Getting Your Feet Wet

Getting your Feet wet

         There are several steps to take to get your feet wet with wedding photography. First will be a little bit of studying, second will be a very important networking move, and third will be doing something called second shooting. These steps will get you started with weddings and let you build a portfolio that will help you land your first gig. Let’s get into it.

         The Studying Bit

         You need to familiarize yourself with all the ins and outs of a typical wedding day. When you’re a guest at a wedding you see very little of what actually happens. There are important events to capture through every stage of the day. From putting on the dress to the first kiss to sweaty dancing uncles, you’ll want to know what a typical wedding looks like so that you can anticipate when certain events will happen. This will also be inherently mastered as you shoot and attend more weddings. The more weddings you shoot the better your flow will be into each event of the day. You’ll be better prepared for knowing which pieces of equipment you’ll need to have ready, when is a good time to recharge batteries, when is a good time to use the bathroom, etc.

         You might think that the wedding events that a couple has been planning for months would be fully memorized by the day of. Not the case. You will be asked the question, “What’s next?” by the couple more times throughout the day than you could shake a lens cap at. Your expertise will be crucial to keep the day running smoothly and on schedule.

         Networking

         Log on to Facebook, search for every local photography group that you can find for your area, and join them. Particularly, if you can find a wedding photographer group, join it and introduce yourself.

         If you can’t find one specific to your area, start one. Do a little investigating to find local wedding photographers and invite them to your group. Being a part of a solid group like this could be the difference between ramping your business up in as little as one year or struggling to build momentum over several years.

         With this group, let your new peers know that you are just starting out and looking for any experience that they can offer. You may have to ask to shadow with your camera for free to get your very first experience, however, the goal is to ultimately be hired as a second shooter. As your career progresses you’ll be able to benefit from referrals from these groups as well.

         The photographer community is very collaborative. When photographers are contacted about wedding days that they’re already booked for, they will post in these groups seeking referrals to pass along to the requesting couple. Commenting with a link to your website/portfolio is an easy way to get new traffic and get gigs without doing any advertising.

         Finally, these groups are an amazing resource for seeking advice from experienced photographers in your local market. When you encounter a strange problem, you can get advice from an entire network of people that may have gone through the same thing. Looking for critique on your website design? Having camera trouble? Wondering how to price your services? The group is there to help out.

         Second Shooting

         Many wedding photographers will hire a second shooter to help carry the load of capturing all of the events of the day. Often the main photographer will meet the bride and bridesmaids in the morning while they get ready and the second will go directly to the groom and groomsmen to capture them prepping for the day. After the prep portion is complete, the photographers meet back up to tag team the rest of the day’s photos with the main photographer taking the lead and providing direction for the second. What are the benefits of second shooting when you are first starting out? The list is, honestly, so long. First, you get to work at actual weddings and watch experienced photographers and learn from them. The experience you will gain from second shooting will give you the confidence you need to take on weddings on your own. You will learn posing, working efficiently through group shots, time management, where to station up during the ceremony, everything. Additionally, working for different photographers, you’ll get to see how they work differently from one another and choose which methods you like the best to implement in your own business.

         Secondly, you’ll make money working as a second photographer. Personally, I used this money to upgrade my camera equipment and to pay the expenses related to starting my business. There are, of course, also many tax benefits to reinvesting your income into your business. How much do you charge for a day of second shooting? I have both charged and paid second shooters between $200-$500 for the day with an average of $350 for 8 hours of photography. I might even recommend for some people, that are only looking to start a side hustle, to stop here. Think about it. You could shoot two weddings per weekend over the summer and make around $700 without having to deal with any of the hassle of booking clients, carrying the major burden of work during the wedding, or even editing photos.

         Third, the next major benefit you’ll get as a second shooter, is the ability to cultivate a wedding portfolio. This portfolio will be absolutely crucial in booking your first couple and subsequent couples after that for the next few years. Having a killer wedding portfolio is the main reason why a couple will choose to book any particular photographer. I have heard of couples paying thousands of dollars more than they had originally budgeted for in order to get the photographer whose portfolio they fell in love with. If you have the portfolio that couples continuously fall in love with, the rest of this process will become incredibly easy.