Getting Into Wedding Photography

[TUX424]

hey guys
Im a high school student with a Nikon D70 looking to get started in Wedding Photography or really any type of event photography because i am looking to maybe do photography as a profesion after college. I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips on how to get into this sorta field. I understand u have to crawl before you can run. I was really looking for a startes guide i guess on how to make a profesion of photography
thanks for any help/time given to replying

 

[Mike30D]

The best way to learn how to do weddings is to assist/second shoot with a pro. Even if you're not getting paid anything, the experience is worth it. You need to have your basic photography skills down before most if not all pros will hire you. You really have to have the desire to do weddings, they are a lot of hard work.

Join DWF, lots of good info there. The start membership is free. Nothing but wedding photographers in that forum.

Read, shoot, read more, shoot more.

Read books about wedding photography.

 

[TUX424]

thanks i was wondering what DWF stood for
also i feel that i have my basics down i have been taking photography classes at school for the past 3 years
but i wouldn'r mind starting with birthday partys or things in that area

 

[Mike30D]

thanks i was wondering what DWF stood for

Digital Wedding Forum

 

[Mike_E]

One thing, do Not buy a lot of equipment expecting it to pay for itself.

 

[Stogie]

Minimum, you need 2 complete camera setups. You have to be able to manage people, it can be difficult to get people together to do the group shots. You need business skills.. I have a friend that shot a wedding and didn't get any money up front. When the photos were ready, the couple had split up already and they didn't need the photos anymore. Learn how to shoot around glass and mirrors. I shot a wedding one time and all of the exterior walls were glass. Always make sure you are shooting at least 30* to glass or any shiny object. Always keep your equipment close to your side. Its not uncommon to hear about a wedding photographer losing all of his equipment to thieves at the wedding. If your good, you can make good money shooting weddings, but you will work for that money too. There is a guy by the name of Scot Smith in Ft. Worth Texas that runs a photography school. This guy is really good and has a good book out on wedding photography. You can find it at his site:

http://www.lightingmagic.com

Hope this helps.

 

[chrisburke]

there is a HUGE post about wedding photography.. starting up and all of that.. do a seaerch, you'll find it...

things i can attest to that have been said... "don't go buy a bunch of gear expecting it to pay for itself" this is very true... to get good wedding shots, it takes more than just a camera... it takes at least 2 cameras, and a bunch of other stuff... it will take a while before your gear is paid off..

also weddings take a lot of time.... as an example, i did a wedding this summer, and they just wanted cermony and bridal party afterwords... no reception, or anything else.. while I was only at the wedding from 1-3 (2 hours) there was around another 20 hours of editing, because you take so many pictures....

 

[Big Mike]

The important thing to know about weddings and many other 'events' is that they are one-off...real time happenings. This means that you need to get it right because they probably can't stop what they are doing if you have a problem. There are few chances for 'do-overs' etc. And if you are getting paid to do this, you can't just say sorry if things don't go well.
So it's very important that you are able to get the job done, even if there are unexpected difficulties. Having backup equipment is a must.

I agree that assisting with an established pro is the best way to go.

 

[bigtwinky]

Why not start off small at friend's birthday parties, kid's birthday parties and other events? Don't charge until you feel comfortable, but often doing things for friends for free is a great way to practice. And its a birthday. Most people don't get photographers for birthdays.

If you get good, you can give them the edited pictures as a present afterwards

They are events, with multiple people, in various locations. They can have pre-planned things happening, so you need to make sure you are ready, and you will need to learn how to move around crowded areas to get shots, without really being in the way.