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what kit for the aspiring wedding photographer.

For the herding cats bit, someone recommended that when the families, friends and shotguns are in the area the photog has chosen for the group photos, start with the largest group, and whittle it down, taking photos of the ever decreasing groups. It's easier to tell people to leave a group they're already in than it is to drag them back.

And DO NOT be afraid of projecting your voice. It always sounds very strange to me whenever I use my loudness button, but it works, and that makes me smile to myself.

Learn to tell the mother in laws to stop asking for more and more edits weeks later. If it wasn't paid for, they don't get it. It needs making very clear in initial meets.
 
Just remembered. The wife of a friend is a wedding photographer, but she specialises in Brazilian weddings (snigger) in Santorini! A longer season, higher earnings, and ideal for, oh, a single person.
 
Funny this has come up today.

When I was walking the dog yesterday I happened to meet the guy who did my wedding photos 17 years ago. I was really quite happy with his work, a mix of traditional and reportage type stuff which I suppose was quite trendy for the time. Anyway he did a good job, imo.

He's retiring this year, but told me he hadn't been able to make a living from weddings for about 5 years. Went from being booked solid to a few gigs a year almost overnight. Luckily for him he also did a fair amount of commercial stuff.

He reckons hardly anyone has a traditional style wedding album these days, they might have a couple of the shots blown up as canvas prints, but they're quite happy to have the rest on a flash drive, actually they insist on it., and on having the copyright.

This has removed a big chunk of income, especially the reprints for the family.

He says many people are more than happy having a mate who might have a reasonable dslr do the formal type stuff, but reckons the rise of good quality camera phones is what's behind the decline, as they can pick and choose from literally thousands of images from every conceivable POV to build their album.
 
at least right now, it is a very different world on this side of the atlantic. a nuisance that never goes away is people begging me to shoot their weddings. if i decided to prostitute myself this way, i could make a lot of money or shoot 10 weddings a year and party the rest of the time. that said, if a couple let me shoot it entirely my way and were OK with only a dozen or so pictures in the end (that i deemed worth showing), i would actually consider it. a regular consumer-citizen of the modern west is never going to accept that.
 
vuk said:
that said, if a couple let me shoot it entirely my way and were OK with only a dozen or so pictures in the end (that i deemed worth showing), i would actually consider it. a regular consumer-citizen of the modern west is never going to accept that.
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I've heard of a local to me female photographer that does just what you've said! I haven't got a link to her work, but I have seen some of it, like a high end fashion shoot, so it was. Very expensive and polished.
 
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Paulicus said:
I've heard of a local female photographer to me that does just what you've said! I haven't got a link to her work, but I have seen some of it, like a high end fashion shoot, so it was. Very expensive and polished.
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Just like VUK then.

Well I spoke to him this am and he's seen all this and says thank you, pointing out to me that his day job is as a graphic freelance, and this is to be a sideline. The 10Gs are for his graphic company! My mistake Duh.

Anyway we think in that case a new Nikon D750 with 2nd hand 2.8 Nikkor zooms (24-70 and 70-200),1 top Q prime, an 85 f1.4 for the portraits ( I like Sigma Art, he likes Nikon), 2 flashes, some light reflector panels and a step ladder will start him going. The pro computer kit and willing assistant/crowd organiser he has already.

Thanks again chaps!
 
Vuk,

You're missing the point. Wedding pix are mostly for relatives — parents, grandparents, Ant Ethel and Uncool Fred — family members who want to see their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. They are less interested in the pix being artsy than in having the day captured for posterity.

Joe
 
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Keep the weight down especially if he's working alone. You might check out Kevin Mullins on Youtube, he's full of helpful advice...
 
Joe P said:
Vuk,

You're missing the point. Wedding pix are mostly for relatives — parents, grandparents, Ant Ethel and Uncool Fred — family members who want to see their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. They are less interested in the pix being artsy than in having the day captured for posterity.

Joe
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joe.

you are underestimating the power of art to transform people. in my new wedding photography business, i will provide only ONE picture for a fee of $50,000.

for my first effort, if it is a very tall bride, i will place her on one of the balconies in the bottom-right here and voila!

image.php
 
vuk said:
is people begging me to shoot their weddings. if i decided to prostitute myself this way, i could make a lot of money or shoot 10 weddings a year and party the rest of the time..
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Interesting that you don't take that risk...
 
No. You claimed some ability to make easy money as a wedding photographer but did not risk it.
Mescalito actually did make money, if he is to be believed.
 
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