How did it all start for you

All the people on this forum section are here cause they are either wedding photographer or wannabes.

So tell me how did it all start for you.

for me, i got my 350D and i got addicted to photography then i realized that the most part i like about it is to take pictures of happy people and portraits... and what is better then wedding to do so....

I agre amironsi, it is fun taking pictures of happy people. To me it started back in the film days and enjoy photography. Long story short I took a few pics and the right people viewed them and they everyone wanted something. One thing lead to weddings and for me I love them. There are a lot of components to wedding work. Once you understand how they flow and what to do and how to deal with personalities -----it gets enjoyable and sometimes funny to think that we get paid for this.
One thing I would suggest is to not sell yourself short. Never be afraid to raise prices or expect a certain level of pay for your work.

I'm a wannabe. I was into photography (film) some time ago as a hobby, and just kinda stopped doing it, then I had the opportunity to pick up a DSLR very cheaply and I got hooked again. It broke, and I begged, bribed, and tortured my husband into consenting to me buying a new one. Here's the annoying newbie part: I swore that I would make back the money I spent on it by doing odd jobs for people. I did a friend's wedding and did a lot of hobby photography and decided that I really need to be doing something that lets me be creative and I wanted to start working toward being able to make a career of it.

My goal is wedding photographer, but I have really been enjoying portraits much more than I thought I would. I want to do weddings because I love weddings, even though I don't want one of my own. Kinda like monkeys...

I don't mean to be rude, but this thread comes up at least monthly, including at least once in the past week.

Tim......forgive the guy.......the internet just made it to Egypt............sheee​sh!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=201445
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=395269

tim wrote in post #4172903
I don't mean to be rude, but this thread comes up at least monthly, including at least once in the past week.

hey tim.... i am just how it did start for everyone to love and do wedding photography.. not how he got into the business. i am talking about the part where you enjoy taking pictures of brides and grooms...............

stathunter wrote in post #4172912
Tim......forgive the guy.......the internet just made it to Egypt............sheee​sh!

yes man we finally got the internet,,, you should come for a visit and you will be able to ride a camel and live in a tent in the middle of the desert by the pyramids like all Egyptians do.... oh man you will enjoy... and you might be lucky and have a swim in the nile.

I ebayed a brand new 300d when they came out not knowing anything about it (impulse buy) and have been taking photos ever since.

amironsi - this place is full of kind people with advice, and a lot of humour.

I think in Egypt it may be difficult to hire a camera or camera equipment.

You may have to improvise from time to time. Say you are in a low-light room - you maybe need to improvise a tripod - balance the camera on something sturdy - a pillar or table, or rest it on a cushion.

You can also use reflectors to light up the shadows on peoples face - even from candlelight, and these can be 'home-made' from any reflective material, often with a nice subtle effect, as opposed to a flash in your face.

Have a look at strobist.com for some good ideas on lighting on a budget - I'm sure you'll get some ideas.

I was in Luxor last October. I loved it

I'll carry this on (bored).

I got my start in photography when I started my web dev business catering towards local bands etc. I received a grant through the gov and added photo gear on there that I wanted to buy/get into with profits from my business but thought if I got them through there even better.

I've been shooting bands ever since and loving it. Great group of people, great music. Friends like my work and kept asking for me to shoot their weddings but I didn't want to be known as "that guy who screwed up your wedding photos" (especially when it's friends -- there goes the friendship).

Fast forward to this summer and another friend kept asking me to shoot her wedding in 2009 as she liked some simple stuff I did at another friend's wedding where I was just shooting us. So because I had time to learn and I love photography and learning new things I took it on.

Researching it led me all over the net. Getting married myself and looking for photographers myself also led me all over. Seeing what was offered locally made me think I could definitely do this and offer something to local couples who want something different then the norm and I'm only aiming for small number of weddings and fun couples. But that's my goal for 2008. I still need practice in people photography and I'm hoping to do that from now until next year.

I'll play along, just because I'm on a study break, am enjoying my cottage cheese + peanut butter meal and am in generally a good mood. Plus, I love talking about how everything got started, it makes me realize how fortunate I am and how lucky I have been to have found something I love doing so much (and pays!).

I am actually still (sort of) in the start-up stage. I am a (almost) 20 year old University student in my 3rd year of my BBA, Entrepreneurship (how convenient) degree. I worked for a local sports photographer about 18 months ago as his "computer guy". I got the job because I loved computers and loved working with people. I designed collages and dealt with customers at tournaments under his business. As I got more involved with his business, I didn't like the way he was doing some things and his ethics in the business.

So, I broke off and started on my own. Just like that. Having never held an SLR (I had always loved photography, but just had a P&S), I started my own sports photography business, bought a Rebel and some Sigma lenses. The rest is history. A year and a half later, I still own the sports photography business, but am hoping to phase that out after this year's season to go full-time wedding photography next summer.

As far as shooting weddings, I shot this past summer a lot of weddings as a 2nd shooter with some local pros, and with Jeff Toogood (member Toogy) and absolutely fell in love with it. I knew this was what I wanted to do.

So, I am now determined to be on top of the world of wedding photographers. I'm ambitious, young, fresh, and strong-willed. I won't give up until I get there. My passion will drive me to far away places.

The end.

I went to school to get a degree in graphic design but I found that the market was flooded and there was a lot of competition. I quit school and went into real estate and title. When I was planning my wedding I saw a lot of crappy local photographers that were charging a ton of money. I went back to school looking to get my degree in sculpture or printmaking but after I booked our photographer I was still looking and collecting photographs. I was VERY obsessed. A few months later I got a job as an intern and then purchased my Canon 5D with our tax return money. A year ago I didn't even own a camera.

bcap wrote in post #4173619
I am actually still (sort of) in the start-up stage. I am a (almost) 20 year old University student in my 3rd year of my BBA, Entrepreneurship (how convenient) degree.

I am an almost 20 year old... not an English major eh?

I've been obsessed with taking photos since I was a little kid. I was 8, 9 years old and setting up lighting and backdrops and taking photos of my pets. Took me awhile to figure out this is really what I wanted to do full time, and now that I'm a mother, it also gives me the flexibility (and the financial freedom) to stay at home with my daughter and not have to have a real job where she would have to be in day care where a stranger would ignore her; I can ignore her personally while I'm editing photos.

(I'm kidding, I don't really ignore her ... she helps me in the office and colours pictures for my wall while I edit photos.)