Looking to assist - Los Angeles area

Matthew Saville · July 16, 2010

Hey Gary! Here's an un-solicited tip if you're hoping to get into wedding photography, and assist professionals at real weddings:

The best way to earn someone's confidence and get them to let you tag along at something as important as a wedding, is to get out and meet people in person. A professional wedding photographer would almost *never* allow someone they've never met, or hardly know, to 2nd shoot for them at a wedding. Because as I'm sure you already know, it's TOTALLY about trust, personality, and professonalism, ...and has almost nothing to do with a photographer's equipment or photographic skill.

If you haven't already, you should definitely join the school and immerse yourself in the community. Get together locally with other photographers, and be active in a club or something. I'm pretty active on the school and have landed at least three well-paying 2nd shooting jobs through the So Cal club and the "2nd shooters R us" club...

Like I said, people are 100x more likely to hire someone they've met in person and know as a friend, or at least know to be a responsible professional. I'm sure you ARE those things, (responsible and professional) ...you just have to prove it before people will trust you.

Connect with me on Facebook if you'd like to hang out some time! I'm in Fountain Valley and shoot with other photographers pretty regularly, sometimes just for fun and sometimes in a workshop environment...

=Matt=

Oh, and PS, always include a link to your portfolio when offering to 2nd shoot with someone, and maybe a blog. ;-)

Jeff_Milo · July 17, 2010

with everything Matt said. One other local group that is good to meet other photographers is the local SMUG meetings. There are SMUG groups in LA, the OC, and now Riverside.

Looking to assist - Los Angeles area

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