"Subbing" out the shooting for double bookings?

Weisel

I keep getting inquiries about wedding dates that I've already booked. I HATE turning away business. Some of them are even referrals. ack!

I've never thought of myself as the type to even consider booking 2-3 weddings for the same day, and having other photog's shoot it for me. Of course, I would do the post production, etc. I know some wedding photo companies do this as standard practice.

I've just got another inquiry for 11/11/11. I'm already booked. (I think that's a popular "buzz" date for this year, from what I've heard. Anyone else getting the same issue?)

My main question is about hiring out. What are the pros and cons of it? IF,and only if I do it, I would make it abundantly clear to the 2nd or 3rd couple for the date that I am not going to be the one shooting it. I'm all for being up front about things.

Is this a good practice, or not?

Shima

If you have someone you completely and wholly trust to shoot under your "branding" and fits with your standards you can certainly try it, and title them "associate photographers." But that being said I imagine most brides came to you because they want you.

And yes 11/11/11 is the buzz date of the year. I'm getting flown to Aruba to photograph a wedding there this year myself

Art Scott

Is it good practice.....depends.....if the contract photog is good then it is good practice ....if the photog screws up, then it is not good practice.........I've done contract weddings for ever...sometimes taking 2-3 contracts for the same day for bridal shops, other photogs and such.....at 8 am I would be shooting for Mitzys Bridal, at 1 pm I would be at a wedding for Falker Photography and at 6pm at a wedding for Suzie Ques Bridal and Tux ...home and in bed at midnight .......had to keep film straight and drop off before going home after last wedding.......I made lots of money for other people and myself..........I just made damn sure I did not tell "MY" client that I could deliver something I could not......I refused to use lists from them....I would shoot 1 wedding for a prospective contract company with the owner or main photog there to see my style of shooting and posing and if they liked what I did and contracted to use me I got paid for that wedding if we agreed not to work together I was not paid for anything but my gas to and from wedding especially if it was an out of town wedding......

Every Bride that I shot thought I was the main photog for these companies or one of the crew of photogs..........

It is a little over 12 hrs to Nashville and I haven't been there in a while....I still do contract work...... :~}}

Good Luck

Blurmore

Very little of my style is in post...it is all in performance and style, I sell me, and when me is all out, I'm sold out. I don't have "signature shots". No one would have a reason to hire me unless they were getting me (or maybe one of my sons if they decide to take up the business one day).

Glort

I had the same thing back in '95.
Went full on into weddings, spent a fortune on advertising and pretty soon I was turning down as many as i was shooting because they all seemed to want the same days when half of the rest of the month was free.

I got a trainee that was a keen amatur but had never shot wedding and showed her what i did. As she had not done anything on her own and only been taught by me, naturally her outlook and style was very similar.

Pretty soon she was doing the shooting and I was carrying the bags and then i was booking her out. At first i'd get her in with the clients so she could meet them at the initial interview ( I used to see 3-4 couples a night so it was worth her coming over) but then I only had her meet the couple beforehand if they asked and I just showed them her work at the interview.

That worked well so I got 2 more girls and trained them up and inside a year there were 5 of us. i always employed girls because it seemed that the guys were all egomaniacs and more concerned about their gear than really relating to the bride.

I did it the way all the big studios operate here, you want the guy with the name on the door you buy the big, exy coverage. The more economical shoots, we'll show you the work of the stringer who will be covering them.
My wife was also shooting but we kept her in reserve in case someone got sick or couldn't make it at short notice. Only had that problem with me getting Ill once.

After a couple of years I decided to go the high end route full time and put my prices up and just shot everything myself which brough in similar money at the end of the day but meant a lot less work.

Both models worked, just depends on which way you want to go.

You may be able to find a shooter that does what you want but I found it easier to get people that were keen and train them up from scratch so they only knew and did what I wanted them to.

Weisel

Thanks for the info Glort. Good stuff to ponder there. By the way, I'm jealous of you because Sydney is my favorite city on earth. I spent a few weeks in Sydney back in '09. I fell in love with that place! It's my goal to move there some day. Hopefully not too far off.

Again, good advice on the double booking issues.