A different approach to being a wedding photographer

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I say "whatever works!" Keep it up!

By the way, I found this thread very informative.

This is a good write up. 4 day weeks and 9-10 months a year sounds good to me. How do you get most of your clients? Mostly word of mouth? I can only dream on making photography a living.

Letting clients print whatever they want doesn't have anything directly to do with copyright. You still have the copyright unless you officially transfer it in writing. Otherwise, you're just allowing them unlimited copy license. That's okay if you want to do it. But it's good to actually learn what you're talking about.

I don't see anything in your post that there aren't other wedding photographers doing, so I don't know why you think you're unique. You didn't say what your fees were. Obviously, if you're getting 35 weddings a year at $5,000, that would be impressive. If you're doing it at less than $2,000, not very impressive.

Now, if you're still operating same way five years from now...you might then be unique.

His pricing is on his site. Weddings seem like a lot of pressure. I'll be curious to know how this thread pans out.

http://www.memoriesoft​omorrow.net …graphy_package_​prices.asp

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memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #11649975
I actually find weddings relaxing.

I find that weddings are pretty straightforward and not as stress-inducing as some forum-dwellers make them out to be. Tiring, sometimes, but not ulcer-inducing!

I do pretty much what you do minus including everything in the packages. I hate making albums so only one of my packages offers them. I also provide an online gallery where they can order from, but don't require they order from it and don't do the printing myself (I go through WHCC).

Also, I don't release Copyright but I do give them a Print Release. Be careful with your terminology there.

Honestly, coming from a bride's perspective, I would never hire a photographer who put a time limit on the wedding day and I would hire one that didn't include the images on a disc and allow me to make my own prints and this is the general consensus among most of my engaged friends. I went to a bridal show the other day with 3 other ladies and after we went to Denny's to go through the fliers we got and we all pretty much just threw out the hourly rate photographers' fliers without a second look.

I agree and disagree with things all over your post. We handle image ownership and prints pretty much the same way.

But dude, I am a complete blog advocate...to many this is probably one of the most insignificant points that you made...but probably one of the largest for me. A year ago I probably would have agreed with you...but now I would say that my blog is the single most important aspect of my online marketing...It is soooo much more than SEO.

I don't limit my posts to wedding photography though. I post about my personal life, my 8 month old newfoundland puppy, what music I listen to, random thoughts etc...and then throw in weddings and engagements in as I shoot them. Photographers could care less about that stuff I'm sure, but I'm not writing for photographers. Brides are definitely reading it...I'm booking people that I actually have something in common with aside from a bride/photographer relationship. That makes EVERYTHING else so much easier and enjoyable...and makes it well worth the time spent writing and posting.

Personally, there isn't much that I find more painful than shooting a wedding for a couple that I have absolutely nothing in common with...to a point where I now will refer people to another photographer if I feel like we aren't clicking. I credit my blog to really allowing me to attract people that I would actually hang out with on the weekends.

This has definitely led to more album sales, more referrals, more return clients, and an entirely more enjoyable business experience. Sure there are a ton of smooth talkers out there who can charm their way into a booking but honestly (to me) that's a bit fake. If you are willing to actually do it the right way, a blog allows your clients to learn about you in a way that an About Me section on a traditional website just can't do...and this...at least for me...has been monumental in developing REAL not fake client relationships....and we all know how important that can be in this business.

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memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #11656787
The albums I use are the same as many, many other photographers who are direct competition. I've seen other charge over $1000 for a 40 page A4 book which is excessive IMHO.

I'm am willing to raise my prices in the future but not to what I consider silly levels. I will always aim to have packages which provide way more than any competitor.

Book, or album? My albums start at double that, I don't do books as I don't believe the quality or longevity is good enough in any book. Even at $2000 I consider them barely worthwhile given the huge amount of time albums take, and given they really are expensive for me to buy. One reasonably year I spent as more on albums than on my mortgage.

Though my frame of reference is against IT consulting, which isn't really fair, as IT is quite lucrative.

I'm not saying you should change, it's clearly working for you, which is great Just make sure you're not underpricing or undervaluing your work.

Your website is too negative for my taste, you spend a lot of time saying how your different and how what you offer is better than what other photographers do..... whilst offering pretty much the same as what everyone else does.

The thing your calling an album looks more like a book, when your comparing to other photographers and accusing them of excessive markup make sure your comparing apples and apples because Albums are definitely in a different price bracket to the thin paged books it looks like your offering.

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memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #11658176
The books I am comparing to are from EXACTLY the same supplier, I have seen many of them close up so it is definitely apples with apples. I'm not that naive to compare them with a different product from a different manufacturer as that would be a useless comparison.

As for offering pretty much what everyone else does... not it my market place especially when cost is taken into account.

Just for clarification they are books (not thin paged ones either)

http://www.memoriesoft​omorrow.net …ng_photography_​extras.asp

Link above is the only image I could find of your "wedding books" and they are definitely look more book than album with thin pages to me. You can see how thin the books are in the first picture and then the right hand page curl in the second picture demonstrates how thin the pages are.

Anyway, my only point was that I personally wouldnt supply what your supplying as a "wedding album" as I dont consider it heirloom quality which is what I think a wedding album should be.

Anyway whatever, I just don't like your negative style on your website towards other photographers, I think its a newbie mistake to make (one I made myself the very first draft of my website a few years ago) and I just don't think there's any need for it, you can define your own style and what makes you different to customers without being negative to what others are doing.

Fostering relationships with other local photographers will be a lot more fruitful than criticising them as part of your sales pitch.