I аm getting ready tο ѕtаrt wedding photography, саn someone hοnеѕtlу tеll mе hοw much I саn expect tο mаkе οn average per month living between Los Angeles аnd San Diego? I wουld rесkοn being between 2 major cities, advertising οn craigslist, аnd іn thе local papers, being раrt οf a church group, I wουld dο hοnеѕtlу well аnd ѕhουld bе аblе tο pull between 3 аnd 7 weddings each month. Dοеѕ thіѕ sound realistic? I hаνе аn SLR wіth a hot box аnd flash, οthеr lighting equipment. I believe аѕ far аѕ equipment Im ready аnd wіll probably dο thе 3 weddings fοr nearly free. I аm аnd buisness minded I hаνе ran mу οwn buisness before ѕο I know hοw tο market myself, I аlѕο sold cars before, ѕο I аm ехсеllеnt аt building customer relations. I rесkοn I take fаntаѕtіс pictures аnd hаνе heard thе same frοm οthеr people. Ill lеt уου bе thе Judge www.yountphotographyonline.com. I саn handle constructive critisicsm. I јυѕt ѕtаrtеd thіѕ website. Comments/Suggestions plz email mе @ j_yount_3@yahoo.com Thanks Josh
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I just attended a class with Texas Professional Photographers Association in College Station and spoke to several wedding photographers. Just a note that they were averaging 25-50 weddings a year. You are talking about 26-84. Weddings are alot of work – after the shoot. I would suggest you start out with just 2 a month. Excellent luck to you!
PS I took a look at your photos. You might reckon about taking a course to improve your lighting.
Wedding seems simple but they are among the most hard events to shoot. You have only a couple of hours to make memories for people that last a lifetime. Def. take classes on lighting and maybe start by assisting another wedding photog.
It will take you quite some time to build up a following that would allow you to do nothing else. I would also offer portraiture. Some regions have high school students pick there own photog for yearbook shots look into this in your area . Building a photo business is something you can do while you work another gig …photo assistant.
you will need to be ready to photograph on a couple different sites…brides home, church, reception, and the obligatory garden scene. Lighting is the killer, you will want a small lens 28mm for close ups and a longer lens for church shots 135mm. go slow people remember terrible photography and business before they remeber excellent
Wedding primarily come from word of mouth…also do bridal trade shows
Constructive criticism….1) based on your spelling, if you handed me a pamphlet or ad, I wouldn’t hire you…ever. 2) seems to me if you are so business minded, you should already have the answers to the specific questions you questioned.
Market research to establish the viability of any business is the first step. That you ‘reckon’ you take ‘excellent pictures’ and that you used to sell cars..really does not appeal to me as far as taking a chance on your success. These things wouldn’t help convince me to use your services. Wedding photos are ‘priceless’ and with the cost associated, no new bride or groom wants to find out their ‘photographer’ has suddenly gone out of business. Consider a better business plot with much more market viability research (should include average prices etc.) before you take the step.
Ah, to be that young again….
Dude, I have fantastic hopes for you. But those pictures you have on your site, aren’t the quality that people will pay for. (Then again, my early work wasn’t that fantastic and I got paid…)
You need to watch your lighting. Too much shadows and not enough light. Learn about ambient light, fill light, small lighting a face, and most certainly how to pose a subject.
I am not being critical…..as a matter of fact, I am encouraging you to do the above to make yourself better. I wished my photography professors told me what I just told you…would’ve saved my ALOT of time and money.
As far as getting that many weddings a month….Don’t hold your breath. In other words, don’t count on that as your sole support. Do other things as well. Photography is a general animal, and lots of places to find your niche. I don’t know any sole SEASONED PRO photographer who does 5 or more weddings a month.
Then again, who knows, you may be the next GARY FONG.
Excellent luck, Josh. And please research what I told you earlier, and try to work under a pro before you make the leap.
Trust me. Been there and done it.
Here is my two cents worth:
First of all, your website has grammatical and spelling errors that would stop me from hiring you without even having to see a single photo.
So you have a camera and flash. You need a backup camera and flash at least equal to your main setup. You need duplicates of everything. You need brackets, sync cords, diffusers. Lots of memory. A quick, powerful computer with backup hard drive. Adobe Photoshop. The skill to use PS.
You also need people skill. Maybe you have it. You need management skill, Business savvy.
Now we get to photographic skill. I don’t mean to be harsh, Certainly I’m sure the original pictures are higher resolution than the web posts show, but that doesn’t hide the fact that your subjects were poorly lit and exposed, and the posing was awkward and utterly lacking in knowledge and style. These are things you need to study before presenting yourself as a wedding professional. In weddings, you usually have to use available lighting, sometimes in impossibly dark churches. Then you have to corral and arrange individuals and small and large groups into pleasing compositions. And this has to be done quickly with impatient people who are nervous to start the party. The best way to get into wedding photography is to find an established professional willing to let you help for a season or two while you hone your photography skills without someone’s “special day” being on the line.
Some photographers in resort or high volume areas do manage 4 -7 weddings a month. I don’t reckon a newbie, particularly one with questionable skill and no portfolio, should expect to book that many, at least not at an income level enough to sustain you. Don’t forget the post processing time that a wedding takes. I have a full time day job in the industry, and shoot weddings on the side. Even if you nail exposure and WB every shot, the post work is time consuming, and I shudder to reckon of doing that many albums and coordinating that many print orders by myself.
Excellent luck to you if you choose to go for it.