| Creating a successful wedding photography business | | | | You can now start your wedding photography |
| can be more of a challenge than one would think. | | | | business wherever and whenever. |
| Just because you can take a picture doesn't mean | | | | Hopefully you have invested in your own digital |
| that starting your own wedding photography | | | | camera, backup camera, lenses, computer, |
| business will be smooth sailing. However there are | | | | Photoshop, etc. Your investment needs to have |
| certain building blocks one can take that will assist in | | | | insurance. You cannot afford to have it stolen or |
| creating yourself a successful start to your wedding | | | | broken; otherwise all your hard work will be for |
| photography business. First and most important | | | | nothing. Also you should have liability insurance to |
| building block is to build an efficient and thorough | | | | C.Y.A. You can get photographers insurance through |
| business/creative plan. This is the foundation and | | | | PPA. |
| should include your objectives, your mission, and your | | | | Before you place yourself as competition in the |
| keys to success. | | | | wedding photography market you should know your |
| Your foundation objectives will cover what it takes | | | | competition. They are your best models to help get |
| to produce the same outstanding quality results time | | | | started. Take notice of what they charge for |
| after time, and what it will take to become | | | | packages and what they include with their services. |
| recognized as a top wedding photographer. You | | | | Where and how do they advertise? What niche do |
| mission should describe what you want to achieve | | | | they fill and where can you fit in as a new business. |
| and how you are going to do that. Your keys to | | | | To establish your business you need an address. You |
| success should include how you will fulfill your client's | | | | can choose a PO Box or another mailbox service |
| expectations and how you will accomplish this. How | | | | such as Mail Boxes ETC. I prefer MBE because you |
| will you be competitive with your services offered? | | | | can choose a mailbox with a real street address. Not |
| What kind of profits do you need to become | | | | to mention they have many other services. Next get |
| successful competition? | | | | a separate phone number for your business. To |
| Before you start you're first step is to find your | | | | legitimately create your business you should either |
| identity. Have you figured it out? Be true to yourself | | | | have a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a sole |
| and know your strengths and weaknesses as a | | | | proprietorship. You can learn about this through an |
| photographer. Are you ready to start this financially | | | | accountant or through websites like legalzoom. |
| and technically? Do you know your style and identity, | | | | With the rest of the money you saved you will have |
| and do you do it well? You should know how to | | | | to determine how much is to be used for marketing |
| describe your photography and vision. Are you more | | | | and other expenses. Marketing is going to be the |
| of a photo journalistic photographer who relies on | | | | most essential thing for your business to get off the |
| natural available light and candid moments? Do you | | | | ground. Without marketing you don't have a business. |
| pre-plan and pose portraits and incorporate technical | | | | Your marketing essentials are: to have your identity, |
| lighting skills giving a classic look. Or, do you mix it up | | | | your portfolio, and your line of communication. |
| with both, showing a full range of capabilities that | | | | Through the image library that you have created, |
| give you your own modern contemporary style? | | | | pick your best images to use for your portfolio, |
| If you know what you want your photography and | | | | website and all promotional and marketing materials. |
| identity to look like but haven't achieved the look | | | | Your portfolio can be made w/ inkjet prints that you |
| yet, maybe you need more work on your | | | | put in an album of choice such as albums provided by |
| photography before you can establish your business. | | | | Topflight, photoalbumshop, or you can choose to |
| Take a look at your photography and decide what | | | | have one printed by Asuka albums, or other online |
| level of talent you have and what potential you | | | | print labs such as Snapfish or Shutterfly. Your image |
| possess. Be critical of your work, but also have | | | | identity is now established, and will grow over time. |
| others critique your work for you. Learn how to use | | | | However you now need your business identity. What |
| constructive criticism to improve your photography. If | | | | will your promotional materials look like? What font |
| your identity isn't where you want it, ask yourself, | | | | will you use? What colors will be incorporated? Will |
| what needs to be improved? Do you know your | | | | you use a logo? It may be a good idea to find a |
| equipment (camera, lighting, etc) well enough? Do | | | | graphic designer to help you out with this. Once you |
| you know how to read and meter your exposures? | | | | figure out your business identity and incorporate it |
| Do you have the right equipment, i.e.: hi resolution | | | | with your promotional materials you should create |
| digital camera and Photoshop? You need a digital | | | | and print them all at once to distribute them all year. |
| camera to stay up with your competition. It is also of | | | | Make sure you have the basics like your business |
| great importance to be proficient in Photoshop and | | | | cards, postcards, brochure, contract, 8x10's and any |
| Lightroom and your digital workflow. It is up to you | | | | other promotional materials you can think of. These |
| to overcome any weakness with proper education | | | | materials can be ordered through and |
| and practice before you take on photographing a | | | | After your promotional materials are finished and the |
| wedding. | | | | portfolio is printed, you are ready to create your |
| Photographing a wedding is a big responsibility. | | | | website. View other sites to get an idea of what |
| Someone has paid a large amount of money and | | | | style of site you want and how it will look. Search for |
| trust in you to document this special and personal | | | | someone else to create a website for you if you |
| day. This is why it is so important to be confident | | | | aren't educated in web development but having a |
| enough to step into any wedding that comes your | | | | professional do this can get a bit pricey. Some great |
| way and do a solid job photographing it. Having your | | | | alternatives are to use Craigslist or look into finding a |
| skills fine-tuned are just part of what it takes to build | | | | student at a local college to do it. Make sure you |
| that foundation of confidence. The other huge part | | | | work with your web developer in creating your SEO |
| to building confidence is experience. | | | | (Search Engine Optimization) for the site. This is most |
| We all start out somewhere. So once you have your | | | | important and is the best way to insure that you can |
| photography skills and workflow down, it is now time | | | | create a web presence that is optimized for search |
| to test yourself and your identity. The first step is to | | | | engines. The template DIY websites don't work well |
| know your value. Do you think you're up to shooting | | | | for SEO. SEO will concentrate on key wording, alt |
| a wedding solo for $2000.00? Wait, you don't have | | | | tags, one-way links, and proper site submissions. |
| any wedding pictures for a portfolio. How are you | | | | You now have a business ready to start seeing |
| going to sell yourself as a wedding photographer? | | | | some return. People are ready to see your business |
| Well either you get lucky with someone who trusts | | | | and it's your job to reach out and find them. It is |
| and likes your photography regardless that you have | | | | your job to know your market and tap it with your |
| never photographed a wedding. Or you decide to | | | | presence. I suggest that it is priority to get a |
| build your portfolio through being a second or third | | | | creative ad on Craigslist. Why not it's free? Now that |
| shooter for a more established wedding | | | | you have all of your promotional materials printed |
| photographer. This is a great way to get exposure | | | | out, where are you going to distribute them? |
| and experience in the wedding photography scene. A | | | | Research all local, state, or nationwide wedding |
| great way to approach this route is to call all of the | | | | industry businesses, and create a directory of them |
| local wedding photographers in your area and ask if | | | | for your advertising. Create your promotional packets |
| anyone is in need of a second or third shooter. Once | | | | with cover letter, brochure, postcards, and a mini |
| you find some work ask questions and pay close | | | | portfolio or something that shows your style in more |
| attention to how they run their business and how | | | | depth. This is a lot of work and may take a while. |
| they photograph weddings. Everyone has a system. | | | | Get help from friends, family or again posting an ad |
| How they shoot the wedding ceremony, portraits, | | | | on Craigslist for some temporary help. After you |
| reception, etc. Use this position to your advantage | | | | have mailed everything, follow up with phone calls to |
| and build relationships within the wedding industry. | | | | let them know who you are. This will help provide a |
| The more you learn, the faster you will be on your | | | | personal connection to your materials and help start |
| way to becoming competition. Remember to save | | | | future relationships. Building relationships is very |
| money for when you make your transition out on | | | | important and will help bring work your way through |
| your own. | | | | word of mouth. Another great way to build |
| Once you have some weddings under your belt your | | | | relationships and get your work out is to participate |
| confidence will lead you at the right time to separate | | | | in any bridal shows that come to your area. |
| and become that competition that you have been | | | | Knowing your business and what you offer to your |
| working for. When you do choose, it should be all or | | | | clients and the industry is the most important thing. |
| nothing. Either stay on as a second shooter or take | | | | Just as it is important to know your self-identity as a |
| the risk and become competition. | | | | person, so is it important to know your business |
| After you have taken the jump into the unknown | | | | identity. When the phone starts ringing people want |
| and exciting world of being your own boss. Your | | | | to see confidence in you and your images. Just |
| confidence as a photographer has grown and you | | | | remember that images speak louder than words and |
| now possess an identity as a wedding photographer. | | | | that the cream always rises to the top. |