CTS Photography

2nd Photographer vs Photographer’s Assistant – what’s the difference?

Tobie Schalkwyk — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 08:54:24 +0000

There seems to be some confusion in the ranks of photographers, as far as the difference between ‘2nd Photographer’ and ‘Photographer Assistant’ is concerned. Some ask for the services of the first, actually needing the services of the last and vice versa.

So, let’s list the differences as generally perceived by togs who have these two categories of ‘helpers’ clearly sorted in their minds:

2nd Photographer (a.k.a ‘2nd Shooter’)

Is employed mainly to take supplementary images of an event;

Has some photographic skills. These skills can vary from ‘student’ level (not recommended for critical tasks) to levels much higher than the skills of the main photographer;

May be asked to edit his/her own images;

Is not concerned with refreshments to the main photographer;

May branch off, working independently from main photographer to capture images, such as photographing: –

the groom / best men dressing up whilst the main photographer covers the bride / bridesmaids dressing up;
the bride walking down the aisle from the back whilst the main photographer covers her from the front;
the groom seeing the bride for the first time as she comes down the aisle whilst the main photographer focuses on the bride;
the same scene as the main photographer but preferably with different lenses and/or focal lengths;

Is generally paid more than the assistant due to his/her higher skill levels and responsibilities (some photos taken by the 2nd shooter are critical to the wedding album);

Is employed by the main photographer so is only accountable to him/her;

May also advise the main photographer as and when needed but in general is more concerned with own images;

Photographer Assistant

Is employed mainly to

assist a photographer with the carrying and setup of gear;
assist a photographer with creating ideal lighting conditions (by holding / setting up diffusors, reflectors and external lighting);

Needs no photographic skills but is more focused on the immediate needs and requests of the photographer(s) assisted, for example to go find a missing person for a group shot or to keep an eye on the time line and advise the photographer(s) accordingly. In fact the assistant might not even want to become a photographer at all;

Is not involved with image editing;

May offer refreshments (water, cold drinks, snacks) at own cost as a special service or favour to the photographer(s) assisted;

Always shadows the photographer(s) assisted;

Is generally paid less than the 2nd Photographer due to lower skill levels and less knowlege required. This might not be the case where a photographer has built up a long relationship with an experienced or popular assistant and thus prefers his/her services;

Might assist more than one photographer as and when the need arises;

May bring the photographer(s) attention to issues which might jeopardise an image (such as piece of under garment sticking out, distracting objects in the background) or enhance it (better poses etc.).

Of course these differences are not set in stone. Some photographers might hire a student / amateur photographer as assistant and then allows him/her to occasionally take a shot with or without assistance from the (2nd or main) photographer. Some photographers would hire one or more assistants per (2nd and main) photographer. Some main photographers would not share assistants and others would.

Conclusion

Both 2nd shooters and assistants are critical to the success of some event shoots, depending on the task load. Whatever the arrangement with either: a clear, written ‘contract’ is highly recommended so that everyone knows what’s expected and what’s allowed (and vice versa) on the day(s) of the shoot. Let’s use them and appreciate them for what they are and give them the respect they deserve! We need them both!

Other blogs by the same author:

My first wedding shoot and 9 tips for you 1st shoot!

The challenges of starting Wedding Photography

9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album!

Handy Links:

My nature website: www.ctsphotography.co.za/nature

My favourite photography website: www.lightstalking.com

Tobie Schalkwyk is a full-time Java web developer who hopes to move into full time wedding, portrait and event photography when he retires at the end of 2017. All comments on this blog are most welcome. What are your concerns re. your wedding photographs / photographer? Share your thoughts below! Any questions about your coming shoot? Let them come!

The post 2nd Photographer vs Photographer’s Assistant – what’s the difference? appeared first on CTS Photography.

9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album!

Tobie Schalkwyk — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 16:22:17 +0000

9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album!

This is not your typical ‘This is what I want or else…’ article from a photographer’s viewpoint. Therefore I’d like you to set our mindset appropriately before going any further. Fact is that twenty or thirty or forty years from now your wedding photos will be all that you have to remind you of one of the most important days of your life. At that stage your soul mate might have passed on and your wedding photos are your most significant reference to this person who had an immense impact in your life – perhaps even to who you have become through the years.

It’s quite logical then that your wedding album is one of the most important ‘creations’ resulting from your wedding day. So this blog approaches the creation of a winner’s wedding album from the bridal couple’s viewpoint – insisting on having the best photos possible and doing everything possible to achieve that.

I believe that the first step towards a stunning wedding album is to set such album as one of your main priorities for and on your wedding day. So, make a calculated decision that your wedding photographer will be your ‘comrade’, a paid associate whom you ‘appoint’ (or rather instruct!) to provide you with the best wedding album possible. So the fact that your wedding photographer will push to get the best shots possible is besides the point – you will do anything possible from your side to realize that objective. So, how should you go about this?

In order not to be overwhelmed, I have divided this article into two parts – the first up to (and excluding) the Reception and the second from the Reception further on.

Book your photographer well in advance.

Booking your photographer months (up to 6 months or even a year) in advance gives him/her ample time to plan and perform a couple shoot at the ceremony and/or reception venue(s). If you wait too long then you might not be able to book either of these venues at a suitable date and time as they are already booked out. This brings us to the next point.

Opt for a multiple photographer wedding shoot package

Remember that your package finally selected is your decision and not that of your photographer. Accept it and make the most of it. If you select a package with only one photographer, accept the fact that you undoubtedly will sacrifice some shots. You most likely will not have a shot where you as bride enters the church as well as one of the groom when he sees you at that particular moment. Or of the groom and best man when they wait expectantly just before you come down the aisle. Your photographer can only be at one place at a time! If these shots are really important to you, rather pay a little more for a multiple photographer package.

Insist on a couple / engagement shoot at the same venue where your wedding shoot will occur on your wedding day

This is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know your photographer and should be used as guide to decide whether you would like to sign them up to shoot your wedding. Rather opt out at this early stage and shop around for a more suitable photographer to shoot your wedding, than push through with someone you’re not comfortable with or even dislike. Remember, your relationship with your photographer will shine through in your wedding shots. To really look happy and relaxed in your wedding album will require a photographer whom you connect with and you are at ease with.

Do your couple shoot at more or less the same time as when your photos will be taken on the day of your wedding. Since these two shoots might happen in different seasons, the number of hours before sunset must be used as a guideline if you’re getting married in the afternoon. In other words if your wedding shoot will take place 3 hours before sunset, arrange for the couple shoot at 3 hours before sunset. You and your photographer will have the opportunity to identify certain spots for specific shots, consider contingency plans (rain, wind, difficult lighting conditions) and perhaps experiment with a range of shots to see what is going to work best. It will also let you relax just a bit more during the final shoot as everything will not feel ‘foreign’ to you. Discuss various poses and settings during the couple shoot. If you want to imitate a specific pose which you’ve seen in a wedding magazine or album then now is the time to speak up!

Insist on a contract and study it carefully

Never accept a wedding shoot without a contract as it ensures that you know exactly what to expect of your photographer and vice versa. Study it. If there are things not in the contract and you’d like them to be there: insist on having them included, perhaps per addendum. If you want something scrapped, make sure it happens before you sign it. Once the contract is finalized, accept it as is and do not deviate from it. Never let it create stress between you and the photographer – simply use it to insist on services specified.

A few important points to cover in your contract: –

- when how much money should be paid (deposit and final amount);
- the image delivery time. Allow the photographer that full period before starting to make inquiries;
- the minimum number of professionally edited photos;
- who is liable for damaged / stolen photography equipment (if possible, insist that the photographer should be responsible for his/her own insurance cover).
- when may the first photos be made available on social media by either party;

Make your wedding photographer your best friend!

- Be prompt with your payment(s). One hears horror stories about photographers still waiting on their final payments (or even down payments!) on the wedding day in spite of the wedding contract stating that these have to be paid days or even weeks earlier! This might jeopardize not only your relationship with the person assigned to deliver your dream wedding album, but also his/her commitment to do so! The worst case scenario is that your photographer (rightfully!) cancels your shoot a few hours before your wedding! This is not only unfair to your wedding partner but also to your photographer who rather could have photographed another (paid) wedding on that particular day. Do not wait for a reminder or query from your him/her – set one on your mobile phone and/or email system and make the payment(s) in time to be available in your his/her account on the agreed date(s).
- Provide you wedding photography team with a meal. See this as an investment – absolutely worth it! In fact, insist that they share a table and meal at the ceremony as your guests! Extra food close to the ceremony is not always available so do not let your wedding photography team worry about this – their only worry should be your wedding photos!
- Seat your photography team within clear view of the action at the main table during the ceremony. Most action happens around the main table – sometimes without warning or planning. Allow your photography team to be on high alert at all times by being close to – and within clear view – of the main table and the spot where speeches will be delivered.

Help with the shot selection

Your wedding photographer might have lots of ideas about poses and photo content but will always welcome suggestions and special requests. If you see an outstanding shot somewhere in a magazine, take a snapshot with your mobile phone and send it to him/her. If it’s on the web, send him/her the link. In most cases he/she’d be more than willing to include it on the wedding shot list!

Plan your group shots to the finest detail. List the names of all the participants in each shot. That makes it easy to gather the exact participants for each shot. It ensures more time for your and your partner’s private photo session and it will give your photographer an idea whether the allocated time for the shoot is sufficient (plan for a minimum of 5 minutes per group shot and take note of how much time is left for your private shoot.

Make a list of all the non-obvious small items to be photographed. Some of these can be easily over looked in the rush to prepare for the reception. Ear rings, necklace, bracelets, shoes, rings, a special tattoo, button belly jewelry, hair decorations. You’ll be amazed how much detail you forget about through the years, just to be reminded by your photos as you browse through them. Don’t make it the photographer’s sole responsibility to remember about these – take co-responsibility for it. Have all items (like your dress) to be photographed prior to the pre-dress clean and ready.

Arrange for a make-up artist

Your photographer has a lot of things to focus on during your wedding shoot and if a make-up artist is not included in your selected package, try to arrange for one on your own. It will release your photographer from worrying about your looks and give you peace of mind about your appearance, resulting in a relaxed look and feel in your photos.

Insist on having a photographer present at the dressing stages

Don’t let your photographer ask or beg to be present during the dressing stages. If there are private moments, ask him/her to quickly leave the room and bring them back immediately. Remember, these are moments you’d like to remember in the years to come. Make sure that they are captured!

Don’t let uncle Bob spoil your wedding shoot

Appoint someone to keep ‘pesky’ family & friends away from you and your partner’s wedding shoot. This could be the best man as he is (should be!) always near to the camera action. Remember: you have only one chance to make this work!

Conclusion

Your wedding photos may not be one of your main concerns right now so it seems to be the logical place to save money and effort. 20 years from now however you’ll either regret or appreciate the money and effort spent on them as you page through your wedding album – or as you wish you had a wedding album. That decision to use ‘my best friend’ who is not really into photography might be the most expensive one you’ll ever make. Think carefully. You only have one chance to get it right. Once you’ve made your decision, do everything possible in a partnership with your chosen photographer to realize your best wedding album possible.

Other blogs by the same author:

My first wedding shoot and 9 tips for you 1st shoot!

The challenges of starting Wedding Photography

Handy Links:

My favourite photography website: Lightstalking

The post 9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album! appeared first on CTS Photography.

My first wedding shoot and 9 tips for your 1st shoot!

Tobie Schalkwyk — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 12:15:31 +0000

Background

When a dear friend of mine asked me to photograph the wedding of her son and to-be daughter in law I was immediately overwhelmed by two emotions as this was going to be my first wedding shoot:

Firstly relief that I had a wedding to photograph at last (who wants a first-time wedding photographer to perform this most important deed, right?)
Secondly a huge sense of responsibility. I mean, while messing up a stranger’s wedding may damage your desire to found a solid reputation, at least it would not incur the cost a friendship as well!

Then there was the possibility that the couple might (understandably so!) not share mom’s enthusiasm and trust in this newby stranger / photographer at all! Efforts to get confirmation from her that they were buying into this plan of hers were met with a perceived cold shoulder, implying ‘I want you and no-one else’! Only once their wedding photography fees were fully paid well in advance did I gladly accept the fact that I was actually going to shoot this wedding!

I must admit that the invitation to photograph this wedding did not come only from our friendship. It was supported by 3 years of intense work in getting to know my camera and photography by means of photographing birds, wildlife and landscapes. There were also the occasional studio and portrait shoots (click on these links to see more). Interested in how I went about shooting this wedding? Read on!

On the way to the reception

Preparation

I was not prepared to walk into this most important event without feeling confident that there was nothing more I could do to ensure success.

I’m convinced that I have a flaw in my genes because once I get involved in a project, I live eat and sleep it! Once reality sank in that I was officially the photographer for this wedding, I acquired and worked through David Ziser’s excellent book Captured by Light – as I firmly believe that photography is all about light. That was followed up by downloading three kindle versions of Robert Valenzuala’s books:

Picture Perfect Lighting;
Picture Perfect Posing;
Picture Perfect Practice.

I re-worked certain sections of these books a few times, in favour of an increase in confidence every time I did so. Picture Perfect Practice has a lot of off-camera flash exercises which I’ve practiced on the styling heads of my granddaughter’s life-size doll (in my man cave where no-one could frown at me and report me to the nearest mental institution)!

Equipment.

I bought a bigger 5-in-1 reflector set (120cm x 180cm) which included a scrim (a diffuser which lets just enough light through to create the most amazing shade on the face of your subject) but this proved to be in vain for this particular wedding – the early summer sun was almost gone by the time we started our shoot.

I rented a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC USD Macro lens to get picture perfect shots of the wedding rings and other small items but this proved to be unnecessary. I was much happier with the quality of the same shots from my trusty 24-70mm Tamron f/2.8 lens.

Shot list.

About three weeks prior to the wedding I compiled a shot list based on Google searches, a read through BruidGids (an annual production strongly recommended for wedding couples and their parents) and common sense. This was then sent back and forth between the couple and myself with additions / omissions as needed. I also asked the couple to each give me a list of 10 things they fear most from a wedding shoot and 10 must-have shots. I thus knew what I wanted to avoid most and what I wanted right on top of my shot list.

Couple / engagement shoot.

I requested a couple shoot at the wedding venue a few weeks before the wedding. Firstly to get to know the couple and vice versa. I also wanted to identify suitable areas for certain shots on the wedding day and it helped me to construct a few ideas in the back of my mind, in case our prayers for much needed rain were answered on the wedding day.

Getting to know the couple

This shoot gave me peace of mind as I realised that the couple were as keen as I was to get a nice collection of shots from the wedding. I took the opportunity to share with them a few posing do’s and don’ts, as I would not be able to oversee this when working against time on the wedding day. The added advantage of the couple shoot was the production of quite a few nice keepers (if I may say so myself!). I reckon it also gave them the assurance that maybe – just maybe – this newby is going to produce a few keepers on their wedding day after all!

Assistance. One of these answers prompted me to ask a lady friend of mine and her husband to help out as 2^nd photographer and assistant: the bride expressed her desire to have a photo of the groom at the moment he sees her coming down the aisle with her dad.

Difficult, if not impossible without the use of a 2nd photographer

I know that this is a critical moment for any photographer as one’s focus is fully on the bride and her dad. The result was a beautiful image as requested, and a feeling of satisfaction when the bride asked for this in addition to the original suite of images to be released first for viewing on social media.

My first wedding shoot

Friday evening. This wedding shoot actually started on the evening before the wedding day.I told the groom that I’d love to photograph the preparation stages of the wedding, and he arranged for me to sleep over at the wedding venue on the Friday night.

Mom!

Little did we know that the bride’s parents secretly arrived the day before from London, and that they were going to attend her wedding! At some stage the groom told her that he had a surprise for her in the hall. He held her eyes shut as he led her into the hall, and when he removed his hands she looked into her mom’s face!

Love you so much….

If I sacrificed my Friday night for just the two shots that I took of that moment then it was absolutely worth it!

Saturday.

On Saturday I paid the ‘girls’ a visit at the hair salon to capture those moments, and then went back to the venue, where I spent time photographing the small items and the wedding dress in the bride’s room.

The girls getting ready in style…

The bride arrived an hour late from the hair salon, and the vibes varied from extremely stressed (the parents) to totally relaxed (the bride and hair stylist) to a big joke (that’s me!). About half an hour after the scheduled time the bride and her dad walked down the aisle – not bad going considering that she was still getting her make-up done at the time they were supposed to arrive!

The ceremony was followed by our scheduled one-hour photo shoot, and my only regret was that we did not have at least ninety minutes for this session (as requested in our wedding shoot contract). I was relieved that I had asked the bridal couple to list a maximum of ten group shots for our shot list (which ended up in quite a few more), and in the end we had to cut back on our planned couple shots.

Although a little disappointed, I was not too worried as the decision to move on to the reception was made by the groom – and after all we did have those nice shots from our couple shoot a few weeks earlier.

The reception went off well – filled with the typical formalities, lots of fun and lots of dancing.

Challenges

Time.

As mentioned before we were a little pushed for time during our official photography session between the ceremony & reception. There were small interruptions because the groom was involved in most of the preparations and proceedings for the day, and people needed to consult him for clarity about some of the proceedings. Had I known what I know now, I would have suggested a maximum of 6 group shots – however I know how important these shots were to our bridal couple and their parents, so that would have been quite difficult to enforce in this event. Maybe a bit of pressure from my side to lengthen the scheduled time for the shooting session to 90 minutes in the planning stages would have been a good idea?

Fatigue.

I wanted to take some shots of the bridal couple in/at the vintage wedding car only after dark but eventually this proved to be a challenge. I felt extremely guilty because the couple started to show signs of fatigue (understandably so because I was feeling it as well by that time!) and I knew that they’d rather be with friends and/or on the dance floor at that stage. I thus kept that session as short as possible.

Quick in-the-dark photo session

The sun.

The reception was held in the open air and everyone other than the pastor was in full sun. This posed the typical photographic challenges, especially with the white wedding dress and white chair covers. These challenges were successfully handled in post processing though.

Setting up group shots. When it became clear that the setting up of the required group shots was going too slowly, the groom took over this responsibility. This proved to be very effective as no-one was going to argue with the groom, right?As mentioned further down, it is advisable that the couple nominate someone who is given a list of the desired groups and is responsible for rounding up the participants.

Having fun during the photo session

All in all we’ve had no surprises too big to handle, and the willingness and desire of the bridal couple to have lots of keepers made it a perfect shoot from a photographer’s viewpoint. If I could have it all over again I would ask for nothing different except for an extra 30 minutes for the photo shoot between the ceremony and reception.

9 Tips for first time wedding photographers

1. Try to land assistant / 2^ndphotographer jobs first.

Easier said than done because I’ve found it as difficult to get a 2^ndPhotographer job as to get a first wedding to photograph. Anyone asking for 2^nd photographer recommendations on social media is immediately flooded with offers and is spoilt for choice. So, let me reword this and say ‘If you have an assistant / 2^nd photographer opportunity with an experienced photographer prior to your first wedding shoot, grab it with both hands’!

2. Read as much as you can about wedding photography.

Specially about lighting setups similar to what you’ll be using. The books mentioned above are excellent (and dare I say sufficient?) and you should not need any additional theoretical knowledge for a successful shoot;

3. Join relevant social media groups.

Facebook has multiple Strobist, Off Camera Flash and Wedding Photography groups. Learn from these – they contain practical examples of people in the field and they’re more than prepared to share their knowledge with interested parties. That’s why they’ve joined these groups, after all!

4. Practice

If you’re aware of any uncertainties with your setup or lighting, simulate the wedding conditions at home and practice your shots until you’re happy with the result. If you’re using off-camera flash, make sure you can quickly switch from an on-camera to off-camera speedlite. Know when you’re going to use iTTL/eTTL vs. Manual flash modes and how to effortlessly switch between them in dark conditions.

5. Keep your batteries and memory cards close-by

I bought a moon bag type pouch which I’ve attached to my belt for this purpose. It contained: –

extra memory cards;
a backup camera battery;
extra AA batteries for my speedlites / wireless flash kit;
a lens cleaning cloth and lenspen;
The blue gel kit which I was going to use on my off camera flash for the bridal couple’s 1^st dance;
business cards.
a laminated diagram of posing ideas from Picture Perfect Posing;

6. Insist on a couple shoot.

I offer this for free if the couple book a wedding shoot with me, as it’s as much to my advantage as to theirs. If possible at all do this shoot at the wedding venue, and at the same time of day that you’ll be shooting their wedding photos. That will identify potential issues with light and rain and help you to plan accordingly.

7. Get assistance

Assistant. Use an assistant, specially if you’d be utilising off-camera flashes and/or reflectors.
Second shooter. If you’re ever planning to go solo on a wedding shoot, your first wedding shoot is not the time to do so. Get a 2^nd shooter you trust and give him/her a list of shots he/she is responsible for. If possible, get someone who has done a lot of wedding shoots before and of a different sex than yourself. Some brides / bridesmaids might feel more at ease with a lady photographing them before they’re fully dressed and vice versa for the grooms and best men. Lots of experienced photographers are prepared to help out as 2^nd shooter at relatively low fees, because they do not have to stay as late as you do and they won’t be involved in the post processing of the images. If you’re not sure who to ask, ask for a recommendation in a relevant (local) group on social media. In South Africa I can recommend Gateway to Wedding Photography on Facebook;

8. Appoint a Group shot organizer.

Assign the task to assemble the people to appear in each of the group shots to one or two persons well known to the guests. Perhaps one from each of the families. If these persons are assertive it certainly helps. Give each of them a list containing the names of the participants in each group photo. Limit the group photo’s to 6 for a 60 minute photo session and 10 for a 90 minute photo session. If you do not do so, your couple will have to be prepared to sacrifice a number of shots taken of them alone and/or go beyond the scheduled time for the wedding shoot.

9. Don’t expect everything to go according to plan.

Life happens. Certainly on wedding days. More often than not things will start running late at some stage. Stick to your plan and shot list as far as possible and, if you deviate, do so in consultation with the bridal couple. Let them make the final decision(s) and adjust accordingly. After all your responsibility is to record the wedding progression and not to dictate any of the events.

Conclusion

Being a Wedding Photographer is a privilege. Your first baby steps can be a wonderful experience or it can be a nightmare. All depends on how well you prepare and what assistance you call for. Remember, every wedding photographer started off somewhere – and very few of them started by flying at full speed without the need to land somewhere to take stock every now and again.

Enjoy the journey. It’s a great one.

Equipment used:

Camera: Nikon D600 (Full Frame). Nikon D7200 as backup but not needed;
Lenses: Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 VC (99% of the shots); Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR1 (a couple of shots); Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC (a couple of shots);
Speedlites: 2x Yongnuo YN568 EX (off-camera); 1x Yongnuo YN685 (on & off-camera);
Yongnuo YN622-XT wireless flash trigger kit;
MagMod MagBounce diffuser (on the Yongnuo YN685);

Stats

Me: +/- 750 shots in RAW format, 20Gb+; Used 2x 32Gb SD cards with the 2nd card set up as duplicate of the 1st;
2nd shooter: +/- 750 shots mostly in RAW format, 20Gb;
302 edited images handed to the bridal couple on a unique, custom design USB flash drive.

Other blogs by the same author

The challenges of starting Wedding Photography

9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album!

Handy Links

My favourite photography website: www.lightstalking.com

Tobie Schalkwyk is a full-time Java web developer who hopes to move into full time wedding, portrait and event photography when he retires at the end of 2017. All comments on this blog are most welcome. How did your 1st wedding shoot go? Share your experience below! Any questions about your coming shoot? Let them come!

The post My first wedding shoot and 9 tips for your 1st shoot! appeared first on CTS Photography.

The challenges of starting Wedding Photography

Tobie Schalkwyk — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 04:34:43 +0000

Indemnity!

This piece is based on my personal experience which (I believe!) is identical (or quite close) to the experiences of many starter wedding photographers out there (or perhaps fresh in the memories of some pro’s!).

Yep, I’ve Googled the prospects as any responsible human being should do and in spite of all the warnings of “Just don’t do it!” I decided to be brave. I mean, I have to do something to stay out of mischief when I retire in 18 months, right? Why then not enter the market into something I’m passionate about? And make money (yea, right!) at the same time? Well, let me ponder a few words of caution I’ve heard or read about as far as that is concerned:

‘You must be crazy!’

Well, I’d rather not get my wife’s opinion on this one because it would do me no good. My granddaughter? She would deny it just to ensure that I do not change! She’s quite keen on having a granddad around who would dance with her in a dark room, looking in awe at the full moon throwing beautiful streaks of lighting through the window! But thinking about it – so what? Crazy people have a constitutional right to make their own mistakes and learn from them, yea?

‘You’re not qualified’

OK I admit this is a tricky one. Let me think about this. According to Uncle Google ‘qualified’ means “officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified“. Then I’m probably qualified after completing an advanced diploma in photography in an international institute and another one in wedding photography specifically, but somehow I don’t buy into that. With photography you need experience. Lots of it. My 50,000 shots probably do not come close to some of the pros’ tallies but even so – I’ve learned quite a bit in that time. And I’ve done them all in Manual mode (now guys, that is at least some indication that I’m serious about photography, LOL!

Uncle Google’s definition of ‘qualified’ hurts my feelings at least a little bit. It ignores the fact that I have spent a humongous number of hours behind paper books, ebooks and online research to strengthen my photographic knowledge. And in fact, I’m still doing so an a daily basis.

‘There’s no money in photography’

Says who? Sure, there are lots of photographers struggling day after day to make a profit (or even break even) but then there are lots who are flourishing! In the same market! So, what’s the winning recipe? Dedication to quality, hard work and diversity (me thinketh!). The least I can do is fail on my own – or try not to (wink wink)!

So what’s this about a ‘challenge’?

So what challenge can there be to going full-time into photography – and specially wedding photography, you may wonder? Well, you see the problem is this: in spite of being right in the mind, kind of qualified and confident that I can pull of a series of successful wedding shoots, the demand for wedding photography seems to be almost non-existent. The supply on the other hand appears to be overwhelming and worsened by the growing number of Uncle Bob’s out there who got a point-and-shoot camera for Christmas last year – and he ‘can do your wedding for you‘! So what reasons are there for us beginners to be one of the selected few who are actually shooting a wedding from time to time? Reasonings like:

‘You don’t have enough experience’

Ever applied for a job and got refused because ‘you don’t have enough experience’? Now – if everyone is reasoning like that, how on earth are you going to gain that required experience? One advice I’ve heard is to apply for a job as 2nd photographer. Reality is that the problem is exactly the same! One of our wedding photography groups on Facebook has a list of available 2nd photographers to which one can add your name. This list keeps on growing but no-one ever gets invited to a wedding shoot based on its contents! Every once in a while a ‘I need a 2nd photographer’ post makes its appearance just to be drowned by a number of offers, if not desperate pleas. It thus seems to me that if you don’t have a bit of luck and being asked to do a friend or family member’s wedding (and fighting the feeling of being Uncle Bob) then you have a slim chance indeed of getting some opportunities!

‘Your portfolio is too small’

Refer to the previous paragraph – how do you grow a profile without getting experience?

‘Your website’s SEO is insufficient’

Don’t worry if this sounds like a term from Mars if you don’t own a website! In short that means that if someone googles ‘wedding photographer‘ then you do not appear on the first page results. Now let me assure you: I have done lots and lots (and lots!) of work in order to improve my website’s SEO based on tutorials, courses, books and googling. And SEO wizards. And I’m still working on it on a daily basis. The result: nothing. The last time I’ve googled ‘Wedding Photographer Gauteng’ (which someone in my area would most likely enter when looking for a wedding photographer), I paged and paged. Then gave up after 5 pages of not finding an entry for my website. No-one in their right mind would look back so far to find a photographer for their wedding because in theory the further back you go, the bigger is the ‘Mr. Nobody’ tag. So, how do one tell Google that it’s a mistake? That you actually deserve one of the first five entries on the first page? I can only envy the owners of those entries on the first Google page and wonder how on earth they’ve achieved that! Does this mean that I’ll ever give up in improving my SEO? Never! I dream of the day when I’ll write a blog on ‘How I got my website to Google search page #1’! So, watch this space!

The conclusion

Starting off as a wedding photographer is an immense challenge and the only glimmer of hope is that there are guys and gals out there who are still making it against the odds. It certainly is hard work otherwise there would have been many more of our ‘types’ out there! I’ll look up to them, keep on being inspired by them and who knows – maybe I’ll be their main competition one of these days! In the mean time, if you’re looking for a 2nd shooter…. (wink, wink)! One just hopes that our ‘to-be-weds‘ out there keep on acquiring the skills of us photographers who are serious about delivering quality work in spite of all the Uncle Bobs looking for opportunities too. In the mean time I’ll keep on voting for and promoting the guys already making a success out there in spite of them being my competition. Only work of the highest quality will ensure that the services of guys like them (and myself) will stay in demand for many years to come.

Other blogs by the same author

My first wedding shoot and 9 tips for you 1st shoot!

9 Tips to help you realize your dream wedding album!

Handy links:

My website: www.ctsphotography.co.za

My favourite photography website: www.lightstalking.com

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