How hard is it to get into Wedding Photography..??

A few suggestions:

> read and digest all the old threads here about getting started: http://photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/?category=First+Timer+and+Newcomers+to+Wedding+Photog%2e

> rephrase your description on your web page to focus more on photography and not on your engineering professional and amateur passion for Photography. Also have someone proof-read it, to correct grammar and nuance, such hat it reads more easily and communicates better as a marketing tool. Also remove all the self images where you are wearing sunglasses.

> assist established professionals - not in your area - if you are going to do anything for nothing - do a few of those gigs and do NOT offer to do free Weddings.

> join a professional association and network within it

> network with other vendors and think along the lines of do quid pro quo advertising and / or referrals with them.

***

Do you have business cards?
Are they blank on the reverse side?
Do you carry at least 50 of them at all times?
Do you carry a distinctive pen and is you handwriting neat and accurate?

***

Do you have a Standard Contract?
Do you have Public Liability and General Business Insurance?

WW

This is going to be a hot topic! I'm going to say something you don't want to hear - but I hope you won't hold it against me if I tell you the truth (as I see it).

Look for another career.

It sometimes seems that every third person with a DSLR these days wants to be a wedding photographer. Competition is beyond fierce - it's absurd. It's possible to succeed, but it will be very difficult. And remember, getting one or two free gigs isn't success. If you want to do this seriously as a business, you need to make money. That means you need to be able to charge a fair bit of money for a service that many, many other people are willing to provide for free or nearly for free. I could expand on this theme for a while, but I'll stop there.

But I want to add one or two related points.

I think photography is a bit like playing the guitar. Many people find it very enjoyable - and many people find it easy enough at first that they think they're good at it. Their friends tell them they're good. So before long, they start dreaming of fame and fortune. Amateur photographers start thinking, "I could make money doing this!" But the only market they can think of is weddings. Why is this? Because it doesn't take any credentials to talk a bride into hiring you. But it's rather harder to get National Geographic or the Detroit News or Ford Motors or Vogue magazine to hire you. All these photographers "doing weddings" are like all the guitarists appearing in pizza parlors and bars around the country. They may be good. But turning this hobby - this passion, if you prefer - into a full-time job is very difficult. They're just aren't enough weddings with $2000 budgets to support half of the people who want to do weddings now.

And why would you WANT to do it?

People typically say that they "love doing photography", they "have a passion for photography." That's great. But succeeding as a businessman isn't about passion or love, it's about competence and business ability. A person whose job involves shooting weddings has to be a business person first, and a photographer second, otherwise they'll soon find that they're only a photographer. Now, the business part of wedding photography is, like the business part of nearly everything, a pain to deal with. As they saying goes, money changes everything. I mean, if your passion is business itself, then for pete's sake, get an MBA or do something that might make you rich, instead of just barely making you a living. And if you think you can deal with the business side of wedding photography, understand that shooting weddings is WORK. When people pay you to take photos, they expect you to take photos they like - not photos that YOU like. Shooting weddings involves real risks: People may be mad at you if you screw up (and you WILL screw up now and then). Shooting for money changes your attitude toward working with your camera. Every wedding photographer is, to some extent, just a few steps away from the person who shoots portraits at Wal-Mart.

I think that, for a large majority of people who have discovered that they love taking photographs, the best route is to pursue photography as an avocation, rather than a business. Some of the greatest photographers in the world are not making their livings primarily with their cameras, and many have jobs that aren't related to photography at all. Photography for them is like poetry has almost always been for nearly everybody, something done for love rather than money.

There's a great saying about photographers: "The amateur thinks about his equipment. The pro thinks about the money. The master thinks about the light." Everybody needs to decide which of these things they want to think about. And while you're at it, go through the great histories of photography and count how many wedding photographs you'll see in there. (Hint: If you count on your fingers, you won't have to use both hands.)

If you want to be a business person, and you can see a business model that will work for you involving photography, go for it, and good luck to you. But if you love photography and want to take photographs, then save yourself some grief and take photographs. Enjoy the freedom to pursue your passion on your own terms.

Great answer William.

I do it for the fun/art of it primarily and the fee I charge supports my desire to produce that. I also love being at weddings/gatherings etc. Watching people interact and enjoy catching up. Having the generations gathered, and all the stories that fit within the wedding story. I love the challenge of consistently creating images that will be artistic yet emotionally powerful to the clients. Images that invoke a visible response, one that shows the person looking at them is moved.That is my starting point for weddings. If you do it for the $$$, you will be disappointed I dare say.

If you feel passionate about weddings, love to shoot and have good eye for what makes images sing... then begin with your passion and if you can get paid too, that will be great.

It's not hard getting in but it's way harder to stay in. v/r Buffdr

That's succinct, William P.
I read it twice.
It is difficult for me to find arguments to mount against the points you make.
It would be sensible for all those thinking of this particular career path to read your valuable contribution with an open mind.

I have flagged this as a “to read” so I can link to it later – I am sure there will be other questions like this in the future

WW

I think it's always wise to concentrate on the basics first.

It's not a good idea to become a wedding photographer unless you are already a good photographer. The people who do well establish themselves with some solid work, learn good skills and polish their technique. Then they go looking for weddings, have happy clients and get more work and raise their prices. The people who do it the other way round end up eroding their reputation and getting into complicated disputes with clients, and they never enjoy a business that grows. Usually they fail very quickly, and sometimes very publicly.

I notice from your portfolio that all your flash shots are over-lit, and all your non-flash shots are under-exposed. This would suggest that you've got some work to do in those areas before you are in the position to offer your services for money. Weddings are fast-paced and complicated and offer unpredictable light and no second chances. In my opinion no one should ever look for paid wedding work unless they're skilled and very consistent in all technical areas first. Understanding correct exposure and being able to use light to a high standard is fundamental.

You have to have a product to sell people, and it needs to be a lot more special than 'I own a camera'.

Once you're ready, all the advice in this and previous threads on the topic will be very helpful to you.

If you really want to get in the wedding business I suggest you work as an assistant to an established photographer. The experience will be invaluable. Then at a certain point decide if you want/can go out on your own. Over the years I've mentored various assistants - some stayed in the business, others didn't.

I appreciate & thank every one of you for your valuable response
Williams Porter:
I specially thank you for taking some time for giving valuable suggestion. My first motive is to see if wedding is an art "I just want to Document that art.." No matter how hard it is.. I understand the level of risk involved.. and could be I am not equipped enough to capture the moments in a right way or would I've to even learn a lot more. At this point I am just exploring where is the gateway to enter and learn. Making money is secondary. The reason I got inspired about doing wedding is not just to think about making instant money and I very well knew it's not going to pay off with in the time frame I anticipate.
Steve crist:
I tried with local photographers to join and assist who are well proficient in wedding photography but my request was turned down by all.

My first motive is to see if wedding is an art

This is the line I keep getting stuck on. Unlike testing the waters to see if you have the aptitude and vision to shoot landscapes or architecture or products or..., shooting a wedding involves two other people for whom this is their big day. This is their big moment and it's not fair to them to use them a a litmus test to see if wedding photography is something you want to do or not.

As others have noted, William (Porter) has written a very insightful and helpful post - which I have also bookmarked for future reference.

If the photographers you have contacted turn you down, try this:

• Find out why you are being turned down
• Keep asking them
• Find more to ask

I don't know how you are approaching them or what you are saying to them, but it's possible that you are being misunderstood. But also be prepared to fill a role that you are not expecting. It is entirely possible that you will be accepted as an assistant but not paid and you won't do any shooting. If that happens, don't turn it down. Under the right mentor, assisting will teach you far more about the business of wedding photography, lighting, timing, ettiquette, etc. than being a second shooter ever will.