The 10 Commandments of a Successful Wedding Photographer: by Dominic Lee, AMPA
By
1. Never ever take a booking without a booking fee (average 10%). A deposit is refundable while a booking fee is non refundable.
2. Never ever smoke or drink alcohol while working and always dress as if you are a guest at the wedding. If you want to dress like “an artist” then take up wildlife photography.
3. Never ever give the client printable files on DVD (unless you intend changing career within 3 years). They will print them on cheap fax/copy paper using the printer they got free with the computer which has all the colours of the rainbow in one cartridge!!!!.
4. Never panic, (if you are impatient, dont be a wedding photographer).
5. Always carry a spare camera, flash and spare batteries that are fully charged, (anyone want to buy my old Hasselblad?)
6. Never take photographs during the Gospel or during the Consecration, (it’s as disrespectful as doing a jig during the Nation Anthem).
7. Always tell the Bride to lie to the Hotel manager about the time of the ceremony by +2 hours, (banqueting managers never ever get the timing right and they always and I mean always blame the photographer).
8. Always advise the couple in writing that the price is only guaranteed for e.g. 3 months after the wedding and will increase annually by e.g. 20% (they can take years to place their order and guess who gets blamed for the delay?).
9. Never wait till after the wedding to get the balance. Did you ever hear of a bride & groom paying for their honeymoon when they got back? Most of them have paid the travel agent 100% at least 6 months in advance.
10. Treat all the guests with respect and courtesy. 90% of them will never see your work and will only remember your attitude on the day.
-
Dominic Lee and his wife Mairead are the owners of Priory Studios located in Dublin, Ireland. Dominic is the primary photographer and Mairead manages the accounting and frame production. Additional staff members include: Vladimir who handles digital retouching and printing, and Linda manages the operation.
Phone: +35312880755
Email: info@priorystudios.ie
Website: http://www.priorystudios.ie
Blog: http://www.priorystudios.ie/blog/
Twitter: @priorystudios
Facebook: http://facebook.com/priorystudios
Here’s how you can share your tips, techniques and tutorials on CurrentPhotographer.com
-
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related Posts
- The Good Ol’ Days: by Dominic Lee, AMPA
- Out Of Your Tree 2 – A Great Book for a Great Cause: by Dominic Lee, AMPA
- Three Reasons You’re Not Ready To Shoot A Wedding – And One Way To Fix It: by Angelo Stavrow
- SmartStudio – Wedding Photographer Studio Manager iPhone App
- Photography Burn-Out: How to Avoid It: by Marc Sadowski
You wrote:(anyone want to buy my old Hasselblad?)
Maybe… my husband is really wanting one… what do you have or were you just being silly?
I spoke to Dominic about the Hasselblad comment and it was intended to be a joke. But he did say that if anyone was interested he does have some old Hasselblad gear he might be interested in selling. You can contact him at his email address above.
I have a Hasselblad 500CM with winder/grip, a 60mm a 100mm a 120mm lens and a 40mm fisheye. I also have a 38mm SWC which is fixed to a body. Two 12on backs and a Polaroid back. Any of those appeal to you Dalanae?