Advice Please
I have wanted to learn wedding photography for sometime. From a technical side I have the knowledge and ability with equipment. I don't have the knowledge or the experience at shooting weddings. I have studied several wedding photographers web sites and like all the different styles. My question is how can I approach a local wedding photographer and ask for help or the opportunity to apprentice under them? I don't have a relationship with any local wedding photographers.
I don't want to make this my career. I just want to learn a new area and become good at it. I have shot a couple of low budget weddings and several events in the past. I have never had the pressure you guys and gals deal with constantly with a large formal wedding. Not sure I want that stress level either. I have had to deal with dead lines and budget issue of media print and photojournalism but that is a different stress level by itself. I dont mind being a gopher or a potable light stand and just helping the second shooter if I can observe enough to learn something.
Is this even a good idea or should someone just jump in with more low budget weddings until I learn on my own? :dunno
I don't want to make this my career. I just want to learn a new area and become good at it. I have shot a couple of low budget weddings and several events in the past. I have never had the pressure you guys and gals deal with constantly with a large formal wedding. Not sure I want that stress level either. I have had to deal with dead lines and budget issue of media print and photojournalism but that is a different stress level by itself. I dont mind being a gopher or a potable light stand and just helping the second shooter if I can observe enough to learn something.
Is this even a good idea or should someone just jump in with more low budget weddings until I learn on my own? :dunno
2 Corinthians 9:15
williamspics.smugmug.com
williamspics.smugmug.com
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Comments
A couple things.
Studying a couple wedding photographer's sites and styles is one thing, but have you found your own style of photography?
Secondly, keep on pounding the pavement towards trying to meet and assist your local photographers. Hopefully with photographers that you admire. More often than not you will be turned down. But, persistence and many offers of taking them out to coffee or lunch might work out in your favor. However, some photographers will not want to take someone on who doesn't want to turn this into a career, but to just using it to become good at it. It takes a lot of time and effort to teach and mentor someone. So keep that in mind.
Thirdly, if you don't want the stress level that comes with any kind of wedding, than you are really better off not pursuing weddings. Weddings can be seriously fun, but they could also be seriously stressful. If you aren't sure you want to deal with that stress, don't. If you do. Then by all means.
Lastly, while they say sometimes you need to run before you can walk, I would suggest not jumping in by shooting budget weddings.
But if you still want to do this, practice practice by making test shoots. If you blog or promote said test shoots, inform your readers that those were test shoots. And get a well written contract.
www.tednghiem.com
Several years ago, I was in a similar boat. Wanted to break into weddings but had enough common sense to know that I needed to apprentice before I went out and potentially mess up a huge day for a couple.
I politely cold e-mailed a local photographer who I admired -- offered my services as an assistant, second shooter, sherpa, whatever. After seeing my portfolio, he agreed to give me a shot. Then called me back and kept calling me back. Finally, after shooting several dozen as a second, I felt comfortable to starting taking work as a primary but I still second shoot with him often. For all kinds of reasons, I wanted to be proficient enough to legitimately avoid low budget stuff.
Would reiterate what Moogle says about the stress -- weddings can be super stressful and I've found my ability to stay calm (and be a calming influence to my clients) is a huge asset. It's not for everyone.
Don't Miss Sweat the Little Things
Streamline the Family Photos
Don't waste time trying to get every last combo of grandparents, siblings, and cousins. Invariably your little nephews will run off, his grandmother will get tired of waiting, and everyone will end up frustrated. Instead, put together a short(!) list of the must-have family shots you want (like the two of you with your immediate families) and then take one big family photo with everyone in it.
Most likely, your photographer will be shooting with digital film, but if you love the look of black-and-white photos, it's a good idea to let them know that ahead of time.
We know engagement photos are an extra cost, but scheduling an engagement photo shoot is well worth the money.
Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day. While I’m sure most Pros don’t do this – I find it really helpful to know where we’re going,
I hope you like my advice
I said before that I am not looking to make a career change at this time with wedding photography. I understand that someone may not be willing to pour out their knowledge for someone that is not interested doing it as a career. I hope they could see that I would be happy as a second shooter on a part time basis for a long long time. I guess like all things once you are accustomed to and confident with your self the stress level may not be what I perceive it as. I just can’t get over thinking there isn’t any do over’s if you miss the great shot. At least with photojournalism there is almost always the safe shot and then hopefully the money shot, unless you just flat miss the assignment altogether. Maybe that is somewhat the same?? I don’t know.
I had blindly emailed a local wedding photographer asking for help and offering to assist any way possible. I didn’t get a response from them so I was worried maybe I had offended them in asking. That was the reason for this pots. There is another local wedding photog that I really like his style of shooting. His website does not appear to be real current but I can appreciate that as well. I will attempt to contact him also. Thanks again for the great advice.
williamspics.smugmug.com
On the contrary, most wedding photographers are simply busy as hell. If they really need a 2nd shooter or assistant, they'll give you a holler. If they don't, you may never hear back from them or you might get a brief reply and maybe some tips on where to look in a local online community.
This industry is, although some people deny it, bursting at the seams with aspiring assistants and tag-along photographers, so you will have to consider that your email might be one in a dozen that a successful local photog receives in a given week / month.
The trick is to not give up. The fact that an industry is bursting at the seams has never stopped hard workers from achieving their goals, in fact it's almost EASIER to achieve a goal in such conditions, because all you have to do is out-last the rest of the people who give up easily.
That's my advice to you. Personally, I've been a wedding photographer for almost 10 years now, and have been full-time for most of that, paying my rent with mostly weddings and a few other random gigs. I have met hundreds and hundreds of other photographers, and some of them disappear after one or two brief messages, and some of them show resolve and stick around and one day I look them up and they're actually even more successful than I am!
Of course I'm approaching this from the assumption that you have professional, or at least profitable goals, and I know that you have mentioned how you're not interested in shooting weddings full-time or professionally.
However I would say that, pro or hobbyist, you owe it to EVERY bride you photograph to maintain professional standards, regarding everything from your equipment and technical skill, to your backup/safety ethic and your professional / legal handling of expectations, promises, and delivery. Not to mention, of course, artistic creativity and overall quality standards.
I honestly believe that much of the wedding photography is headed in a part-time direction. There are just so many dang-good shooters out there who have decent day jobs and very little interest in shooting weddings full-time. Or, even if they start out with full-time goals, they quickly realize that in the low/mid range markets there is often not enough work to go around, or that they are being under-cut by the next generation that is hot on their heels. Either way, I actually think that whatever happens to the industry is fine, as long as the couples are happy with the results and they get their images safe and sound. I only get upset when someone accidentally deletes / loses an entire wedding, or bails out 1 week prior due to panic, or of course simply delivers terrible photos.
So, don't give up, but proceed professionally and with caution, and you'll do very well!
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