Camera Strap Advertising

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15684665
I go through way too many shirts to have some sort of logo or advertisement on myself... Have too many things on my mind on a wedding day, being a walking billboard isn't one of them...

Exactly my thought. I also often change shirts 2 or 3 times in a day on a wedding day.

It is really hot and humid in Houston. Even with undershirts, the sweat gets through quickly.

I book a lot of weddings from people that attend my weddings. One wedding in 2011, I booked the girl who caught the bouquet and the guy who caught the garter! Pretty cool.

That said, I don't go out of my way to market myself at a wedding. If people are impressed by my professionalism and need a wedding photog, they will ask me or my B&G for contact information.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #15684756
Exactly my thought. I also often change shirts 2 or 3 times in a day on a wedding day.

It is really hot and humid in Houston. Even with undershirts, the sweat gets through quickly.

I book a lot of weddings from people that attend my weddings. One wedding in 2011, I booked the girl who caught the bouquet and the guy who caught the garter! Pretty cool.

That said, I don't go out of my way to market myself at a wedding. If people are impressed by my professionalism and need a wedding photog, they will ask me or my B&G for contact information.

agree with that..

i often wear a black sweatband on my head when shooting weddings.
bet that doesn't fit in with most people's personal dress code ideals (as is evident here anyway)

i sweat my ass off on hot days, and it's often the only way i can see through the veiwfinder!
I don't wear it in churches, but otherwise it's on a lot in the summer. sure hasn't hurt my business.

Business cards at the reception table is tacky in my opinion. I would never do that.

Although it is not beyond me to look like a Nascar driver *LOL* *JK*

I have seen videographers and photographers with their websites on their shirts and one on a vest. I never though it looked tacky.

I did not think a B&G would promote me during a wedding. I do get referrals from them.

Unless it is a short on, No.

bigarchi wrote in post #15684801
i often wear a black sweatband on my head when shooting weddings.
bet that doesn't fit in with most people's personal dress code ideals (as is evident here anyway)

i sweat my ass off on hot days, and it's often the only way i can see through the veiwfinder!
I don't wear it in churches, but otherwise it's on a lot in the summer. sure hasn't hurt my business.

I bet people remember you

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #15684756
One wedding in 2011, I booked the girl who caught the bouquet and the guy who caught the garter! Pretty cool.

Was that one or two bookings you got?

bigarchi wrote in post #15684801
i often wear a black sweatband on my head when shooting weddings.
bet that doesn't fit in with most people's personal dress code ideals (as is evident here anyway)

And I doubt upstate NY comes anywhere close to the heat and humidity as Houston in the summer. No, I would not ever be caught dead wearing a sweatband around a client. I can't think of the last time I didn't wear a button up, slacks and a vest to shoot a wedding.

But it is all about the clients you want to attract.

Down here, if I wanted to shoot all the redneck weddings, I could wear boots and jeans and be alright. But I have no interest in shooting $800 weddings and then selling $5 prints. I want to live a comfortable lifestyle and make a living for a family with photography. Which means trying to attract clients that appreciate the finer things in life - hopefully including fine wedding photography. I've got a friend that goes after that low end and shoots 50-65 weddings a year. Does virtually no editing and churns them out day after day. I'd rather kick ass at 25-30 nice weddings. Different mind set.

But no matter how low end a wedding I am shooting is (I have one this summer where the total budget is under 9k, and I am over half the total budget) I am still dressing to impress. I wear a nice watch. Nice shoes that are cleaned and polished, nice slacks, shirt and vest - all that fit me properly. Depending on the wedding, I also add a tie or bow tie. Because the client I want appreciates that, even if the client that I have may not.

You are the greatest ambassador of your brand. Dress and act the way your target client would expect and appreciate.

If your target client would appreciate the utility of a headband, then rock the heck out of a headband. If your target client would appreciate you having your name on your front pocket of your shirt, then wear that.

Maybe things are different here in Houston, but I think my target client appreciates that I dress cleanly, professionally, and conservatively. Doing that has worked very well for me and I have expanded and grown my business a great amount in just a little amount of time.

Corbeau wrote in post #15684853
Was that one or two bookings you got?

It is two different weddings, but that would be cool if it was just one wedding.

yep, i hear that.

it gets pretty uncomfortably hot and humid here in the summer too.
even though we are pretty far north, the humidity is the killer.

scorpio_e wrote in post #15684734
Some interesting points and comments. Thanks for your input.

I think the point is to get people to remember you and your brand. There are lets say 125 + people at a wedding who have no idea who you are.

So let me throw this out there. How do you get those 125+ people to know who you are and your brand. It's not the B&G job to promote you at a wedding.

On the wedding day, I'm not a business guy in charge of promoting my business... On the wedding day, I'm all about taking pictures, planning and flowing through the day...
The rest of the week is when the promoting and selling and all that other stuff takes place... I don't even hand out business cards on wedding days - I don't want the bride to think I'm being distracted by someone wanting to talk business...

After some weddings, I really consider a bright orange crossing guard vest as something that is required... Sometimes we are just not noticed....

All of my cameras have my custom straps on them (with the same logo as my avatar here). I got them from High Key straps, or something like that

How has that worked out for you?

scorpio_e wrote in post #15716152
How has that worked out for you?

The straps themselves are top-notch, so even if nobody notices the logo, they still work
However, because the straps don't have a Canon logo on them, a lot of people approach me to ask what kind of cameras I'm using, which leads to them asking about my business anyway.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #15682825
I think logos on my strap, shirt or bag are all tacky and low-class. I don't know a single high end photographer that does this, but I do know a bunch of mechanics that do.

Out of interest what do you consider "high end"? Over here I'm shooting $4k to $6k weddings. In Australia only about 15-20% of the market spend over $3500 on wedding photography. Does that class as high end in your book?

My shirts are logoed on the front with my business name on the back. If fact I've seen quite a few other photographers around the same price bracket with similar. It is actually quite common here.

I wouldn't bother logoing the straps (black rapid double-r). As for clothes I'm changing to red cargo pants along with Vibram fivefinger shoes soon. I've trashed way too may pairs of trousers this last year. On the shoes front I want something more comfortable than the hiking shoes I wear currently. I'm thinking of ditching my polo shirts for a more tight fitting shirt.

I have no problem with being remembered by guests. I want functional clothes which allow me to shoot the way I shoot without them falling to bits. To give you and idea though I've had the phrases "photo ninja", "commando" and "Bear Grylls" all used to describe me.

How you dress should be an extension of your brand. I climb trees, jump in the ocean, whatever it takes to get the shots I want. Most couples I book expect to see me face down in the dirt at least once or twice on a wedding day. It is how I roll.

I can't say either way about business cards since I haven't bothered having any for about 3 years now.