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06/09/2014 03:21:45 AM · #1 |
I think in the next couple month I will finally open a studio/longe area and will try to make a living out of photography only.
I guess at least 50% of my income will come out of wedding jobs.
For the wedding photographers out there ca I ask a question? In the internet era as we live in right now, how much of your jobs are booked from the trading shows / exebitions /meetings / events(I don't know the correct term)for grooms that normally happens localy once per year.
I know that in the past this would represent a big part of the season booking for the established photogs in a certain area, but I was just guessing how it is at the moment with most of the publicity beeing made online and in social networking if it still does pay off to be in those specialized trade shows.
Hope someone can help.
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06/11/2014 06:21:03 PM · #2 |
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06/11/2014 06:39:24 PM · #3 |
I do not shoot weddings by choice ( that is to say I have shot a few, but only when I felt I had no choice, it is a tough way to make a living unless it really suits your personality, and I am far to easily annoyed to do that work.) That said there are several different types of weddings, and the money is in the big splash high production affairs which are always put together by wedding planners. So your target is not the bride and groom, but the planner. You get those jobs by setting up interviews with the planners, having a strong book, and convincing them you are not likely to flake on them.
The middle ground is where the trade shows come in, where the brides and their moms troop through and poke the products to see what they like.
The shallow end is places like Craig's List where people are looking for cheap. Sometimes it is the couple, sometimes it is someone with a gig looking to hire a second shooter for very little money.
The last sounds like a bad place to be, but until you have done a few weddings, it is the only game in town (excluding friends and relatives of course) then you get some shots to show and a notion of how to run a wedding shoot, and you can move up a rung.
Before you buy a booth, go to a bridal show and see what you like, who impresses you ( and maybe look for second shooter gigs there) but don't pay for a booth and not have a book and all the booth dressings the big boys have, it will be unlikely to net you anything |
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06/12/2014 07:08:33 AM · #4 |
I've beeon shooting weddings for the past 8 years, so a good book/portfolio is not the question. I haven't done it on regulars basis though, nor as my mains source of income.
Thank's for the tip on the wedding planners. yes, this is the type of jobs I want to grab, the big, well payed ones, and I do realize the type of production that needs to be included. But the bread and butter of many wedding photogs is the middle tier jobs. And, at least a few years back, the bridal shows were an important part of the year booking.
But will all the internet publicity my doubt is if it still is THAT important.
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06/12/2014 11:40:38 AM · #5 |
Like Brennan, I don't do weddings by choice. Your profile says you're located in Portugal, and that is obviously quite different from the U.S. So many comments/thoughts/suggestions my not apply.
I'm not sure that conventions/trade shows are necessarily the best use of a photographer's money. Yes, they're big, and they attract a tone of potential customers, but they're quite pricey and I don't know if you will get enough business from them to justify that expense. They also feature every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the business - basically your competition. About the only way to get an edge in those situations is to share a booth with other providers (i.e. videographer, caterer, florist) and offer a "package" deal.
You can also look into popular wedding locations and find out if they have a stable of go-to photographers they recommend, and ask how you can be considered.
Keep in mind that while wedding planners are your ideal target, they most likely favor suppliers who provide them kickbacks.
Word of mouth is a VERY powerful tool, and you may consider offering incentives to couples who send you a client who books you (maybe a free or deeply discounted album, etc.).
Good luck, though. And keep us posted! |
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