Getting into the wedding photography business is about more than being a wedding photographer. You have to be willing to be your own advertiser, networker, manager, and contractor. Don't quit your day job until you really know what you're in for. Being a wedding photographer involves more than weddings.
In an industry likes the "wedding industry" is solely dependent on itself. Weddings depend on more weddings. So, your first battle is referrals. The only way to start is to work with people you know doing jobs that don't pay you quite what you'd like. However, from your first friend whose wedding you do because you're friends you will be multiple referrals for people you don't know. There's also the business of doing engagement photos and other wedding-type photography that can keep you busy.
Once you get started you still need to be visible. With the internet at hand you can advertise on Twitter, Facebook, and many other websites where people are looking for wedding services. Also keep in mind that people who do those wedding services; Caterers, ministers, and wedding planners tend to refer people as well. For every wedding planner that gets a new client they can easily say, "Hey, I know this great new photographer" and you're in. Make as many friends as you can so that you don't have to do all the work yourself. Your network of colleagues can do tons of heavy lifting for you.
At the very beginning you're smart to use your friends and family as initial clients and guinea pigs. They will be more than happy to get a discount on their engagement pictures and on their wedding. One wedding photographed for a friend and you're instantly ready to keep working. You'll have pictures you can show to prospective clients, and it won't be long before you friends start telling their other friends to call you.
Be very meticulous about servicing and building up your clientele. That's where most of your referrals come from, and even though the first few jobs may not pay very well, they pay off in the end with more work. Plus, when you're in the "off season" you can use those same referrals for family portraits, head shots, and other photo work. They aren't weddings, but they pay the bills and keep you busy.
If you work hard at promotion and networking you will find more than enough jobs during the spring and summer. But, what do you do the rest of the year? You're going to have to be willing to versatile.
A photographer doesn't just "do weddings" regardless of what you may think or they may tell you. Photographers do family portraits, birthday, Bar Mitzvah, anniversary, and even commercial shoots when they aren't working on weddings. Again, it's smart to know people. That same caterer that referred you to your first wedding may be catering a luncheon where they can recommend you for the company's staff portraits. It may not seem ideal, but it's a part of the business you have to get used to. The winter months can move very slowly, but that's a storm you can weather with an open mind and a good attitude.
In an industry likes the "wedding industry" is solely dependent on itself. Weddings depend on more weddings. So, your first battle is referrals. The only way to start is to work with people you know doing jobs that don't pay you quite what you'd like. However, from your first friend whose wedding you do because you're friends you will be multiple referrals for people you don't know. There's also the business of doing engagement photos and other wedding-type photography that can keep you busy.
Once you get started you still need to be visible. With the internet at hand you can advertise on Twitter, Facebook, and many other websites where people are looking for wedding services. Also keep in mind that people who do those wedding services; Caterers, ministers, and wedding planners tend to refer people as well. For every wedding planner that gets a new client they can easily say, "Hey, I know this great new photographer" and you're in. Make as many friends as you can so that you don't have to do all the work yourself. Your network of colleagues can do tons of heavy lifting for you.
At the very beginning you're smart to use your friends and family as initial clients and guinea pigs. They will be more than happy to get a discount on their engagement pictures and on their wedding. One wedding photographed for a friend and you're instantly ready to keep working. You'll have pictures you can show to prospective clients, and it won't be long before you friends start telling their other friends to call you.
Be very meticulous about servicing and building up your clientele. That's where most of your referrals come from, and even though the first few jobs may not pay very well, they pay off in the end with more work. Plus, when you're in the "off season" you can use those same referrals for family portraits, head shots, and other photo work. They aren't weddings, but they pay the bills and keep you busy.
If you work hard at promotion and networking you will find more than enough jobs during the spring and summer. But, what do you do the rest of the year? You're going to have to be willing to versatile.
A photographer doesn't just "do weddings" regardless of what you may think or they may tell you. Photographers do family portraits, birthday, Bar Mitzvah, anniversary, and even commercial shoots when they aren't working on weddings. Again, it's smart to know people. That same caterer that referred you to your first wedding may be catering a luncheon where they can recommend you for the company's staff portraits. It may not seem ideal, but it's a part of the business you have to get used to. The winter months can move very slowly, but that's a storm you can weather with an open mind and a good attitude.
About the Author:
Visit Samuel Burns's website to view his award winning Photography and his wedding photography sydney
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