event of a disaster.
So, in the interest of helping newcomers work out their own strategies and start working on the important stuff as soon as possible, here are some of the things we’ve learned and you might want to keep in mind. At the end, I have also included a quick sample of a workflow using Adobe Lightroom. It’s fairly basic, but a good place to start if you find yourself stranded in a sea of awesome photos you don’t know what to do with.
The Art of Being Inconspicuous
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Weddings are very expensive, very personal, very intimate events to be shared by the wedding couple and their closest friends and family. It’s a time when two people promise before the world their love for one another and their commitment to each other till death do them part. It’s truly a once in a lifetime event. Never again will these two people stand together at this moment, in front of these people, saying these words to one another. The last thing they want is some goofy photographer running around getting in the way and causing a distraction! It’s our job as professionals to not become part of the event but to simply capture the event for the couple and their family to enjoy for generations to enjoy.
I know it’s hard to stay inconspicuous while at the same time capturing once in a lifetime moments but it can be done. I am a 6’ 2” 300lb beast of a man and I can blend in with the best of them. The trick is being aware of your surroundings. Plan out your shots. Be familiar with the schedule of the event so you know when and where to be for all the right moments. There is no reason to be running up and down the aisle if it’s not necessary. Many ministers don’t appreciate it and most of all your clients and their guests will not appreciate the distraction. Here are some tips I employ to practice what I call non-invasive wedding photography.
Invest in a quality long lens. Somewhere in the 70-300mm area and make sure it has IS (image stabilization). These lenses take great photos, are wonderful at getting close-ups of the ring exchange and first kiss as well as capturing those intimate fleeting moments between the bride and groom all the while letting you remain behind the wedding guests but still able to capture wonderful images. Long lenses allow you to be where you need to be without you being in the way. Ever heard the expression “you make a better door than you do a window”? Guests will appreciate it that you are not distracting them from an event. I attended an event one time where the photographer had an assistant who was holding 2 slave flashes and he had the master on his DSLR. He was running (literally running) up and down the aisles to capture that shot. When the bride and groom were leaving back down the aisle he had all flashes going off in front of them as he and the assistant walked backwards down the aisle not 8 feet from the bride and groom. It was distracting, I was distracted. I don’t remember much about that wedding but I remember a lot about that photographer and that is not the kind of memory we want to be remembered for. Read More→
Tying The Knot: 5 Preparations For The Wedding Day
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There’s a popular saying: failing to prepare is preparing to fail. And this is true.
I have my own take on it which goes: have you seen 127 Hours?! Do you realise that failing to prepare could mean the loss of your freaking arm?!
Ok, hopefully nothing that drastic will happen to a wedding photographer! But then again, screw up someone’s wedding photos and they might want to tear more than just an arm from you – without the use of knives!
So here, for your health, are 5 essential preparations for any wedding day:
1: The run sheet: this is so important it starts with a “The”! The run sheet tells you where you have to be at what time and all the little nuances of the day. Without it you’re working blind.
Ideally you should have a first draft a few weeks before the wedding so you can familiarise yourself with the day and plan your driving routes, timings, and equipment requirements. Some of this you may have already covered off if you’ve been diligent and performed a location scout.
There will be tweaks leading up to the day which the couple should keep you abreast of but the first draft will allow you to map out 95% of the day.
On the day don’t take any chances; be savvy and have a printed copy in your pocket and a backup sitting in Dropbox so you can access it on your iPhone in case of emergency.
2: Batteries: goes without saying but it’s easy to put this simple task off until you realise you don’t have time to charge them all! Camera batteries are crucial and you should have a spare for each body you’re using plus ideally a charger for each body to reduce charging time. I use two bodies and have two chargers but with 4 batteries to charge that means I still need a few hours to top them up!
And if you’re using speedlites then the batteries and spares for those will also need to be charged.
Connecting With Potential Clients At A Wedding
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Weddings are great ways to gather new business. For one, the wedding couple has already placed their stamp of approval on you by hiring you to capture their special day. You have instant access to lots of potential clients from expectant moms, to high school seniors, to newly engaged couples, to family photos. Every potential client in one place. So how do you reach them? There’s a few different ways to do this without being disrespectful to your paid clients, the bride and groom.
One method that I like to use is the couple card. I take a few photos that I have taken of the couple and I create a 4×6 image with their photo as well as my information at the bottom. I also include my website and album information for the event. I normally print anywhere from 60-100 images and have them displayed somewhere around the sign-in table. They are 4x6s so they are inexpensive and they make great keepsakes for the wedding guests. Many times if you print more than one image people collect them. Its great branding for your business and inexpensive advertising.
Another great way is to talk to the guests. Get to know them a little bit. If you see some children dancing on the dance floor and children’s photos are your things, get a little creative with your images. Many times guests will go to the album and order photos of them from the event. Getting great shots of their kids keeps you in mind when they are thinking of new family photos.
Another great advertising piece is Facebook and other social media outlets. I know, I know, everyone uses Facebook but really it works. I have received quite a bit of repeat business and new customer business via Facebook from other events that I have posted. By posting images of your events and tagging yourself as well as your clients it gives their friends the opportunity to visit your business page and look at your work. It increases traffic to both your business page and your website. I try to only post a few images of events on Facebook and then provide a link to the entire album on my website thus driving traffic to the site. The key here is timing. You need to be quick. I always post a group of “teaser” shots from the event no later than 4 days after the wedding. This keeps the event fresh in the guests mind and the couple is usually still on their honeymoon so when they return to internet surfing they get to view some of their photos right away. This is a great advertising took and costs you nothing other than time. Read More→
Tying The Knot: Managing New Clients
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It’s easy to get caught in the trap of assuming that clients know as much as we do about wedding photography and styles, how much professional photography should cost, why albums always rule over CDs, or which are the best wedding blogs and magazines. In reality many of them, quite understandably, don’t have a clue about wedding photography or how to book a photographer and are possibly terrified by the prospect of approaching a professional artist.
I mean, I have no idea how much sculptors charge or how to approach one for a commission. Do you? I’d probably say something like “Er, hi, I’d like a sculpture please. Nothing too big, something around 12” x 8” with some wood in it will do. How much will that cost? And does it come with a CD? Wait, why are you pushing me out of the door?!”.
So when you receive an email asking how much 3 hours of wedding photography costs and if a CD is included, exercise patience (ok, after you’ve had a deep breath and bitten your tongue!). You don’t know who’s at the end of the email or what their budget is, and the last thing you want is to end up looking like that sales assistant in Pretty Woman!
I had a similar situation very recently. An email flew in from a couple saying they’re planning a small wedding of just 25 guests and how much would it cost for 2-3 hours of photography to cover the morning ceremony?
My initial reaction was mixed. As an emerging wedding photographer I need to book as many weddings as possible for experience and for my portfolio and their ceremony was going to be at a really pretty location. But at the same time my business head said that reducing my cost based on just 3 hours of shooting would lose me money on a precious Saturday and therefore I should turn this down and hope that something on a larger scale would come along for the same day.
How would I handle the response to this enquiry? Read More→
