How does a person become a wedding photographer?
Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at
7:13 pm
I’ve decided to become a wedding photographer after i graduate high school but i don’t know where to start any advice ?
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Congratulations on deciding to be a wedding photographer,what a awesome career.
First you will need to buy camera equipment you can start with a entry level slr camera such as a canon xs or a nikon d40 with kit lens , battery grip, & external flash if you choose canon 430ex ii if you choose nikon sb600, many extra batteries & memory cards
( when you get more money buy a backup camera body it’s very important when being a wedding photographer)
Focus on learning your camera inside & out learn how to shoot in manual mode,aperture priority mode & shutter mode
There are many options with photography training after you graduate from high school here are a few links to schools online:
http://www.aionline.edu/Photography
http://online.academyart.edu/photography.html
If you want to go straight into photography after you graduate then working for other seasoned photographers is your best option..
In my opinion getting hands on experience & training under a experienced photography is better than school. School gets you all the technical skills needed but I would say 70% of wedding photographers are self taught
I don’t recommend trying to do weddings on your own until you know weddings inside & out , until you understand proper lighting indoor locations, outdoor locations, shooting in harsh sun, shooting at sunset, shooting on overcast day , shooting a wedding at church without flash etc
You can also start getting experience with photography by offering free shoots to models & shoot at different times of the day to learn lighting, you can even try going into churches etc to understand low lighting it isn’t the same as the wedding day but it gives you a start ..
The wedding day is fast paced & the lighting changes constantly
I would advice you start researching your area for wedding photographers & take a look at their work & find the photographers work that you really love & contact them & tell them you are interested in working as a assistant or a intern
If I were you I would even try to see if you can go & observe at a few weddings so you can see how the photographer works how a wedding flows etc
You need to be willing to work under someone for at least a few years loyalty is the best key to learning the most from the photographer you work under if you show loyalty they will teach you the in’s and outs and if they like you enough they may even promote you into a associate photographer position which is almost like having your own company
Most people don’t realize having a wedding photography business is great but there is taxes,insurance,advertising,rent, etc
Being a wedding photographer is very rewarding & a fun job to have but there are so many key factors to being a successful photographer
Remember weddings are a very important day in someones life it only comes once so before you jump out there with your own company learn photography & gain experience
I wish you much success !!
http://www.trendybride.net
Your best bet is to do a course in Photography and then when you have completed that its just about the right advertising ! x
You basically have to start doing your friends weddings. I don’t know how good you are, but chances are if you haven’t shot any weddings, you are not good. Not good by the standards of someone using and paying you to record one of the most memorable and best days of their lives. I recommend going to friends weddings and have your camera and just shoot around to get material for your portfolio. Carry your camera around with you a lot. Just shoot a lot and build your portfolio. People seem to like candids, so work on those. Look not only at wedding photography, but also all photography in general, especially photojournalism, since it is mostly candids. After your portfolio is built up, maybe friends will hire you to shoot their wedding. It is very tough and there are some very good photographers out there. Also, when buying camera equipment, a good lens is better than a good camera. Good luck.
Look up your local university, google it. Look at the courses avaliable for photography and what subjects/levels of academic achievments you need to be doing at school, to get into the course. Then you can make your own business/join one (you will be qualified and able to join one).
Take photography course, learn ALL THAT YOU CAN….after that look for wedding photographers that will allow you to be a second shooter. Chances are you will do that for no pay, but the knowledge you will gain will be worth far more. After a few years, try your hand at it on your own. Sometime during those few years you may get a paid position if you do well enough. Run with the big dogs for a while.
You won’t just dive into a paid position. It’s a tough market and you would get chewed up and spit out if you dive in with no practical experience.
Toya,
bye a Camera.