Sparkography

For many working photographers the most stable form of regular income is weddings, and that’s the area I’ve chosen as the basis of my business model as I prepare to become a full time pro. Let’s face it, people are always going to get married and with divorce rates increasing they’re probably going to do it at least twice! Ok, maybe that was a bit mercenary but you get the point: love them or hate them, weddings are here to stay and they will provide a valuable income stream to photographers who know their bouquets from their bombonieres.

And therein lies the challenge. The classic catch 22. How do you become a good wedding photographer if you haven’t shot a wedding? How do you persuade a newly engaged couple that they should entrust the documentation of one of the most important days of their lives to you? I know couples that would rather you take their first born than mess up their wedding photos. Hordes of bridezillas and even groomzillas are on the increase, stomping over perfectly manicured ceremonial gardens worldwide, and don’t forget about their mothers too! Think of it this way – bumble about like Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and it will be your funeral. So no pressure on the new guys then!

Ok, well every wedding photographer has to start somewhere and I’ve identified three solutions to get me into the market:

1 – Be a second shooter. This is a great way to get a feel for the frenzy and pressure of a wedding without too much risk. Shadow an established wedding photog (ideally one who shoots in the same style that you’re planning to use e.g. traditional, photojournalistic, contemporary) and take instruction on which shots they need you to cover while they focus on other people and locations. This provides invaluable experience not only behind the lens but also in terms of logistics such as changing memory cards mid-shoot and remembering which ones are full and which ones aren’t – in other words stuff you really don’t want to mess up! I’ve become friends with a few local wedding photogs and when the season starts to heat up again I’ll be offering my services. An alternative option, if you know the bride and groom, is to offer to be a second shooter for practice. This is pretty much a no-brainer for the couple as they get another set of photos for free and the official photographer will normally be cool with the idea as long as you don’t stray into their shots! I’ve had the opportunity to second shoot a couple of weddings and the shots turned out really well. In fact one of the couples printed and framed one of my shots for their wall!

2 – Friends and family. Pretty logical, but friends and family know you and your ability better than anyone. They also probably see more of your work than anyone else. So if they know you’re good then they’ll trust that you’ll do a good job for them and in return you will obviously charge mates rates, so a win-win situation. Risk is also reduced slightly as they probably won’t be so harsh if the shots don’t turn out quite as well as you or they expected. Well, at least not to your face! It goes without saying that social media is crucial for building up that pool of friends and knowing when engagements are occurring.

3 – Stage a shoot. Having been on modelmayhem for a while I’ve got used to staging shoots i.e. working up concepts, finding locations and directing models. So I thought I’d apply that to experience to a wedding. Fortunately my friends Katrina and Hayden (a very happily married couple I might add) offered to don the special garments again so I can bring to life some of the concepts I’d like to offer clients. We found a couple of amazing locations which would be perfect for weddings (albeit they were actually an adolescent unit and a mental hospital!) and got a whole heap of great shots within a couple of hours. The couple were very happy with them, and a poll of the girls in the office told me they were of the quality they would expect and pay for. And as an added bonus I’ve had several referrals from them to their engaged girlfriends!

My full set of photos from the shoot with Katrina and Hayden can be see here

So I’m taking a three pronged approach which has already given me a wealth of experience as I head towards my first wedding as lead photographer. I already have a booking for early 2011 but I know I’m ready if another comes in sooner.

Do you shoot weddings or are you already married and have tips for any would-be wedding photographers? If so I’d love to hear your comments!