Starting a Wedding Photography Business

Anyone who wants to make money from photography would do well to consider a wedding photography business. Unlike many businesses that you can start, a wedding photography business requires a minimum of preparation. It does require, of course, photography skills and the right equipment.

Preparing for your Business

Although a low budget camera costing around $50 is adequate for some photography tasks, it will not fit the bill for wedding photography. Your best choice would be a digital SLR camera. SLR stands for single-reflux- lens. A digital SLR camera, according to Wikipedia, is a digital camera that uses a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the camera's back. Many professionals prefer SLR cameras for good reason: these cameras have the ability to work with an array of special lenses, plus they provide an reliable preview of framing close to the time you snap the shutter.

While an SLR camera is the ideal, you might get by initially with a good quality camera costing about $200 (in the US). In all likelihood, you will recover this expenditure after you have worked at a couple of weddings. Since the camera is a necessary investment in your business, you can no doubt claim it as a tax credit come income tax time. Discuss this with your accountant to be sure you are claiming everything possible.

Once you acquire your camera, it goes without saying that you will need to learn to use it well. Many excellent books and guide are available. You would also be wise to seek out a guide that stresses how to take photographs of people in different situations and in different lighting.

Marketing Your Wedding Photography Business

Like any business, having the equipment and the skills is only the beginning. The next step is marketing yourself so people know you are setting up shop and they are interested in using your services. It is helpful if you have a portfolio. To this end, you might want to volunteer your photography services at the wedding of a friend or family member, if possible. Another idea is to locate a professional wedding photographer and inquire about work as an assistant. You will gain valuable experience this way and will gain an understanding of the intricacies of photographing a wedding.

When you are ready to work independently, begin promoting yourself by word of mouth. Tell your network of people what you are planning and ask them to pass your name out. Get some business cards printed and pass these out the people you know. If money is scarce, you can order 250 free business cards online from Vistaprint.

Promote your business online as well. Remember to use social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is a fast, easy and free way to get the word out.

If you have the cash, consider placing an advertisement in a local newspaper. You might consider using Google AdWords advertising service to focus specifically on keyword searches in your community. You may have heard that Google AdWords is ridiculously expensive, and yes, it can be. However, you can instruct AdWords to serve your ads only when the searcher is from your home town and is using a specific keyword, such as "wedding photographer". This narrows the field considerably while targeting your traffic. You are likely to spend a minimal amount if you target appropriately.

Become Skilled at Posing Shots

With wedding photography, many of the pictures you take will be ones in which the subjects are posed. While all pictures you take at a wedding are important, perhaps the most valued ones are those that are taken after the ceremony. At this time, the wedding party and family members pose for the pictures that will be framed and treasured for years to come. These pictures are critical. You must ensure that you have an excellent understanding of lighting and how to photograph in different kinds of light. Otherwise, you risk having a disappointed and angry client.

When you are photographing the wedding reception, expect to be rushed off your feet. You must remember to photograph the complete dance floor and take multiple photographs of all guests and of the wedding party.

The Secret to Taking Candid Shots

Candid shots are an excellent addition to a catalogue of posed shots. These shots are particularly valuable because they capture the event's overall atmosphere and tone. However, the secret to taking candid shots is to photograph from a distance. Some people become annoyed if photographed up close and personal without giving permission. Annoying the guests is not something you want to do, so be sure to stay back. If necessary, you can use the telephoto lens or telephoto feature on your camera.

Understanding Prints

You will be charging a standard fee for photographing the wedding. Find out what is considered appropriate in your community and base your fee accordingly. However, you can also make extra revenue by selling prints with cardboard frames. There are various ways to approach this, but one popular method is to provide wedding guests with your business card containing your web site address. Within a day or two of the wedding, you upload the photos to your web site. The wedding guests will visit your site to view the photos. Provide an order form so people can order prints, which many will do on an impulse. Be sure to upload pictures with low resolution and with smaller sizes. Do this to discourage people from printing the images out directly.

Remembering Your People Skills

Remember that weddings and wedding planning are high stress occasions for the bridal party and the family. Expect nerves to be on edge and people to be emotional and perhaps even unreasonable. Part of your role as wedding photographer is knowing how to deal diplomatically with these situations when they arise.

Keep these issues in mind and you will be on the way to starting a good wedding photography business.