You enjoy taking photographs enough that you forked out a pretty penny to buy a “bells and whistles” digital SLR camera, and took the time to learn how to use it properly. You’ve photographed just about every family function, friendly gathering and landscape you could focus your lens on, and praise for your photographic skills are never in short supply. You upload your work to social media and followers are at a steady, albeit slow climb. Hashtag, you’re ready to take on a real photo shoot – a wedding photo shoot.
Freelancing as a wedding photographer…
Now that you’ve decided on pursuing wedding photography, consider the following:
Research the art of wedding photography
Every newbie wedding photographer needs ideas and a solid plan. You will never forgive yourself if you did a shoddy job of one the biggest celebrations in life, especially someone else’s. Moreover, you will probably never tackle a wedding shoot again, let alone be offered one. This is why doing research and planning your shots are so important.
Look at what other wedding photographers have done – locations, angles, poses, props and so forth. You can even download a PDF checklist of a photo schedule, to ensure that you don’t miss a shot. You’d be surprised to discover just how tiring and intricate a wedding shoot can be.
Tip: Rally family and friends to practice shot ideas and different poses.
There are many versions of the wedding photo checklist, opt for the most comprehensive one.
Be prepared to work for free
A good place to start is by offering your services for free and including an engagement shoot as part of the package.
You can try different poses and shots with the couple beforehand, and they can decide whether or not they want to use your services. It’s also a good opportunity to hear their thoughts and expectations – it is their celebration and memories, after all.
If you plan on charging from the get go, keep your rates low at first or, at least, do the engagement shoot for free. You can also charge for transport costs, especially if the wedding venue is a Groot Trek away.
Tip: This will help with winning over the couple’s confidence when faced with hiring a rookie, while helping you build up a wedding photography portfolio.
Advertising your services
Start small with ad listings on service sites like Gumtree and OLX. Or leave a bunch of flyers at photography kiosks.
What I’ve found works best is to get family and friends to market you on social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Flikr, Instagram and so on. You’re bound to get a hit from someone who knows someone who’s looking to save a buck – weddings are an expensive endeavour.
Once you’ve secured your first gig, create a Facebook business page. *Remember to inform your clients that you will be using the images, and offer to tag them. Couple’s like that kind of thing.
Upload photos to start your online portfolio and get family and friends to like and recommend your page.
Once you have a portfolio of about five weddings, start planning your website. By now you should have a desired look and feel for your business idea. But remember, the more publicity the more likely you are to get work.
Tip: If it is a part-time gig, or really just a hobby, stick to inner circles and word-of-mouth.
Customer Relations
Once you’ve secured a shoot, discuss the couple’s expectations in depth i.e. the types of shots they want and locations. If you are charging for your services, consider requesting a deposit up front to secure the booking. Most photographers ask for 50% deposit upfront and the other half when the photos are delivered. Also decide on the amount of hours you will be shooting and the amount of photos which you will be providing afterward. Will you be compiling a wedding album or delivering the pictures on a CD/DVD?
Information required from the couple after accepting the job:
Use the engagement photo shoot a trial run for different poses. This will give you an idea as to how comfortable the couple is in front of the camera.
- Bride & groom’s details: full name, address, email address and telephone numbers
- Bride & groom’s parents’ names
- Bridesmaids & Groomsmen’s names
- Bride’s email address
- Address where bride will be getting ready
- Address where ceremony will be held
- Address where reception will be held
On the day – schedule a timeline for:
- Arrive at the bride’s house
- Leave the bride’s house
- Arrival at the ceremony – photos of groom and parents
- Ceremony
- Formals
- Portraiture with wedding party
- Reception
- Departure
Knowing the size of the bridal party will help with planning your shots.
Preparing for the big day
Clean and pack your kit the night before. Make sure that your batteries are fully charged and that you have enough spares. Have your flash cards been formatted?
Use a checklist to ensure that you have all your lenses, adapters, filters and so forth.
Lastly, don’t forget to pack a snack – a bottle of water, energy bars, fruit or a sandwich will do. You won’t have time to have a decent meal, unless you eat whilst in transit. Even if the couple sponsored you with a plated meal at the reception, you’re still on the job, so keep that in mind.
There you have it, basic wedding photography 101 for the photography enthusiast. Alas, this only covers the tip of the iceberg when it comes to capturing a wedding in all its glory. It’s also important to remember that perfection, or rather perception thereof, will only come with experience, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Happy snapping!
