First, an apology
I get an awful lot of messages and emails each week from people starting out or looking to improve their wedding work asking for guidance, tips, insight, technical answers, ways of working, workshops, mentoring etc... it’s rather lovely that so many people love my work, and for that I’d like to say thank you (even though I don’t work to get my back slapped and head patted, it’s still nice when people take the time to get in touch). So, my apologies to anyone I don’t respond to, I’m not an ignorant arse, I’m just incredibly busy and sometimes things fall through the net.
Some generalizations
While I’m not able to help the world I do think it’s important (hugely important) to encourage new blood into the industry and not dampen that spark in people who do care enough to make an effort. So here’s a random brain dump that hopefully has something useful for someone.
I’ll start by saying I’m not the Dalai Lama or any sort of wise sage who has any kind of answer to anything specific for your photographic journey. Without getting all hippyish we’re all on a journey of self discovery and constant learning...it’s our own journey, not someone else’s.
The single, most important piece of advice I could offer is this:
You’ve got to be you - never ever try to emulate someone else either photographically or their persona. It doesn’t matter how successful, cool or on trend they appear to be, if you’re not being yourself you’ll never be the best you can be and only end up being a pale imitation of someone else. Be the best you, not a lame version of someone else.
Other bits:
Graft, graft and graft some more during the early stages, then keep grafting. If you’ve got a raw talent bully for you - it won’t mean shit unless you work your ass off to make something of it, while you’re just using your camera at weddings there’s a hundred other people (including me) who always have a camera in their hand, working, refining, practising, evolving every single day. Shooting, editing, shooting, editing constantly. It’s called being a photographer and it will expand your capability a hundredfold if you have the mindset of a photographer, not just a wedding photographer.
Don’t bullshit - desperate for a booking? To snag a venue you’ve always wanted to photograph? Really excited to get that deposit even though a couple may be asking for something you’ve not done before or aren’t comfortable doing? So you’re tempted to say ‘yes certainly, I can do that type of picture I’ve done loads’ - well, don’t. Don’t book someone on a promise you’re not 100% certain you can deliver on. It’s not fair on them, it’s not fair on you. You’ll shit yourself, go on every photographer group and forum there is asking people how to do it, there’ll be a half-assed attempt on the day under pressure - it’ll look pretty crap. Maybe you’ll get lucky and the couple won’t complain, maybe they will and you’ll shit yourself again, go on every photographer group or forum to ask how you deal with a hacked off couple.
Shop front - been on a workshop that’s said it’s ok to use the pictures for your portfolio? Set up a styled shoot with people who know what they’re doing & you’ve all the time in the world? Well that’s just swell, can you absolutely guarantee you can reproduce the exact same thing at a wedding? No? Then why are you giving people the impression you can? Just by having workshop / styled shoot images up without a big-ass statement saying these were shot under professional guidance or with models and they took rather a long time to get right’ it gives the illusion that’s the work you can churn out every single day, easily and quickly...If you can’t do it in your sleep be honest about it. Set your shop out honestly, yes you’re gagging for paid work, yes you think getting the odd booking is the be all and end all - it isn’t. Go look on the internet about photographers being complained about - don’t be one of those people, you’ll shaft yourself before you’ve even started. Think long game, not short term gain.
Strengths - play to your strengths, work on your weaknesses. Naturally good at portraits, like doing them? work on them, work hard to make them better, study everything you can about portraits, become the best damn portrait photographer there is and sell yourself as a portrait oriented photographer. Don’t hint you’re a great candid relaxed documentary reportage photographer if you aren’t, be upfront and honest, speak about the things you’re good at and work damn hard at the things you’re not good at.
Consistency - the absolute biggest downfall of most people who don’t last is a lack of consistency. All the pictures in a delivered gallery should be of equal quality. Any idiot can get a couple of good pictures from a full day shooting. You need to be aiming for every picture to be of excellent quality, not just a handful. That’s what separates the great photographers from the not so great ones.
Equipment #1 - learn your equipment inside out, knowing how far you can push it is vital. It isn’t about having the best stuff, it’s about knowing how to get the best out of the stuff you have. The latest camera will not make you a better photographer, invest the money in yourself not your stuff (unless you have to).
Equipment #2 - have backup gear but seriously don’t become a gear bore, a camera is a tool, nothing more nothing less. A good photographer can shoot a wedding with just about anything. Better cameras, better lenses, more cameras, more lenses don’t make you better - in fact, I think they make you worse and reliant on technology rather than your ability.
Justifying your price - There’s nothing worse than wedding photographers who justify what they charge based on how much their equipment is worth and how much it costs them to run their business. Yes it’s a factor…BUTTTTT let’s assume you’re not very good and because you like camera gear you decide to spend £20,000 on a full set of the latest equipment, now then, just because YOU chose to spend that money is it fair someone else should pick up the bill? Trust me - there are plenty of photographers, very good ones, using cheap old equipment but are charging 5 times as much as ‘all the gear no idea’ photographers. People SHOULD pay for YOU, not your stuff - under the umbrella of you comes your capability, experience, individual style and reputation, along with desirability - they are they things you should be basing your pricing off, not how much your stuff is worth. If you’re asked to justify what you charge, don’t be lame, own your own shit, your capability - that’s your justification.
Learning - Think you’ll learn everything you need to know from wedding photographers? nah, you won’t. If you limit your learning to people who shoot weddings you’ll severely limit your learning potential - your own potential. Go find a kickass portrait photographer, learn from them. Study social documentary photographers’ work, street photographers, landscape, painters, dancers whatever..art is art you’ll be surprised what you can pick up from different sources
Stigma - you’ll possibly encounter at some point some rather guarded wedding photographers, perhaps references to being a ‘weekend warrior’ and a lot of closed doors (not everyone’s like this luckily). Ignore them, it’s all on you to succeed, no-one else. Derisive comments when you’re starting out mean absolutely nothing, constructive criticism can be important but photography is a very subjective topic. There’s no absolute right or wrong, there’s basics to get right but don’t be bound by them.
Tag along - first up, nobody owes you anything, certainly not any established photographers. I’m not being an arse but I am constantly surprised when some people ask for an opportunity like they’re doing me a favour - you’re not, not in the slightest. It’s a big gamble for any established photographer shooting a wedding to have an unknown entity around on the day, remember this is someone’s big day, they’ve chosen their photographer already, it’s a one shot deal, no retakes and reputations are at stake. Not many people do it for that very reason. Do not expect payment, do not expect to have photographers full attention, established photographers get paid for second shooting…not people who are still learning - fact. If you’re lucky enough to tag along don’t take the piss, you’re representing the paid photographer - if you don’t do that properly you’ll burn your bridges very quickly. Treat it as a learning experience, don’t expect to use any pictures you take for a portfolio, it’s not a portfolio shoot it’s an opportunity to learn the ropes, learn the flow of a wedding and see how someone else shoots.
Editing - learn to edit properly, despite what anyone tells you pictures can be made or lost with good / bad editing. It’s not about a flippant ‘I’ll fix it in post’ attitude but understand that people have been editing pictures since photography was invented, darkroom techniques were the ‘olden days’ equivalent of photoshop. Learn to edit but remember you can’t polish a turd - a bad picture is a bad picture.
Time, it takes time - Nothing happens overnight, or in a few months. Becoming a successful photographer of weddings takes time, there are no shortcuts except for hard work and learning your craft, then practising your craft constantly. The business side of things is massively important, I cannot stress this enough! HOWEVER…..don’t do the stupid new photographer thing where you concentrate more on the business side than you do being good at what you do - that’s the way you get complaints, lose heart, bail out and don’t last 6 months. Find a balance, prioritise your photography.