Timeless Wedding Photographers?

If a photograph is good now, then in years to come it will become a historical docuument showing what it was like way back when.

It is the fashion and hairstyles that date a photograph.

If you think about the photos taken 100 years ago, the photos that were good then are still worth looking at now because they show what it was like at that time.

vanmidd wrote in post #16864518
Also, thinking about your bottom line should come late in the game, not early - or not at all.

That has to be just about the worst business advice I have ever heard. If you are running a business the bottom line decides whether that business is successful or not.

No it doesn't. If you get into wedding photography to make money, you'll probably fail. If you get into it for love of photography, you'll likely succeed - and your bottom line will follow.

Also, how do you define "success"? A guy who works very little, makes a sound living and loves what he's doing is more successful in my books than the guy who works 80 hours a week, neglects family and life, and earns twice as much.

My bottom line is solid, but I've never paid too much attention to it. I got into wedding photography because I couldn't think of a job I enjoy more. The guys who I think are most "successful" are the ones who clearly love what they're doing.

Profit follows passion (in creative industries), not the other way around.

vanmidd wrote in post #16868880
No it doesn't. If you get into wedding photography to make money, you'll probably fail. If you get into it for love of photography, you'll likely succeed - and your bottom line will follow.

The love of photography has very little to do with someone's ability to run a financially sustainable and profitable business.

vanmidd wrote in post #16868880
Also, how do you define "success"? A guy who works very little, makes a sound living and loves what he's doing is more successful in my books than the guy who works 80 hours a week, neglects family and life, and earns twice as much.

This is completely irrelevant. If a business doesn't make money it is failing as a business. Period.

vanmidd wrote in post #16868880
My bottom line is solid, but I've never paid too much attention to it. I got into wedding photography because I couldn't think of a job I enjoy more. The guys who I think are most "successful" are the ones who clearly love what they're doing.

My bottom line is solid too. I pay a great deal of attention to it as I do to my P&L and other metrics. The BUSINESSES I view as most successful are the ones earning the most for the least amount of effort and expenditure.

vanmidd wrote in post #16868880
Profit follows passion (in creative industries), not the other way around.

Profit follows sales and being able to run a business to make a profit.

The love of photography has everything to do with someone's ability to run a financially sustainable and profitable photography business.

Fixed it for you.

No-one said anything about a business not making any money except you.

I agree. But how to get there?

You're (we're?) talking in circles. The first point in the photography business, before sales, it to be able to take photos. Once you can take great photos, the sales follow. Keep taking great photos? Business will boom.

Start from the point of sales and profit, you fail.

If we disagree on this point, maybe we need to agree to disagree