Profitable Wedding Photography

Elizabeth Etienne

• Publisher: Allworth
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781581157826
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Performing Arts & Business

Now aspiring wedding photographers have a comprehensive guide to building a profitable wedding business! Drawing from her twenty-three years of experience in the wedding photography industry, author Elizabeth Etienne helps readers reduce the growing pains both in shooting a wedding and in dealing with wedding clients. Unique features include prep sheets such as: couple's questionnaire, shot list, photo timeline, helpful hints, contract, and package rate sheet. With an introduction written by celebrity wedding planner Colin Cowie, this indispensable book will teach you how to: - Create a great product - Offer dynamic customer service - Price your product and service appropriately - Package your product uniquely - Market your product effectively. Anyone looking for practical advice on how to start and grow a wedding business will need this one-stop resource from one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the world.Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

The Business of Creating Great Wedding Photography

10

Creating Your First Wedding Portfolio

Even if you’ve never shot a wedding before!

HOW DO YOU CREATE A WEDDING PORTFOLIO AND LAND A WEDDING job if you haven’t already shot a wedding? Isn’t this one of those catch-22 situations? No, not at all! You might already have some images that look as though they may have come from a wedding, and these images might be the start of your first wedding portfolio. When I decided to create my portfolio, I was fortunate because I already had some romantic images in my existing library. Most of these were personal fine art images I had shot during my previous years in Paris: a cluster of roses, a portrait of a young girl wearing a dress with flowers in her hair, lingerie hanging on the back of an old door, and a soft focus shot of lovers kissing in the reflection of a lily pond. These images did land me my first wedding job, but I realized I still needed to expand my wedding portfolio if I wanted to pursue a wedding photography business more seriously.

I decided to give myself some assignments. I pored through wedding magazines, other photographers’ Web sites, books, blogs, and anything else I could find for visual inspiration, and created an image idea folder. I found dozens of images in various categories. From these ideas, I made my first shot list and decided to start with the still life images first. I found a sample wedding invitation at a stationary store, a beautiful bouquet at a floral shop, a wedding gown, rings, and some other wedding attire a friend lent me. I spent a few days shooting as much as I could. Because these were still life images and I didn’t have any time restrictions, I was able to experiment and explore a variety of scene settings. I really enjoyed myself and captured some amazing images.

After a few weeks, I felt more confident with my equipment and my shoot style and I decided it was time to shoot some people. I advertised to couples for free “wedding-like” images and found the perfect couple (apparently, they hated their wedding images). They enthusiastically agreed to donate a few hours of their time. I was thrilled and they were eager to see what I could do. I brought both my own shot list and shot composition reminder so I would remember to shoot a broad variety of shots. I knew that not only did I need to find the best location scene settings, but I also needed to deal with posing, personalities, and a limited time schedule. I wanted to make the best of this great opportunity and practice as much as possible. The day of the shoot, the couple alerted me that they were running an hour late and then asked if I didn’t mind if their parents came along for some group shots, too. While I was excited to have the opportunity to shoot some family pictures for my portfolio, I hadn’t really planned for those shots (or for them being so late). During the shoot, the one area large enough to accommodate the group was now filled with screaming children on a field trip. To add to this, my only flash malfunctioned and I was scrambling to try to figure out the problem. I didn’t have a reflector or an assistant so I had to improvise the best I could. I was really stressed out and I didn’t have a backup plan whatsoever. Just as the people started to get agitated and impatient, the flash miraculously started working again and the school children moved on (Phew . . . What a relief!).

All things considered, the pseudo wedding shoot went rather well and I got some beautiful images to supplement my portfolio. I was able to practice the art of directing the couple, coordinating groups, and keeping my cool when my equipment malfunctioned and the timeline went off schedule. However, I really realized the necessity of having an assistant, backup equipment, and an alternate plan when things don’t go as anticipated. I was blessed to be able to practice these skills before shooting a real wedding.

The next few weeks I spent reviewing, editing, and retouching all of the images from the photo shoots (see Chapter 17: Preparing Your Product, for more information). I began to see a wonderfully consistent look to my work that seemed to flow along with the existing images in my collection. Selecting the images that would make the stringent cut for my first wedding portfolio was challenging but fun and exciting. Much like what is discussed in Chapter 18: The Client’s Wedding Album Book, I looked for a variety of images that told a story. Like a good novel or an epic film, all of my books and albums have a beginning, a midpoint, and an end. I chose images that add to the book’s rhythm, zooming in and out from broad to close-ups to beautiful and sentimental and cute and funny. I balanced the book between color and black and white to vertical and horizontal images. The page designs consistently shifted between simple single images to multi-image montages. My goal was and is to always seduce and entertain the viewer with a consistent layout style, while never boring or overwhelming them. Initially I found this challenging, but over time the process became easier and easier. This is how I created my first wedding portfolio and what propelled me headfirst into the wedding photography business!

I like images that give my portfolio diversity, so whenever I’m location scouting, shooting another job, or even traveling on vacation, I’m always on the lookout for complimentary images to supplement my portfolio. These are usually still life images or scenes of places or things we might not expect to see in a traditional wedding portfolio—a tree standing alone on a grassy knoll, a glass of wine resting in the afternoon sunlight, or an old chapel bell tower. Much like the segue in a movie, these images provide a wonderful contrast to the otherwise emotion-filled people images. It doesn’t matter if the image was shot during a wedding or not. Your clients just want to see the quality of your work. They don’t need to know how, when, or where the image was created. This is irrelevant to your capabilities.

As your skills evolve, so, too, shall your portfolio. By “portfolio,” I am also referring to your Web site images—any images you use to present your photography style. It’s important for your work to always remain fresh and to give your viewers something new to inspire them. With cost-effective portfolio books and user-friendly, photographer-managed Web sites, we’re able to update our work with more ease now than ever before (for more info on Web sites, see Chapter 4: Web Sites).

11

Choosing Your Team

Interns, assistants, second shooters, and photo labs

AS MY BUSINESS GREW, I REALIZED I NEEDED HELP. I AM ONLY ONE person and quickly realized that I cannot, and should not, do everything. It’s simply not a profitable way of doing business. The rule is: do only that which only you can do and have qualified individuals do the rest. I knew I just had to find the right assistants and delegate specific tasks to the right ones. Each person who is selected to be a part of the Elizabeth Etienne Photography team is chosen because he or she has a particular set of skills. This includes my labs, photo assistants, bookkeepers, album and packaging designers, publishers, sponsors, and reps.

ASSISTANTS AND INTERNS

You’re the boss. Choose your team wisely. It’s a competitive marketplace: assistants, labs, album bookmakers, and agents all want your business, so you can afford to be particular. Examine what each of them has to offer, and if they don’t have what you need, see if they’re flexible enough to create it. If not, keep searching. Remember, every member of your team works for you. They are a direct reflection of you and your wedding photography business, so make sure the people you choose represent the very best side of you.

Don’t even think about shooting a job (any job) without at least one assistant! For weddings, I recommend at least two. Not only is it worth the minimal added expense to have an extra set of hands to pass you a lens, prep for the next shot, and transfer communication to the coordinator and bride, but you’ll also have a more polished, competent appearance. There’s nothing less professional (and more pathetic) than watching a solo wedding photographer fumble for a lens, flash, digital card, camera body, or reflector card, all while trying to direct people and coordinate the next shot. The photographer is sweating and stressed out, and the people are irritated, impatient, and anxious. All of this just to save a few bucks? It’s just not worth it. When I’ve been fortunate to be an actual guest at a wedding and I’m witnessing another wedding photographer in action without an assistant, I know immediately what kind of images the bride will get. I just shake my head, look the other way, and hope for the best.

When I’m considering new interns or assistants, I give them an information sheet. This sheet clearly addresses what I expect from them, how they are to act, and what they are to wear when working with me. While it might sound rigid, it’s imperative my assistants know exactly how I run my business and the expectations I have of them. This is one more example of the importance of stating requirements in writing so nothing is left for interpretation later. My “Assistants & Interns Information” sheet allows me to say on paper what I may forget to articulate clearly in person. This sheet is attached below.

ELIZABETH ETIENNE PHOTOGRAPHY
578 Washington blvd #372 Marina del Rey, CA 90292
www.etiennephoto.com/www.eephoto.com
tel: [phone] fax: [phone]

ASSISTANTS AND INTERNS INFORMATION SHEET:

Welcome to the team at Elizabeth Etienne Photography. We look forward to having you join us. As you may know, Elizabeth receives hundreds of applicants for the internship program and freelance assisting jobs every year, and so she must be VERY selective about whom she accepts. Elizabeth believes in a mutually beneficial work environment. If you are an intern, this means the value of the time you invest into the internship will be rewarded with the value of the time Elizabeth counsels you on the numerous aspects of the photography business. This is an UNPAID INTERNSHIP position. Your job-related expenses shall be paid only while working ON the job. These expenses are as follows: gas and mileage fees while running errands, all transportation costs during destination photo shoots, and meals during photo shoot days (only). If you are one of the fortunate individuals to be accepted into the internship program and then have the opportunity to assist, we expect that you honor, respect, and most importantly value this unique opportunity. Unlike many common internship programs, Elizabeth is truly committed to seeing YOU become a successful photographer on every level possible. Testimonials attesting to this fact can be found on Elizabeth Etienne’s Web site. Anyone accepted into the internship program must be willing to meet all requirements before applying. This includes a total commitment for a minimum of 3–6 months. Should you want to extend your internship beyond 6 months (as some have), this will be discussed between you and Elizabeth Etienne at that time.

Production Managers, interns, second shooters, and assistants are all considered assistants (or crewmembers) of Elizabeth Etienne Photography. The images created by you and/or Elizabeth Etienne will be owned exclusively by Elizabeth Etienne Photography. These images cannot be presented or displayed in any other form without written permission by Elizabeth Etienne. All paid assistants will be asked to sign an Assistant Photographer contract (and possibly a non-disclosure agreement). The Assistant Photographer contract will include Work for Hire details to further define the copyright and privacy restrictions of any and all materials and information produced and obtained through Elizabeth Etienne Photography. Any assistant who acts in a less than professional manner will be terminated from the program and will NOT be permitted to use Elizabeth Etienne as a reference for future assisting jobs with other photographers.

• ARRIVAL TIMES: Always show up promptly at your scheduled arrival time. If you arrive a little early, please do NOT enter or knock on the door. Instead feel free to go to the corner café for a coffee or a walk on the beach. However, please do not be late (especially on shoot days!). If you think you could have a difficult time finding parking, etc., plan ahead and arrive a little early. Better to be early and hang out on the beach than late. Your arrival time is critically factored into the scheduling of the day.

• SICK DAYS: Each photo shoot is planned weeks or months in advance and the assistant’s position is essential to the success of the shoot. We cannot work without you. If you are sick, we expect you contact us as soon as humanly possible to so that we may find a replacement for you immediately. You are permitted 2 sick days during a 3-month session and are expected to take every possible precaution to maintain your health—especially prior to any major shoot days. You need to be well rested and in a clear frame of mind. It is advised to avoid alcohol consumption before the night of a photo shoot. If we can smell alcohol on your breath when you arrive, you will be dismissed immediately.

• COMMUNICATION INTERACTIONS: Much like working behind the scenes with the crew on a film set, there is an unspoken (but known) code of communication between the crew and the cast. The crew is never to interact (or even make eye contact!) with the cast. This enables the actors to stay focused without distractions on the character they are attempting to portray. A still photography set is the same. Please avoid consistent eye contact with the models. To create ...