The 10 Commandments of a successful wedding photographer by Dominic Lee, AMPA
Thursday, Jun 5th, 2008 in The IPWS Blog by Dominic Lee | 5 Comments
(1) Never ever take a booking without a booking fee, (average 10%, a deposit is refundable while a booking fee is non refundable).
(2) Never ever smoke or drink alcohol while working and always dress as if you are a guest at the wedding (if you want to dress like “an artist” then take up wild life photography).
(3) Never ever give the client printable files on DVD, (unless you intend changing career within 3 years. They will print them on cheap fax/copy paper using the printer they got free with the computer which has all the 4 colours of the rainbow in one cartridge!!!!).
(4) Never panic, (the word "patience" should not even be in your vocabulary).
(5) Always carry a spare camera & a spare flash with spare batteries, which are fully charged, (anyone wana buy my old Fuji S3?).
(6) Never take photographs during the Gospel or during the Consecration, (it’s as disrespectful as doing a jig during the Nation Anthem).
(7) Always tell the Bride to lie to the Hotel manager about the time of the ceremony by +2hours, (banqueting managers never ever get the timing right and they always and I mean always blame the photographer).
(8) Always advise the couple in writing that the price is only guaranteed for e.g. 3 months after the wedding and will increase annually by e.g. 20% (they can take years to place their order and guess who gets blamed for the delay?).
(9) Never wait till after the wedding to get the balance (did you ever hear of a bride & groom paying for their honeymoon when they got back? Most of them have paid the travel agent in full at least 6 months in advance).
(10) Treat all the guests with respect and courtesy, 90% of them will never see your work and will only remember your attitude on the day.
If you have any more Commandments please click on ADD COMMENT.
Regards, Dominic
5 Comments:
never ever ever do wedding phototgraphy, it’s far too stressful.
Always always always always report any amateur wedding photographers you see covering weddings to the tax man – he will certainly crucify you for everything he can and the only way you can use him is to get him to investigate your most dangerous opposition to make sure they have as little advantage as possible.
M.McKay
(1)Always check with the Priest or Minister re photos allowed or better still get the couple to do it.
(2)Ask the couple to select a videographer who doesn’t rely on shadowing the photographer all day to make the movie.
Always be at the church about half an hour before the groom.
all good advice; wish i had it when starting out. I’ve bowed out from the wedding scene now. Too many players coming to a shrinking market driving prices down yet overheads increase annually and prospective brides come armed with lifestyle magazines demanding the impossible. I could never afford an assistant to hold that diffuser/reflector or organise multiple flash setups. I’am fed up competing with cameras phones thrust out into the isles. Everyone with a digital camera is a photographer now. A major college is turning out students with B.A’s in photography and the first thing they think of when they graduate is i’ll try my hand at weddings and some don’t even wait. Their strength is their naivety and yes they can’t be sued because they don’t pretend to be professional!. Everyone likes a bargain and will take a chance, after all if it walks like a duck and quacks like one……..and they will take a percentage of business no matter how professional you are.
I’ve had to take alternative employment while i find a niche in the photographic sector where one can make a living of sorts. The photographic landscape is changing at a furious pace and the market place comes with new demands always.
DV cameras with high rez. sensors that can capture still images of album quality are just around the corner. The writing is on the wall for the stills photographers…
check out the current edition of BJP and its feature on retouchers. The role of the photographer has to an extent been reduced to a supplier of component parts and not as a primary creative. Thats my experience. Lost most of my advertising clients to the image libraries. Yes theres change in the air and are perceptions of roles are being challenged.