INTRODUCTION:
Welcome to the unabashed boot camp and survival guide for the Photographer new to Weddings and other events with compelling issues that tend to surface causing great pain and possible financial losses.
This book has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and we make no claims it will cure any disease, or malady caused by shooting Weddings or you being shot at the Wedding by the Bride. On the other hand a good laugh will sometimes prevent suicide.
No Photographers were injured during the writing of this book and if you cannot afford an attorney, my nephew will be available at the usual attorney fees for malpractice cases. I will get a referral fee if you do use him.
This is the first of two sections. The first being your relationship to the bride and the event. The second is the relationship of you to the business. The equipment section changes so often it is not what this book is about. The technical relationships between you and your gear are your choices. No two people think the same in this respect and gear branders are hilariously protective and usually quite loud and party lined in the brain thinkers.
IT'S A BIZARRE BUSINESS AT TIMES
Too often, with a frequency that will amaze you. I have been privileged to have seen it all, and heard it all from people who spent years in the industry.
From wedding attendees punching each other out over a bridesmaid; to the father of the Bride passed out drunk, flattened on the floor of a Catholic Church and the priest never skipped a beat.
The most bizarre being an actual case of thanking the Best Man above and beyond the call of duty for one Brides last fling (bang-bang) about a half hour before the ceremony. They got caught. The wedding became a party since it was paid for but the marriage never took place.
On another spectacular occasion I went to shoot a mixed ethnic and religious wedding of East Orthodox and Catholic persuasion. Close enough you might think. I got told I would be swimming with fish's or stuffed into kielbasa if I took pictures of the other side, by either side. I handled it and as a young Wedding shooter made double on that deal. I will teach you to hold your own in this unique industry.
You are about to join a unique club. Together we will embark on a new path. I will be your guide. After shooting 450 or more weddings I am a survivor. Hopefully you will have made it through your first. Many don’t. This book will hopefully give you the savvy to survive. Its a lot different being the second shooter, the pressures not on you. The book is two sections, the Wedding, the Business itself and YOU.
WHO ME
Its easier doing it when you are doing it for nothing, no fee, no harm and again, the pressures not on you.
So why the high failure rate in this business... it’s the pressure, it’s a lot different when it’s on you. And it is totally unpredictable. That’s the rub, you can’t see a disaster. When you do this for a fee regardless of he amount, you have entered into a contract and you are bound. The excuse in court I only took money for the film don't work anymore. Mother-in-laws can be hazardous to your health just like momma grizzlies as she may of given the money.
The trick in this business is always being on your toes and ahead of the game. And as the game gets bigger and more is involved, you have to step up to the pump. Like flying a Learjet, you have to be one hundred to two hundred forty miles ahead of what you are doing planning your descent. In a Cessna 210, it is about twenty to forty miles and in a 150 about eight to 12 miles. We call it the closing descent rate, your thinking being in front of the aircraft.
I will generously share all that knowledge I have gained through the years with you in a few hundred thousand words and hopefully you will have it all absorbed by tomorrow night when you go out on your own. This is all about me and you. I made the mistakes, and you avoid them. That’s what teaching is all about. I aim to toughen you.
BOOT CAMP
This is BOOT Camp, Part one. I will try to guide you through the Wedding Process. The latest cool word in our lexicon is PROCESS. As a wedding photographer you are part of a process. The word processional comes from the word process. The processional for the Bride is the grand entrance of all the participants in the ceremony.
It’s generally when the mother of the Brides heart is the second loudest in the church. The loudest will be yours. Fear does that. The mothers fear is losing a daughter who now has a new advisor, her husband. Your fear is from all the things that can change as soon as the music starts and missing the big moment.
WEDDINGS ARE FUN…
Weddings are fun occasions to attend and participate in as a guest. “As a guest”, I said, all that food, drink, the friendly people, the fun, music, games and plenty of “love is in the air”. Then the alarm goes off and you wake up. “Today I have to shoot a Wedding”.
Shooting a wedding can be quite a challenge to the new photographer and very intimidating if you haven’t actually had training in this area. Add to that, it can be financially self destructive if you don’t get it right. We do live in a sewer, that’s spelled SUE-ER society. And I guarantee to you, little has to do with being able to take pictures. Most of the automated cameras today can take pictures. But when your weddings look like snapshots, ultimately you have failed the test.
The attitude of “winging it” can be very self destructive because St. Murphy-Lawes, the patron Saint of Photographers is generally not on your side. But “no fear” and “winging it” are all too common these days with the advent of digital.
UNDERSTANDING LIGHT
Photography is about light, not the mantras of the photo equipment manufacturers. Failures are because of a lack of preparation, training and a sheer lack of effort and study. PERIOD. Flash manufacturers, know this and they have automated their flash units to death, they call it integration. So you get something of an image, and then I hear, just shoot it and we'll correct it in Photoshop.
POST-OGRAPHERS
Study the extreme use of sharpness, raw over/under exposure and bloated saturation which is the motivation behind an enormous cash flow in the general direction of ADOBE. I know I pay for the same upgrade bills you do. POST-OGRAPHERS and PHOTOGRAPHERS are two different strokes.
Putting your hand in fire if you didn’t know what fire was, would be very common occurrence. But as soon as a few of those Neanderthals got a few burned hands, a lesson was learned, and the caveman had it down pat. That’s why he made the women do the cooking. No more burnt hands. So he went on to Saber-tooth tigers and Mastodons. More learning lessons were accrued and a few Saber-tooth’s ate well…from the survivors we have learned a few things. That men like ribs done over charcoal fires.
DEDICATION:
LORD! This site is dedicated for beginning Wedding Photographers, those who have been asked or have been chosen to do a Wedding. Protect them from themselves, may they have clean glass, clean underwear after the event, full batteries, an abundance of smart cards, good lighting and a Bride who is understanding, very pretty, under three hundred pounds and not a card carrying member of Bridezillas, Inc.
NEWBIES, READ ALL OF THIS
POINT: Let me be clear as a bell. This is not “putting down” newcomers to the game. On the contraire, these are the tips here for the newcomer to survive. It’s a big undertaking and you might as well know what you are getting into. It’s also for Brides and Grooms who also might be less knowledgeable on how to select a photographer. Sometimes they run in the same circles and when they meet, it’s called a “impending crash”. When they agree to do it, it’s called “an impending disaster”. It has another name, read on...
The Bride is challenging the Photographer to do a very difficult job without regard for his or her qualifications, knowledge or experience, on the one single most important day in a lifetime.
She picked you because of being frugal and she liked your Teddy Bear pictures
The ones you did with a three light Strobist setup. You might be accepting the challenge without a clue as to what really is needed both in equipment, style, qualifications and experience. This is also what we call clueless meeting clueless... with the result meeting the great Russian Attorney Boris Kutsunutsoff.
POINT: The second thing that cracks me up are the questions that arise if someone else at the wedding has better gear than you do. Oh, the embarrassment, I have been outgunned by a guest.
POINT: When I go out with a newbie for a wedding he booked, I let them go as far as they can just before they destroy themselves. Then I step in and get it under control. Here is another scenario, you are a great tap dancer, you just won American Idol for your exploits. You are challenged to tap dance across a minefield and wondering if you wore the right shoes. Ninety percent of the new photographers I see on the wedding forums asking for advice are wondering more about the shoes and haven’t got a clue about what’s happening at a wedding. You never hear from them after the event because they have been blown to smithereens.
If you desire to become a professional in this arena the key is experience and self- confidence. Experience is gained by reading, observing, attending, inquiring, and eventually working with an established professional. Self-confidence is not bravado, it is the culmination of experience.
THE GOSPEL OF ST. JACOBS.…and LION HUNTING:
Never shoot a wedding without a backup. If this is just a one shot experience, I wish you the best of luck. On that note, ever wonder why most big game rifles in Africa are what we call “doubles”?
First the doubles gun is two chambers, separate triggers, in essence, redundancy and simplicity. No clips or stack feed hang-ups to shut this baby down. A miss is backed up by a complete self contained barrel, chamber and firing mechanism. The second point for the doubles gun is that it is fast, very fast.
This prevents, providing the user is qualified to shoot it, from being eaten or mangled by what YOU intended to eat or mangle. Thus, I made this site to make you think and give you some clues as to what to do so that you can pull it off. It’s no fun being a mere burp in a Lions belly or eventually a participant in Dung Beetle Football.
So your best "A" rig goes bad during the processional. Unlikely you are going to stop the whole thing telling the bride to stand still while you fix the camera. Don't think so. The pro reaches over and grabs the backup, continues on. The amateur has just lost the battle...
QUALITIES of a GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER:
What does it take to be good in this field? Here is just a partial list:
CONFIDENCE -
Comes from your training, using common sense and that comes from good preparation. You won’t have time to think while you are shooting. I call it left brain-right brain thinking. Everything about a wedding is timed and you have to learn to work in these profiles. While the right half of the brain is automatically doing things repetitively, the left half is searching for the picture. In the Survival section we discuss this more.
INTUITION- THE HUNTER -
Wedding photography is almost as, if not more intuitive than sports photography. In some cases, more so. Sports are played on a designated field within certain boundaries. There are no boundaries at a Wedding. The individuals in sports all adhere (sometimes) to a given set of rules, work for a team, management driven and can be disciplined. At a wedding, emotions and alcohol generally fan the flames. Both work within time constraints. In sports it’s enforced, at a wedding it’s called “chaos”.
PREPARATION - The BOYSCOUT -
On the other hand much of what goes on is repetitive, generally following carefully chosen small scenarios that we have all become familiar with. Till something falls out of its sequence or changes. All I’m telling you is you must know where you are, to know where you are going. You must carefully ascertain your own strengths and weaknesses. Saying no or bowing out is a good choice and a smart one for some.
BUSINESS AWARENESS -
You need business savvy, since the modern wedding involves money, sometimes lots of it, we have to protect ourselves and our clients. You have stepped over the line from amateur to professional when you write the first receipt. It’s the difference between a successful hobby and a successful business. To all of us our hobbies are almost always successful. A successful business requires work. Work is sometimes defined as doing what you have to do and not what you want to do when you have to do it. If you take the time to think this out and be honest with yourself, you make the call and if you decide to go at it, I wish you well.
PRO’S and AMATEURS -
There are two types of shooters. They are the Professional and the Amateur. In every sport there is a definitive line between PRO and Amateur and in the legal aspect of the Photography business accepting money is the line. Even as an amateur if you are shooting for film and print expense only, you have entered into a legal agreement.
The rest of the accepted definition of PRO is explained below. It is by no means a legal version. That is why there is an institution in the States called the “small claims court”. I call it the "he said, she said" court and I will almost guarantee that if the claimant makes it to court the photographer or business owner will lose. In a juried structured environment, it will get worse. She could be the BRIDE FROM HELL but one tear in a courtroom and you lose.
PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE
Professionalism is the demeanor of a person, his or her moral and legal responsibility to perform services as required. One that derives the bulk or part of his or her income through his or her photographic pursuits and may be described as totally eschewed in the game or pretends to be. That means qualified, licensed, and skilled. This has nothing to do with whether this is full time or part time shooting. But it’s obvious the larger or more expensive clientele and weddings require a lot more personal attention. Getting there with too-little too late is as bad as not getting there at all.
ACCREDITATION
Accredited does not mean you have room on your credit card. It means certain tasks you have performed place you on a level with your peers. You can gain accreditation by joining national associations with stringent mail in photos for critique. They have juried critiques, required attendance at meetings, and classes. Their recommendation for your membership is by their members and boards. There are several national legitimate organizations. And there are the others. few fail, read on...
The MAIL ORDER ACCREDITATION -
Bridal Services, Welcome Wagons, Camera Clubs and BBB’s There are organizations who welcome members providing they remember to send in their dues on time. This gets you the membership card, stickers for your car, and secret decoder ring. Many believe in joining other organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, or Chamber of Commerce will make them accredited. Join them to be helpful to your community. Your legacy is what you accomplish, not what you joined, thats what people remember.
BRANDIZATION -
Some think you are professional by your choice of equipment brand. Those are the ones proudly displaying Nikon and Canon Professional Services logos on their business cards. You might as well put HANES on the card too. After all, it means you selected one of the best brands of underwear in the country and lets the world know nothing is creeping up. I love these guys especially with a Nikon logo, and the bride and groom he's interviewing just bought a Canon Rebel, T3i.
FINANCIALLY AWARE -
Common sense tell us it’s about levels. It’s critical to a PRO. In most of the Western hemisphere, Saturday is the preferred wedding day. There are only 52 of them in a year. If you are a budget shooter and only charge $200.00 a wedding and offer a CD-Rom, you have created a $10,000 dollar a year business most of which you will blow on other gear. If you do $2000.00 dollar weddings you have a $100,000 dollar a year business. $3000.00 dollars a Wedding and you are at 150,000 dollars a year and now the children can eat.