newgenphoto
10th of January 2007 (Wed), 18:53
I had a PM a few days ago that asked me a lot of questions about myself and how I grew my business. I responded to the individual but I thought maybe I could share my story with all of you as well..... if you have time, enjoy.
I’ll do my best to try and explain where and why my life has ended up the way it has. You see, I’m not supposed to be a wedding photographer, or, that’s what I thought anyway. I was born and raised around music myself. I was a brass virtuoso pretty much by the time I hit high school and knew that playing music was definitely what I was “supposed” to be doing in life. I went through high school and did everything I could do in music. I traveled with Drum Corps, set in with philharmonics and even got a scholarship to college. Well, after high school is when things took a major, drastic change in my life. The girl I was engaged to and had been with for six years left me. I was totally completely devastated and didn’t know what to do. I took a trip to Anaheim for a bowl game that Fresno State was playing in and I had to march with the FSU band while I was there. I knew that open auditions were being held for Disney’s Blast! Show and thought, why not?? So I auditioned and it came down to two people: me and a friend of mine. I didn’t make it, so, that was blow number two. The next few years are/were just a blur. I got into alcohol heavily and was a jerk to everyone. I did a ton of soul searching at this point as well. By the way, I still had no interest in photography at this point. I moved in with my parents and decided to change my life around. I quit drinking cold turkey, got into church and things started happening. In 1999 I searched for a Christian woman on AOL. Come to find out, I ran into a childhood friend of mine and nine months later we were married!!! Things were very difficult at first for us financilly and I still didn’t have any solid income. I finally got my break when I met a buddy of mine named Jason as well. He told me that they needed some people to do AutoCad work at his civil engineering company. I went, applied, and got the job. That was the last time things were actually “bad”. My income from doing civil engineering has tripled in the last seven years. Now time for the photography part……
About five years ago my wife was teaching at a private school here in town. One of the teachers she worked with had a husband who “was” a wedding photographer. He invited me out to do some candid shooting with him and to see if it was something I was interested in. He gave me a Sony Cybershot to use for his candids. I look back on that now and just laugh because I would never have one of my assistants use a camera like that. Anyway, I worked about four weddings with him and thought to myself, ‘I can do this”. His style was boring, sleepy, and just had no emotion at all. I am completely different. About a year went by and within that year I had got my first Dslr (a Canon Rebel) and had done a few solo weddings for the guy I was working for. My wife ended up going to a wedding and ran into the wedding photographer. She was full of energy, had a full team, etc… my wife told her, ‘My husband HAS to meet you”. Four days later I was in her office showing her my lousy, pathetic portfolio. She took a chance on me and within one year I had become a LEAD photographer for her. I worked with her for three years soaking up whatever I could from her and shot probably 60-90 weddings for her. I went and experienced my first WPPI convention with her and her team and that’s when EVERYTHING changed. My wife and I discovered that I was supposed to be a wedding photographer while in Vegas. We came back from there and my photography has grown leaps and bounds in two years. I eventually started my own company (three years ago) and I can’t lie, the first year was slowwwwww. Maybe three weddings all year?? Last year was a different story. I think we shot 10 weddings last year and built a GREAT client base and now 2007 is selling quick!! I’m at thirteen weddings and will only book 25 for the year. I still do engineering part time as to have the benefits and steady income but I have a feeling that by 2008 that may change. I’m not a David Jay, or any of the others mentioned but it is great extra income for my family. I have sold 19K so far for the year and I estimate bringing in about 60K this year from the business alone. My trip to WPPI this year is actually going to be for buying new equipment and mingling with some of the friends I have made on the different forums. I also have my first prints in the 16x20 competition now which just makes me ill thinking about… :)
So my advice….. grind it out.
I still learn something new everyday and still have a LONG ways to go. I also HIGHLY recommend shooting with a pro for a year or more. I think anybody on this forum will back me there. Brand yourself well! Get your name out there as good as possible via, website, word of mouth, etc. For instance, I just booked a wedding yesterday and the bride is from Irvine. She found me online because she is getting married here in Fresno so she googled for a photographer who covers a particular venue here where I live. She found me and I’ve never met her in my life and she bought a 4K package from me!!! Use your resources! The web and digital age is a huge marketing resource that I encourage everyone to take part in.
I hope that answered some of your questions about ME. I wish you luck in whatever it is you are guided to. I’m always here if you have any more questions.
Blessings,
Jasen Master
I’ll do my best to try and explain where and why my life has ended up the way it has. You see, I’m not supposed to be a wedding photographer, or, that’s what I thought anyway. I was born and raised around music myself. I was a brass virtuoso pretty much by the time I hit high school and knew that playing music was definitely what I was “supposed” to be doing in life. I went through high school and did everything I could do in music. I traveled with Drum Corps, set in with philharmonics and even got a scholarship to college. Well, after high school is when things took a major, drastic change in my life. The girl I was engaged to and had been with for six years left me. I was totally completely devastated and didn’t know what to do. I took a trip to Anaheim for a bowl game that Fresno State was playing in and I had to march with the FSU band while I was there. I knew that open auditions were being held for Disney’s Blast! Show and thought, why not?? So I auditioned and it came down to two people: me and a friend of mine. I didn’t make it, so, that was blow number two. The next few years are/were just a blur. I got into alcohol heavily and was a jerk to everyone. I did a ton of soul searching at this point as well. By the way, I still had no interest in photography at this point. I moved in with my parents and decided to change my life around. I quit drinking cold turkey, got into church and things started happening. In 1999 I searched for a Christian woman on AOL. Come to find out, I ran into a childhood friend of mine and nine months later we were married!!! Things were very difficult at first for us financilly and I still didn’t have any solid income. I finally got my break when I met a buddy of mine named Jason as well. He told me that they needed some people to do AutoCad work at his civil engineering company. I went, applied, and got the job. That was the last time things were actually “bad”. My income from doing civil engineering has tripled in the last seven years. Now time for the photography part……
About five years ago my wife was teaching at a private school here in town. One of the teachers she worked with had a husband who “was” a wedding photographer. He invited me out to do some candid shooting with him and to see if it was something I was interested in. He gave me a Sony Cybershot to use for his candids. I look back on that now and just laugh because I would never have one of my assistants use a camera like that. Anyway, I worked about four weddings with him and thought to myself, ‘I can do this”. His style was boring, sleepy, and just had no emotion at all. I am completely different. About a year went by and within that year I had got my first Dslr (a Canon Rebel) and had done a few solo weddings for the guy I was working for. My wife ended up going to a wedding and ran into the wedding photographer. She was full of energy, had a full team, etc… my wife told her, ‘My husband HAS to meet you”. Four days later I was in her office showing her my lousy, pathetic portfolio. She took a chance on me and within one year I had become a LEAD photographer for her. I worked with her for three years soaking up whatever I could from her and shot probably 60-90 weddings for her. I went and experienced my first WPPI convention with her and her team and that’s when EVERYTHING changed. My wife and I discovered that I was supposed to be a wedding photographer while in Vegas. We came back from there and my photography has grown leaps and bounds in two years. I eventually started my own company (three years ago) and I can’t lie, the first year was slowwwwww. Maybe three weddings all year?? Last year was a different story. I think we shot 10 weddings last year and built a GREAT client base and now 2007 is selling quick!! I’m at thirteen weddings and will only book 25 for the year. I still do engineering part time as to have the benefits and steady income but I have a feeling that by 2008 that may change. I’m not a David Jay, or any of the others mentioned but it is great extra income for my family. I have sold 19K so far for the year and I estimate bringing in about 60K this year from the business alone. My trip to WPPI this year is actually going to be for buying new equipment and mingling with some of the friends I have made on the different forums. I also have my first prints in the 16x20 competition now which just makes me ill thinking about… :)
So my advice….. grind it out.
I still learn something new everyday and still have a LONG ways to go. I also HIGHLY recommend shooting with a pro for a year or more. I think anybody on this forum will back me there. Brand yourself well! Get your name out there as good as possible via, website, word of mouth, etc. For instance, I just booked a wedding yesterday and the bride is from Irvine. She found me online because she is getting married here in Fresno so she googled for a photographer who covers a particular venue here where I live. She found me and I’ve never met her in my life and she bought a 4K package from me!!! Use your resources! The web and digital age is a huge marketing resource that I encourage everyone to take part in.
I hope that answered some of your questions about ME. I wish you luck in whatever it is you are guided to. I’m always here if you have any more questions.
Blessings,
Jasen Master