Houra Bella

Yeah - too bad almost every bride I've talked to who has used them does not have nice things to say. I say 'Yay to Bob Davis! You've just about ruined the validity of wedding photography.'

If you are trying to build your business why in the world would you go shoot for someone else? Please - give me an intelligent answer cause I don't know of any.

If you are trying to build your business why in the world would you go shoot for someone else? Please - give me an intelligent answer cause I don't know of any.

Some people can't run a business. They would probably fail if they had to deal with all the other issues. It's probably a lot less hassle for those people working for someone else. Businesses fail all the time, and where do most of those people end up? Working for someone else.

"If you are trying to build your business why in the world would you go shoot for someone else? Please - give me an intelligent answer cause I don't know of any."

Hi Colleen, if you were going to open a sub and sandwich shop, why in the world would you not buy a Subway franchise? Franchises work and can/are applied to every service and retail business. The most thorough answer to your question is best given in this little gem of a book;

http://www.amazon.com/E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

and is my first suggested reading for anyone self-employed or with a small company.

Bella is not a franchise operation and should not be compared as such. Photographers who shoot for Bella are not franchise owners; they are contract labor.

Firms like Bella have added a new level of competition to the industry -- not in terms of quality, but because they have the financial brawn to operate as a loss-leader.

This can have very serious implications for many segments of the photography industry. It is important for independent photographers to understand what Bella is, and how boutique businesses will need to evolve, improve, and excel in order to remain lucrative.

I love owning my own business - I'm successful at it and it continues to grow. People who work for Bella are undermining themselves. If you choose to believe otherwise than go ahead and work for them. My business will be better off.

Just think of them as the Wal-Mart of wedding photography. Find a way to offer something that the big-box shop can't. There is enough for everyone to go around. I can't help but think the original poster works for Bella.

I agree with Tim. It's fun to come up with exciting things for clients and to give them a truly personal experience in regards to the service and level of photography they receive at their weddings. I love my clients. I treat them well and in return they make my business grow. I just don't see the point in spending time and effort on building someone elses business at the jeapordy of my own. Not gonna happen. Oh - and for what it's worth - I was actually signed up with Bella last year and never decided to take the leap and work for them. After reading several posts on other forums about photographers pricing, etc. being undermined by Bella representatives I'm grateful that I decided to stay away.

Olivier, my suspicion is that you were being sarcastic when you wrote that post, but it's hard to tell. Only someone connected to Bella would write such a Bella-serving post in a forum like this. Surely you realize that many of us in this business look at Bella with disdain and contempt? We're not cheering for Bella. I posted the following in another thread. I feel it's appropriate to restate...

Bella has a right to market their services just like anyone else. But I'm really not happy to see Bella plastered all over the forum we all frequent. From all the threads I've read on this and other forums, I can't go along with their practices, or what they appear to be doing to our profession. I feel that mass merchandising our craft and our artistry to create a nationwide powerhouse is watering down the exclusivity of what we as individuals do. Brides have no idea WHO their photographer will be until their wedding day. A Bella shooter doesn't get to know them at all beforehand, they're just an assignment for a few hours. Show up, shoot, leave. You're just a commodity, not an individual. The unsuspecting bride may never realize what she's missing out on by working with the right individual, or knowing her photographer beforehand. She may never understand that she could pay the same money to the right individual and come away with a richer experience, and less uncertainty of WHO would shoot the event or what their photos would look like (they don't show YOUR portfolio to brides).

Any good wedding photographer doesn't need Bella. We can get enough work on our own.

I realize some very good shooters on this forum do work for Bella, but I think many of them would not recommend it for everyone.

And, I know Photo.net has to be paid for, but for many of us, Bella is kind of like another "Bella" from the horror movies. The one who did all that blood-sucking!

I only know 1 photographer that shoots for Bella. He's happy. Makes about $600 for a wedding. If you are just starting out in business and you are a talented photographer $600 is a heck of a lot better then staying home doing nothing. May sound a bit harsh, but if this is your full-time job you may need to add some extra income to pay the bills. I haven't freelanced for anyone in a long time but when I first started in this business I often took freelance jobs. Anyway, I don't think it is a bad thing at all to work for someone.