Wedding Photography - How to Market Yourself Successfully As a Wedding Photographer

Oh boy, there are a lot of wedding photographers out there aren't there? Or at least, there are a lot of photographers out there that claim to be good right? I have seen some really terrible shots, and hideous wedding photos, from people who are charging premium prices for their work.

There are many really talented photographers out there, who are not getting the work. So why is this? It can be put down to one simple fact.

Marketing

Let us ponder this point for a moment: If you do not know how to market yourself, then you may be the most talented photographer in the world, but you will remain a very talented, and unemployed photographer. Here are some key points to help you on your way to success as a wedding photographer.

Get Good Quality Printed Material

Nothing says, "I'm awesome" like some really great, good quality printed marketing material. The fact that you are able to produce such good quality material, inspires confidence and trust in your potential customers. Get the best that you can afford. You do not need 1000 brochures, or business postcards etc Quality rather than quantity is paramount if you are to court the right kind of clientele.

Some suggested items include: High gloss promotional postcards, business cards of at least 300gsm (gsm indicates the weight of the paper), glossy tri-fold brochures.

Be Clever with Where You Target your Printed Material

The most obvious place to leave a business card (along with 1000 other budding photographers) are bridal emporiums.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't leave a business card there, but try at least to build a rapport with the staff when you visit, so that you are more memorable than the other 999 photographers who walked in before you.

Feel free to offer them an incentive if the client books you as a result of getting your card/flyer/brochure/post card from them. A simple gift certificate will often suffice. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, then at least reward them if you receive a booking from them anyway - flowers and a box of chocolates are always appreciated, and you can be sure that you will be recommended again.

You can even offer to photograph some of their merchandise, and offer to reciprocate the referral to any brides who approach you, who may not have heard of their particular bridal shop.

If a bride is referred to you by a particular bridal shop, then it is an absolutely wonderful idea to take the bridal shop some of the photographs (displaying their merchandise on the bride) after the wedding. They will be so appreciative to see the end result and it will give them something concrete to show future customers proof of your photographic skill!

Other suggested places to take marketing material include: Premier Wedding Venues, Fabric shops (who specialise in wedding/evening dress fabrics), hair salons (hair stylists are chatty by nature, and if you can get them to talk about you - even better!), wedding planners, event planners etc.

Advertise in Local Business Directories

Sometimes simple is best! Often a local yellow pages (sometimes called white pages in some parts of the world), will have a special 'pink' bridal section.

For most brides, they may not know where to start looking for wedding vendors, and the yellow pages is an often overlooked advertising medium for photographers (our local yellow pages does not have one single listing for a childrens portrait photographer) which could be a potential gold mine if you place the right advertisement at the right time.

Remember that yellow pages get delivered free of charge to all homes and businesses with a listed telephone number - hello!

Join a Local Business Network

Local business networks operate in most major cities, and often have suburban chapters. In many cases they will only permit one person of each profession to join (e.g. one real estate agent, one lawyer, one optometrist, one graphic designer etc), so try to find one that either doesn't have wedding photographer, or photographer at all, or is a new chapter and looking to increase its membership.

They usually meet once a week at a local coffee shop or restaurant, over breakfast, and the meeting allows members to speak about their businesses for 3-5 minutes each (depending on how large the membership is) and then to exchange referrals. e.g. the graphic designer is working on a the invitations for a wedding, and has promoted your services to the bridal couple, and they then pass on the contact details of the bridal couple for you to contact, and showcase your work to.

Be More Versatile in Your Work

Most photographers do not just shoot weddings. When I started out it was in the Sports Action genre, particularly Equestrian photography, and my very first wedding client, was one of the riders who had always liked and purchased the sports photographs that I had taken of her, and asked me if I would shoot her wedding.

It was the perfect opportunity to cut my teeth in a new direction, a small family wedding at home, and it was a huge boost to my confidence when the photos were so well received.

Remember wedding clients can be found anywhere, even in the current economic climate, people are still getting married, and still have wedding budgets so there is no reason not to go out marketing with all guns blazing as normal.

Network with Other Photographers

Believe it or not, other photographers can be your greatest source of work. Have you ever wondered what would happen, if you booked a wedding client, and then the day before the wedding you were suddenly involved in a car accident? What if you were unable to show up and shoot the wedding? Can you imagine the brides dismay when they've probably paid you a hefty deposit, and you suddenly can't produce?

That's why it's best to have back up at every wedding you shoot. Offer another photographer a chance to shoot alongside you, or act as runner, or equipment set up person. Chances are they will do the same for you. If you are suddenly hurt, or unable to shoot for whatever reason, then they can cover the wedding for you.

Just make sure you have clear rules and boundaries regarding who shoots what, who edits, and who gets paid what before you even begin. Most photographers will have a network of photographers with whom they work well together, and it makes it very easy, and smooth if something should happen to go wrong.

It's a good selling point to your potential clients if you are able to reassure them that even if something happens to you, that they have nothing to worry about, and someone will be there to shoot their wedding.

Lastly, Bridal Magazines

While this may seem the obvious choice, advertising in high end magazines is a very expensive though fruitful option. The exposure is good, the readership is huge, and it will in all likelihood yield a great number of bookings for you.

However, it is probably an avenue best left to the wedding photographer who has already made an impact on the local industry, and is just looking to keep exposure and name to a maximum, and perhaps to begin to take bookings on a national or international level.

The best of luck to you with your wedding photography marketing efforts.

Successful Wedding Photography

Wedding Photography can be one of the most enjoyable and lucrative professions within photographic industry, but it can also be one of the most stressful and demanding.

A strong desire to succeed and a perfectionist attitude are essential to move up in this highly competitive market. Wedding photography is all about integrity and professionalism, and being organized and punctual is crucial for success in this field.

Whether you are aiming to be a professional or doing the wedding photography as a favor for a friend or family, there are certain tricks of the trade to make sure that it all goes smoothly. Wedding photography does not include a re-do option, and you have one day to get the shots right.

A good trick to successful wedding photography, is planning a shot list. This helps to get the wedding couple to think ahead about the moments that they want you to capture on the day. Compiling a check list of these will be helpful, especially with the family shots that are generally taken after the ceremony as you do not want to forget an important family member in the family shots. As there are so many styles and themes of weddings, this will also allow you to have a checklist for where you need to be and when, to ensure you do not miss some unique tradition in the wedding ceremony or the moments before and after. Many different religions consider different moments in the whole day as an important moment to be captured and you need to be aware of these before the day.

Knowing the location you are going to be shooting at, or the different locations is also and essential part of successful wedding photography. Scouting the locations will give you some ideas about the positions for shots and the limitations of the location. It will also provide you with an understanding of how the light will come into play.

Be prepared for things to go wrong. Having a back up plan in case of bad weather or any other unpreventable occurrence will make sure you have control of the situation.

Ensuring simple things are taken care of will also go a long way to making the day run smoothly for you. Charging the batteries, having enough blank memory cards, and knowing the routes and time it takes to get to places as well as an itinerary will let you be where you need to be and when you need to be there. Simple things like turning the sound off your camera will also make a difference. Having a beeping camera during speeches or the vows will not add to the atmosphere of the event.

Getting a little creative with your shots will allow you to create a more expressive and impressive wedding album. Wedding photography generally requires a lot of the images to be fairly formal and adding a few artistic pictures will make the album look more professional. Use the light around you (whether with a flash or not) to add extra texture and depth to the pictures.

Whether you are a professional or a generous amateur, wedding photography requires a professional attitude to guarantee that you get the right shots. This is a one time only deal and it is important to make sure you are organized, prepared and ready to tackle wedding photography.

Photo Restoration and Editing For Your Wedding Photos

Taking photos is necessary at wedding ceremonies and other such parties. However, you are not able to get the perfect pictures every time. Sometimes, you are not able to take the perfect pictures because of bad camera quality. Sometimes, you get blurry pictures because of too much movement at the time of taking the picture. And on other occasions, the lighting plays a big role in ruining your pictures. Too much lighting along with bad lighting can also be bad for your pictures. If there is too much light, you will observe glares and extraordinarily white spots in your pictures. With photo restoration, all these problems can be dealt with.

If you have had a bad experience with pictures on your wedding, you can take services from a photo restoration professional to restore your pictures. A lot can be done to your wedding pictures with the help of latest photo editing software and tools. Not only can you restore the pictures that have become faded but you can also add wedding photo effects to them. With the help of photo retouching and photo enhancement, you can bring life to your wedding pictures that have dull colors. Brighter, darker or lighter colors can be added to your wedding pictures with the help of photo editing software.

With a background change, photo restoration experts can create a perfect picture of your couple. Due to bad lighting, your pictures can have a very dark background at times. Who would want to have a dark background on a wedding picture? With background change, you can get rid of the dark background issue from your wedding pictures. If there is something in the background that is ruining a romantic picture of the couple, you can have the background changed to your liking. Even if there is no background or picture is not from your wedding, you can make it a wedding picture by using background change options.

If some features of your face or body are not looking good in the picture, you can make them disappear with the help of photo retouching. Photo enhancement can be used to balance any colors distortion in the pictures. If you visit a professional's office or website, you will find a huge range of wedding photo effects that could be added to your wedding photos. With photo restoration and editing techniques, you can add items on your wedding pictures. How about trying different color effects on your plain white wedding gown?

Wedding Photography - Using Photoshop Actions to Improve Your Wedding Photography Editing

The invention of actions in Photoshop opened up a whole new arena for photographers wishing to improve the look of their work. They are particularly useful in Wedding Photography, where many images need to be edited in a short amount of time.

Actions can be accessed from the Actions panel in Photoshop, where you will find several default actions already there. In short, an action is a tool, which performs multiple repetitive tasks with the press of one button. For example, there are actions for creating soft filters, for turning Wedding Photographs to black and white images and for almost any other action you want to perform.

Many leading Photographers, as well as graphic designers have their own actions, which they have made and are available for sale. There are also millions of photoshop actions available for free on the internet. You can also make your own actions in photoshop, quickly and easily by pressing the record button before you perform a task and pressing the stop button afterwards. You can name this action whatever you like and use it every time you wish to perform that task, with the click of one button.

There are many different types of actions, but some more popular ones will cover different sharpening tools, resizing images, adding borders and giving the image a particular look, like old fashioned, sepia or modern. Some very popular action sets for sale include Totallyrad actions, and Kubota actions. Both of these are utilised by Wedding Photographers extensively to quickly put out the beautiful images that their clients seek.

Starting a Wedding Photography Business - The Details

So You've Got Talent

So you are a photographer and not just any type of photographer you are a wedding photographer. You've chosen a profession that will require many different skill sets, not the least of which is your ability to take a great picture. But there is a lot more to running a successful business than just having a service to offer. Many people have had a great idea or a special talent but have not been able to capitalize on that talent. This series of articles is intended to help you achieve your dream of working on your own, providing a unique service to deserving clients, and doing it all successfully.

The Real Cost of Wedding Photography Business

First and foremost let's get the necessities out of the way. If you're going into business as a wedding photographer there are certain things you are going to have to have at a minimum. Some photographers have done without some of the following items but to be honest I wouldn't suggest it. These are just the basics to get you started. You can build up your equipment later on. Each of the following items is listed within its own article:

• website (with a secure gallery for customers) and email

• marketing plan

• photography equipment and home office

• a second photographer

• insurance, taxes, business license and bank accounts

What's Not Listed

You'll notice that I didn't list photographic skill. When it comes to your skill as a wedding photographer I'm assuming you've already looked at your ability from an objective standpoint and determined that you do have something unique that others will want to pay for. If you have done this you'll also want to make sure you can handle the responsibility associated with wedding photography. This is an extremely special day in a couple's life so you have to be sure you are able to take on the immense responsibility of capturing every moment of that day. If you have both of those items then it's on to looking at the other aspects that make up a business owner's skill set, such as attention to detail, customer centric thinking, and patience.

The Devil's in the Details

Details can make or break a wedding photography business. This is important to realize up front. If you don't pay attention to those details you can easily falter. As a photographer you'll need to pay attention to the details of the wedding. Equally important you'll need to focus on the details of the business. These details include the wording on your wedding contract, the promises you make to your clients, your ability to keep track of the different weddings you might have at any given time. This leads us to the next important part, being customer centric.

The Customer's Always Right

There is a reason that corporations spend so much money on figuring out ways to make customers happy, because it's easier and cheaper to keep a customer than to get a new one. The same goes with the wedding photography biz. If you learn how to make your customers happy you'll get repeat business, referrals, and a better reputation within your community. There is no secret to making your customers happy. Here are some simple things to remember:

• Always deliver what you promise - if you say it will take 2 months to edit their photos it shouldn't take 2 and a half months

• Be quick about your replies - Wedding Photographers are notorious about not replying to emails and calls, set yourself apart by replying to all inquiries within 24 hours at the max

• Be courteous, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful before, during, and after the wedding.

• Always keep in your thoughts that this is someone's special day - When you have edited your 30th wedding and you are looking at your 600th picture in that wedding remember that while this is a job to you, its someone's wedding day

• Don't be on time, be early - Being early to meetings, weddings, and events will allow you to prepare yourself for those events. It also has the added benefit of making you look more professional

• Dress appropriately - Black or natural colors are always a good choice for photographers. Dressing business casual for most weddings will be sufficient but always check with the couple if in doubt. ***Remember, while you should look professional, you should also be comfortable***

Patience is a Virtue

Remember that your photographic skill didn't happen spontaneously so don't expect that your business will boom over night. It takes work to make a business successful and even given all of the right ingredients it still might fail. Even if it fails, learn from your mistakes, try again, and try and try and try. Never give up on something as important to you as pursuing your dream. If you have to work a day job during the week while getting your business of the ground then so be it. If you have to learn how to design websites just to put up your own website, so be it. If you have to shoot weddings for free to build up a portfolio then so be it. Just don't give up.

How do I know all of this?

I'm the owner of a Pensacola wedding photography business. I have built my business from the ground up with no help from anyone else. I started by shooting weddings for free for friends and family members. My first cameras were consumer grade digital Rebels. I've upgraded everything along the way as I could afford it. I trained with a local wedding photographer and have always been into photography, web design and marketing. With these talents I created a solid business that exceeds my customers' expectations, stays profitable, and allows me to live comfortably based only my own skills. I've had failures along the way but have learned from them and have become one of the top Pensacola wedding photographers.

Read On

Please make sure to read the other articles in this series. They cover everything from websites to insurance but by no means are they the end all be all. Take what you can from what I have to offer and learn what you can from other sources. Be a sponge, soak it all in. It is my hopes that it will help you in your effort to run a successful wedding photography business.

17 Great Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

The wedding date is set! Already, the excitement is building for your big day. You want awesome wedding pictures. But the challenge feels daunting. You know your family shutterbug Uncle Ned is not who you had in mind. Chances are you have never hired a photographer before. So where do you start? You know you want to interview the candidates, but what do you ask them? Here are 17 great questions to ask photographers before booking.

1. Are you full-time? When did you start shooting full-time?

The truth is most wedding photography operations are very fly by night. The photographers are doing their photography on a part-time basis with negligible photography experience. Do you believe your once-in-a-lifetime event should be on-the-job training for your photographer? I didn't think so. A full-time photographer has already made the considerable life-long investment of their energy, time and money to create a valued and trusted service. Your wedding memories deserve your photographer's 100 percent commitment not a 20 percent commitment.

2. Why do you like to photograph weddings?

This question helps you to gauge who your photographer is as a person and artist. Take stock of the person's passion and energy. Does he/she seem enthusiastic or kind of flat? People who love what they do have a tendency to be very good at what they do and working with them is always more enjoyable and fun.

Also, knowing a little about what makes the person tick is a good way to feel out what kind of a personality "fit" you may share with the photographer. After all, you will be spending an entire day with your photographer, so do what you can to be sure the person you pick will be genuinely excited to be there and pleasant throughout that day.

3. Will you be the actual photographer to shoot our wedding? If not, who?

It's not uncommon for photographers and larger studios to have a network of shooters. If you learn the person you are talking to will not be the shooter then insist you talk to the person who will and also insist you see their personal portfolio.

4. What kind of input can we have on the shots? i.e. subject matter, shotlists and ideas from other wedding shots we liked?

A formals/posed groupings worksheet is sometimes necessary when planning when and how to get that part of your wedding completed and done in time. Lots of communication is key here. When working with a good wedding photographer, it is important when capturing the unique qualities and moments of your wedding to keep it open-ended for your photographer. A good photographer cannot produce every photo you can think of, but he/she can produce photos you never dreamed of.

5. (For self-described photojournalists) How much of your candid-looking work is posing and setting-up of shots or do you get shots as they happen without posing or reenactment?

"Wedding photojournalist" has become a buzzword which has lost its specific meaning with its surge in popularity among photographers. Often, the term "photojournalist" means candid-looking when used by photographers and studios to describe their own work. Often these photographers will set up and reenact a few things during your wedding day but rely heavily upon traditional portraiture for a lot of your photos... there is nothing wrong with this approach if you are comfortable with that. However a true wedding photojournalist has the talent and ability to anticipate, observe and "see" moments as they happen without the need to interfere with the natural flow of your wedding day.

6. Are the digital files available on CD/DVD? If so, are they high resolution?

This is a popular request by couples. The discs can vary widely in price. Also ask if there are any discounts applied to the CD/DVD after a certain time has passed from the wedding. For example, the photographer may offer the discs at half-price two years after the wedding.

7. What kind of improvements do you make to the files on the CD/DVD?

It is nice to have your pictures in hand to keep safe and make whatever prints you like. Keep in mind all digital images on the disc should be toned, adjusted and worked a little to make an adequate print. You should have some guarantee of the quality of pictures on the disc.

8. Do you have a list of references with contact info?

This is a rarely asked but very effective question. A real live person who has worked with a photographer will give you valuable, objective information.

9. Who do you carry liability insurance with?

Businesses that adhere to professional practices will deliver professional service and results to you. Chances are slim you will ever have to worry about insurance coverage. But accidents can and do happen. Would you let a roofing company put a new roof on your home that did not have liability insurance? How about a mechanic working on your car? I hope not.

10. What is the delivery time for the various products you offer?

It really shouldn't take half a year to receive an album, your proofs or any other products. Try to be timely with any input your photographer requires as far as albums, edits to help this process along.

11. With the albums, how does the design and picture selection process work? Are there any fees for changes we would like prior to the album's production?

You should have some input into important keepsakes of your wedding like an album. Some photographers charge extra for a certain number of changes to the albums they design for you prior to the printing and binding of any album. Make sure such fees are all clearly stated. Beware of time deadlines too, they are necessary to preventing production bottlenecks.

12. When will the proofs be ready? Is there a time limit for the online proofing galleries?

If working with a digital photographer, online proofing (when you first get to see your photos online) should be completed within a couple of weeks of your event. The time period of online availability for those galleries varies among photographers. Some post them for three months, others post for a full year. Check with your photographer.

13. What happens if the photographer is ill? What about back-up equipment?

Any successful, established professional studio should have a network of shooters available for emergency help. You should have a written assurance the substitute photographer will be a competent professional.

14. Should our event last longer than scheduled? Will the photographer stay, are there extra charges?

Most weddings will not exceed a six to eight hour time commitment from your photographer. If you think you will need more time, find out how your photographer handles extra hours.

15. What associations do you belong to?

Another useful way to gauge a photographer's qualifications and professional commitment.

16. Why should we hire you?

Again, this question is similar in spirit to Question 3. Your photographer's answer should communicate some excitement about the privilege to shoot your wedding.

17. May we see your second photographer's entire shoot from a wedding?

Wedding photography studios often promote themselves as two shooter "teams." They are often a husband and wife duo. They are usually not the 2-for-1 benefit they advertise. For the most part they are maybe one decent photographer and a person who is nothing more than a camera holder with with very little qualifications or experience. Have you seen an entire take of both photographers? Insist on seeing the second photographers entire shoot.

Wedding Photography - Capturing the Memories of Your Big Day on Video

By capturing the memories of your wedding ceremony and the reception that follows, you will be able to relive them time and again through the years through pictures. Wedding photographers have traditionally played an important role in capturing the joy and emotions of this special day. Today, there is a new tradition in wedding photography, recording the event on video. Whether in Blue Ray, HD, or regular DVD format, videographers can keep these memories alive by memorializing your big day on video.

This article explores some things to keep in mind when hiring a videographic expert, including why using a friend or family member isn't a good choice and how your video expert can work as a team with your wedding photographers.

Choosing A Friend Or Family Member

While choosing a friend or family member to video your ceremony might be the only option if you're on a budget, a professional will usually provide you with a better video. A videographer uses high quality equipment and has the experience to understand vital components like multiple camera placements, getting the best sound quality, and editing a video into a treasured piece of memorabilia.

A professional will also know how to stay out of the way of your wedding photographers so they don't end up in your final album. Additionally, if you choose a friend or family member, they cannot enjoy this special day with you because they will be working diligently to video the event.

Make Sure You Can Film

Many venues have strict rules that do not allow for filming. Make sure you are allowed to film before you hire a videographic expert. In addition to getting permission from your ceremony location, get written permission from your rehearsal dinner and reception hall venues as well.

Book Your Videographer Early

There are fewer professionals that specialize in videos than there are photography services. Most talented videographers stay booked for months in advance, so contract your professional early. This allows enough time for exploring a venue and planning the best location for cameras and equipment.

Video And Photo Experts Working Together

It's all about capturing that perfect moment at the right time. Wedding photographers watch for that perfect moment with an eagle eye. Videographers work to document your event by quickly catching those spontaneous moments that make for special memories.

Make sure the professionals you hire can work together. Hiring photographic experts that have never worked at an event that also included a video expert can lead to problems. Put both professionals in contact with each other so they can make a plan for staying out of each other's way while also providing you with beautiful photos and video of your special day.

Some wedding photographers work with certain videographers all the time. This usually results in a strategy that works well for everyone. Many companies can even provide you with a team that is accustomed to handling both tasks effectively. Whether you're in a small town or a big city like Chicago wedding photography professionals can beautifully document your big day, leaving you with a way to relive your treasured moment for a lifetime.