Is my time over already?

I got involved in shooting weddings only a few years ago, and up until the last couple of months business was consistently increasing. I was so busy, I had to turn down many job inquiries. But now...

Nothing has changed insofar as my marketing methods. I did and still do use craigslist as one of my primaries, and TheKnot.com was very kind to me at the beginning of this year throughout June/July, when many brides were mentioning my name alongside other popular local photographers and I was getting lots of bookings from them. In fact, I've expanded my presence a little and gotten involved in a few sites that allow clients to review my services, and all of my reviews have been good thus far. Yet now, for some reason, my site is getting fewer hits, and I am getting very few inquiries; and for the past month, my name has not appeared on TheKnot.com. All of a sudden, I'm concerned about the future of my wedding photography business.

What's different? From the beginning I was never the expensive choice; I priced myself somewhat below the least expensive (but still popular) competition, which, until recently, was about $100/hour (I was closer to $75). Well, there are now several photographers - not just one - out there who are offering to shoot weddings for as low as $100 for 4 hours. Not only can I NOT compete with that and still make anything for my efforts, but I feel like they have ousted me from my niche position of being the most affordable alternative that still included retouching in my rates.

So, the two changes that I know about are the ultra-budget photographers have taken over the role of most affordable option (besides free), and I'm no longer being mentioned on TheKnot.com, which was a source of many clients.
Up to this point, I've only been shooting weddings solo for 1.5 years. Is my run over that quickly? And...is it because I didn't maintain a niche or ever establish myself as one of the best local photographers, but only existed as a "better than most of the other budget shooters" class?

I'm just not sure what to do at this point. I have all this equipment that is going to be literally collecting dust for at least the next 1.5 months until my next official booking comes around.

The problem about marketing based on price is someone can always go cheaper. I've talked to half a dozen professionals in my area, none of them low end, and all say booking are down significantly. I'm still getting bookings though, and I think there might be more last minute bookings that usual. I'm fortunate that I don't have to rely on photography for my income, though most years I do photography full time in summer.

We're in the middle of the biggest recessions in the last hundred years, it's to be expected. So long as you're not dependant on photography to survive just ride it out.

Although I am not dependent on photography to survive, I am dependent on it to get through the next 2 years of college. My alternative is to sell all of my equipment and/or take out student loans, and since most of my investment is in lenses that will retain much of their resale value, I don't really have to "worry." However, I would really hate to make my main source of income go away because I no longer can afford to keep my equipment.

My summer was fairly busy, despite the fact that our temperatures are well over 100 degrees on a regular basis between May and the end of September. I can honestly say that I haven't booked a single job in weeks, possibly a month. I'm not even getting more than a few inquiries each month now, whereas before I was getting 1-2 each week or more.

As Tim says, the downturn has been something fierce Joey. I won't even say how far off my business has dropped but it's quite bad, and I price pretty much in the middle for my area. If not for all the pro-bono coverage I'm donating lately to worthy non profit organizations, I wouldn't be shooting much at all. But at least with these groups they appreciate the work and I've been networking with a variety of company executives and such.

It's bad right now, but things should turn around eventually now that we have a more intelligent administration that knows how to constructively get things done. In my area we've about hit bottom. Your housing market in Nevada really hit the skids too in the past 18 months. People can't even afford to stay in their homes let alone pay for good wedding work.

Sorry Joey - forgot to answer your original question. No. I don't believe your time is over. We just all have to weather the current storm. - Stu

You see, it's so funny that when everyone was saying how business was incredibly off during the last 8-10 months, my business was thriving. Now when they are saying the economy is showing a trend towards recovery, I'm getting no work.

Lots of my clients are from out of town, looking for that "vegas wedding." It's not usually locals who hire me.

As far as being off, and your trade booming, it sounds like your economical packages is what they were able to afford since you're not very expensive.

Perhaps now that things are coming back a bit, they can afford the more expensive packages so they "shop higher" and don't consider you. I don't honestly know...... just speculating.....

form wrote in post #8511293
You see, it's so funny that when everyone was saying how business was incredibly off during the last 8-10 months, my business was thriving. Now when they are saying the economy is showing a trend towards recovery, I'm getting no work.

Lots of my clients are from out of town, looking for that "vegas wedding." It's not usually locals who hire me.

One of the reasons I initially put together a $6K package was to make me look like a higher end photographer. People booking it was a nice bonus! Now I have to make a larger package, but I don't know what else to put into it.

Maybe you could do the same - entry level packages stay the same, with higher options available.

In order to have other packages, I would have to be able to put out albums and prints. I've never done either one for weddings, and I have no experience with albums. Those are the two main offerings for weddings besides retouching photos and providing them on DVD. I could offer prints, but why would anyone want them if they can get DVD discs for less? As for albums, I would never be willing to give less than the best quality, but that would skyrocket my prices....and I'd need to learn how to assemble them, which is something I don't know at all.

What else could I add?

You could offer to dress as Elvis while you take the photos

If you want to do albums just outsource design and production, and price it so it covers your costs and leaves a decent margin. Queensberry do design, print, and bind, but they'll be out of your price range. I'm sure many others do it, and I can grab a list of designers from a recent dwf thread if you like. Finding a full service album company would be easier though.

You may have to take the plunge on albums - learn something new - adapt..... do or die. Change is hard sometimes. I know. I shot medium format film for over 30 years, and was loathe to put down my Hasselblads.... but I saw the handwriting on the wall, still love to shoot, and made the decision to adopt digital.

You could also start with simple matted albums. They sell in some markets, and are easy to assemble, high quality, and come with a variety of options. I still have a good number of folks who buy them here.

As far as prints go, that's the thing - I don't let go of disks cheaply so they get high quality finely processed prints from me. That market still sells; can't beat an beautifully matted frame print over the mantle that will be displayed for years. - Stu

Joey - check out this new "Vegas" thrread. Others have similar concerns:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=742529

Yes it's similar, but there was only one occasion when I actually got "price-shopped" out of a job, or so it felt like...since I don't have my prices on my ads or website, they have to call or email to find out my rates. Anyway, that one instance was a few weeks ago, and after I told the lady my rates, she asked if I had any flexibility under certain conditions or if that was just a standard, flat rate. I said it's a flat rate, and never heard back from her.

I think it's truly absurd for someone to be willing to take less than my level of quality for wedding photography; I consider myself at or near the bare minimum level acceptable for this field, and I can honestly say that I don't know of any local photographers who do an equal or better job than me at a lower price, or even the same price. Even browsing through the lists of photographers on theknot.com, weddingwire.com and many wedding vendor searches for my area, I haven't found any. I am the lowest common denominator that's worth considering. Or so I believed until recently.

Okay, I have now adopted an, "I have nothing to lose anymore" mentality. Therefore, whatever comes to me, comes to me, and I am no longer including the same things I have been as a standard offering. Everything will be subject to my whims and judgement. Online proofs for print purchasing, Retouching ala-carte, DVD disc ala-carte, base price is now discretionary. Since I'm not booking anybody anyway, I really don't have anything to lose.

You've made your business about pictures and have almost completely thrown you out of the picture. Your website presence is not very good, imo. When the market is SATURATED (which LV is - much like SD), you have to do things to separate yourself.

At the very least, you need a personal blog, imo. People who book you would do so based off of almost NOTHING (about you). Fact is, people prefer to work with people they like more than people they don't like - or don't know. Help people get to know you. You need to connect with people clicking on your site. That's not happening right now. Heck, people can't even comment on your blog posts!

This, imo, is a problem with the blog sites. I think it's (most of the time) much better to have a actual site and an actual blog. I think you've shot yourself in the foot a little bit here.

Slideshows. Get showit web to show your potential clients that you are DIFFERENT than your competitors. You don't just show a few good photos - something that almost any photographer can do from a wedding day - you TELL WHOLE STORIES with your photos. You have good images all day long. Something that they can't rely on with the other budget guys. Your GREAT photos go great on your site - and these slideshows go great on a blog.

You also have a terrible attitude for wedding photography. I've seen you here for a while now - always complaining. Always saying things like "if I just had this..." You sound like an easily defeated person - and in a competitive market, that's not a good thing.

Some of things I'm not sure you can change. You might be a bit bland in person naturally and you might be predisposed to being negative... I don't know. I say ask yourself honestly if you are and if you think you can change that or not. If you can't, honestly, I suggest not counting on wedding photography for consistent financial provision.

Hope this helps

Another $50? ... just kidding of course.

bnlearle wrote in post #8514902
........Slideshows. Get showit web to show your potential clients that you are DIFFERENT than your competitors. You don't just show a few good photos - something that almost any photographer can do from a wedding day - you TELL WHOLE STORIES with your photos. .....