Maui Wedding Photographer

Wedding Photography Careers And What

You Need To Know

Part Four

In my final part of the four part series, I will round off the final steps of advice for starting your wedding photography career.

1. If you have shaky hands, you may want to consider using a tripod. Other reasons to use a tripod include, but are not limited to: you’re using a very large, as well as slow, telephoto lenses, if you’re attempting to shoot photos in low light, if you have the need to take several consecutive identical shots (such as with HDR photography), in the event you are taking panoramic shots, then using a tripod is highly suggested. For real long exposures (usually lasting more than a second or more), I would recommend a cable release (especially for older film cameras) or a remote control. This would be a great use of the self-timer feature.

Of course there are disadvantages to the use of a tripod. A tripod prohibits your ability to move around and therefore not allowing for a quick change framing your shot. In addition, the additional weight you would have to carry around. As a general guideline, a tripod is only needed if your shutter speed is either equal to or is slower than the reciprocal in your focal length. If you are able to avoid the use of a tripod, usually by using faster ISO speeds and faster shutter speeds, or using image stabilization features on your camera, or just moving to a location that has better lighting, I would suggest doing that.

2. Remain calm and relaxed when you go to push the shutter button. Also, try not holding your camera up for too long of a time. This may cause your arms and hands to become heavier, thus causing them to be prone to shaking. A good idea is to practice bringing your camera up towards your eye, while focusing and metering, then taking the shot in one smooth and swift motion.

3. Be aware of the “red-eye” effect. Red-eye is caused when the eyes dilate in lower level lighting. When your pupils are enlarged, the flash actually will light up the blood vessels on the back wall of your eyeballs, which cause it to look red. If you feel that you need to use a flash in poor lighting, try getting the person you are photographing to not look directly towards the camera or maybe consider using a “bounce flash”. If you aim your flash above your subject’s heads, especially if the surrounding walls are light, allows the avoidance of the red-eye effect. If you don’t have the use of a separate flash gun, which can be adjustable, use the red-eye reduction feature on your camera (if available). It may flash a couple of times prior to opening the shutter, which usually is the cause of your subject’s pupils to contract, therefore minimizing the red-eye.

4. Use your flash only when you have to. A flash in poor lighting can quite often create ugly reflections or give the photo the appearance of your subject with a “washed out” look. However, a flash can be very useful for filling in the shadows and eliminating the “raccoon eye” or the “bags under the eyes” effect you may get in bright midday light. Of course, that will depend on whether or not your flash sync speed is fast enough.

5. Go through your photographs and decide on which ones are your the best ones. Decide on what makes the best photos. Then continue to use that method that gave you your best shots. Don’t be afraid to delete or throw away photos. You need to be brutally honest with yourself to move forward; be critical, as it will only make you better. If you’re shooting with a digital camera, then it won’t cost you anything other than your time. However, before you delete your photos, what can you take away from looking at your worst pictures.

6. Practice, practice and practice some more. Take as many photos as you can. The more photos you take the more comfortable and better you will become. Not to mention, the more you (and everyone) will enjoy looking at your photos. Shoot from various angles, as well as new or different subjects and keep working at it. You can even take the most boring of subjects and turn into something amazing. Get to know the ins and outs of your camera and its limitations. Also, how well it performs with different forms of lighting, how well the auto-focus performs at a variety of distances, as well as how it shoots moving subjects, and so on.

So as you can see, there’s much more in becoming a successful wedding photographer than just getting a new camera. I hope you enjoyed and learned from this Four Part Series. If you become an expert in all these above steps, along with staying focused and determined, and soon you will reap the benefits of this exciting career field.

How To Start A Wedding Photography Business

You decide to become a photographer and want to specialize in wedding photography. The big question remains, “how do I start a wedding photography business?” It is real simple, but expect do to some work. Below I have outlined some of the basic steps in order to get you started in wedding photography.

v    Put together a portfolio

v    Start a web site

v    Get business cards

v    Plan advertisement

v    Make a price list

Putting Together A Portfolio

The first thing you want to do is to put your business portfolio together, along with a name for your business. You want a name that no one else is using, so you will to research that. You want a name that reflects who you are, since it will be on everything you do. The name also needs to be professional, but something unique so that people will remember your name.

Now that you have the name, you want to put together a great portfolio. This portfolio, along with pricing, will determine if you get the bid or not. So plan carefully and be sure it’s something you can parlay to your potential client what you can do.

Start by getting a really nice portfolio binder, as it will be the first thing your client sees when you sit down with them. Then include a wide range of shots, from groups to candid and be sure to include your very best photos as you client will visualize themselves in your photos.

If you have never photographed a wedding before, you will not have photos to showcase to clients. My recommendation is to shoot friends or family pictures to start. Even if they hired a professional, ask that you do it for free for the experience and to build a portfolio. You will see the more weddings you shoot, the better your shots will become.

Start A Web Site
A web site is just as vital today as ever before. This is a great way for potential clients can visit your interactive portfolio. Shop the competition and see what they are doing and notate what you like and don’t like and create your site around that.

Today, domain names are cheaper than ever and many host sites offer you web design templates, which makes it easy for you to design your own site with. You can incorporate everything through your site such as photos, policies, pricing, scheduling and contacting you. Remember, your portfolio may determine whether or not you get the job, it has to sell – you!

Get Business Cards

When considering your business cards, you want to keep it clean and simple. Your card should include your pertinent information, such as your name, phone number, email address and/or website. If you have a business logo, that should also be included as many will associate that logo with you.

Other things to consider is the use of color on your cards, but too much color can clutter your card, so consider this wisely, as well as the finish of your card, such as matte, glossy or other options. When it comes to having someone print your cards, there are many options available today. You have copy shops, graphics businesses and on-line businesses. Shop around to find the best value for your money.

Plan Your Advertisement

This is where the term, “you have to spend money, to make money” comes from. You can be the best wedding photographer with the hottest web site, but if no ones knows who you are, then you will not get any business.

For a wedding photographer, your best bet is to go to wedding and bridal shows. For a fee you can set up a table and really sell yourself to hundreds of potential clients. Much like the portfolio, this is where you can really sell yourself if done right. Come prepared with samples of your work, your portfolio, maybe a laptop to show your web site and bring a calendar, because if you sold yourself properly, you will have people asking about your availability and you may just walk out of that show, not only with potential work, but actual scheduled weddings.

If you want to hit a broader audience, consider advertising in local newspapers, magazines, phone books or on local cable television.

Make A Price List

Not sure what to charge for your work? The best way to determine pricing is to shop the competition. Figure out what the average price is for various of packages that you can offer your client. You may also take into consideration your experience and start on the lower scale and increase your pricing to be matched with your competition as you grow as a wedding photographer.

A wedding photography business is a great way to earn some extra money and allow you to be creative and grow within your own hobby. Plan out your business based on these steps and you will be bound to be successful!