Wedding photographers websites....Why so bad.

[Shadowman]

I Like this guy's photos, but whether it is to everyone's taste especially for wedding photos I doubt.
He is one of the premier wedding photographers in Sydney and I think you can see that he will charge like a wounded bull. In this case you will get what you see and you will pay for it.

He shoots with a Leica and uses a Noctilux 50mm lens that is f0.98 and often shoots wide open, so you get a very limited depth of field. They have a unique look.

I am a complete novice at websites but this one seems to work well.

http://expressions-photo.com.au/gallery/weddings/

Graham

Graham,

See previous post and link to different styles of photography. I think the different styles are what drives the prices. Some photographers perhaps see what others are charging and expect the same fees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_photography

[proseak]

Slightly off-topic this - Harry Worth tries his hand at wedding photography;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r7q2v

[pictureMix]

Fowler am a wedding photographer and am from Nigeria i would like to learn more about wedding so i can give my clients the best

[hoffstriker]

Slightly off-topic this - Harry Worth tries his hand at wedding photography;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r7q2v

They won't let us view it here in the States...

[jcuknz]

Not sure where I picked up this link from but it helped me understand what is going on with wedding photography.
He says there are two approaches to the subject Formal and Informal. I suspect that those who prefer the latter are dispariging about the former and vice versa. Probably most photographers are somewhere in the middle but display the informal because the formal have been done a million times before and there is no 'grab factor' in emphasising them.

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/05/2...or-more-posed/
His approach is to stage the informal actions of his customers so he gets a good informal but not a poor grab shot.
It is a good read if you are interested in wedding photography as he is one of the best I gather and communicates well.

[hoffstriker]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Neil..... He's def. another great one...
Neil Van Niekerk

[Colin Southern]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Neil..... He's def. another great one...
Neil Van Niekerk

His Facebook page is well worth following too.

[josemiller123]

Yes you are right preserving all details in clear is a good idea to showcase your work. all wedding photographers need to have their work showcased in their websites with clear information about their photo studio.

[davidvidgen]

I like to think that I am a transparent wedding photographer. I understand my strengths and weaknesses and accept that there are areas of my wedding photography that I need to improve on. I offer a full money back guarantee, plus I will not undertake a wedding beyond by capabilities. http://bigdayphotographer.co.uk

I learnt using film, which was expensive - thus we had to work harder and make sure we got the shots. Personally, although digital has made for lower cost photography, it may well spell the end of photography as a livelihood (except for the very few) because as one of the members in this thread indicate, everyone now has a camera, and everyone thinks that they can take wedding pictures. Unless the public develop a trained eye for good wedding photography, it will be difficult to drive out the weak from the industry. Although, one good thing about recessions, is that they do tend to put to bed the those businesses who have failed to develop a solid product or service. I'm certainly seeing fewer studios, but I fear many are turning to wedding photography because of the low overheads and the perception that it is easy to shoot weddings.

The money is to be made in photography training!

Colin, I'm loving your harbour picture at https://www.facebook.com/ColinsAdventuresInPhotography

[Bobobird]

The money is to be made in photography training!

Yup just go to Lynda.com or Kelby Training and you will become an expert in one session.

[jcuknz]

I went to a wedding recently and was given a link to the photos, don't know what the final purchased product would be like but the site didn't encourage me to purchase any. YUK!
I'll stay with my few photos I took when the photographer took the B&G off for 'formals'. Purposely not duplicating what he and his assistant took.

Funny bit ... photographer took my camera off me for group photo with B&G etc .. not sure why .. everybody knows I am a photographer .. instead he let me put my hand in my pocket ... looks horrible Mind you I am no art work at the best of times BUT!

Colin #72 I hope you are right, hadn't thought of that angle.

[Colin Southern]

Personally, although digital has made for lower cost photography, it may well spell the end of photography as a livelihood (except for the very few) because as one of the members in this thread indicate, everyone now has a camera, and everyone thinks that they can take wedding pictures. Unless the public develop a trained eye for good wedding photography, it will be difficult to drive out the weak from the industry. Although, one good thing about recessions, is that they do tend to put to bed the those businesses who have failed to develop a solid product or service. I'm certainly seeing fewer studios, but I fear many are turning to wedding photography because of the low overheads and the perception that it is easy to shoot weddings.

Hi David,

I dunno. Dunno if that's the reason - or dunno if there's just too many "slices of the pie". Bottom line is though that quality wedding photography is always going to be about quality light - timing - right equipment for the job - Experience. A quality wedding photography business is always going to depend on people skills and business skills - and I don't see either of those things changing due to the availability of "uncle Joe with a digital SLR doing weddings on the cheap". So perhaps the question is "has the perception changed" - both in the eyes of the customer and the vendor?

I'm reminded of some sales training from days gone by when the prospect starts a conversation by asking "what is the price of the product" ... the salesman then assumed that he's dealing with a price-conscious person and gives the lowest price he can -- the prospect undertakes to "give it some thought and get back to him" (and of course never does). Was the prospect REALLY after the lowest cost ... or the best value for money? But what information were they given? ... only a price. So what information do they have to make their decision on? ... only a price! Were they really that price conscious or have we as sales professionals turned them INTO someone who is price conscious?

I appreciate that that's somewhat of a generalisation ... and keep in mind that some of the folks who got for the "Uncle Joe" approach wouldn't have the $2k - 3k for a professional anyway. I was listening to a podcast featuring a wedding photographer the other day, and her position was that digital had made it EASIER for her to compete BECAUSE there was so much cr^p out there and thus it made it easier for her to differentiate herself.

So perhaps we should ask ourselves the question "is the proliferation of cheap DSLRs murdering the wedding photography business" or is it more a case of "are current professional photographers committing commercial suicide by not taking the time to understand more about business and lifting their game"?

Colin, I'm loving your harbour picture at https://www.facebook.com/ColinsAdventuresInPhotography

Thank you most kindly sir!

[davidvidgen]

Hi David,

I'm reminded of some sales training from days gone by when the prospect starts a conversation by asking "what is the price of the product" ... the salesman then assumed that he's dealing with a price-conscious person and gives the lowest price he can -- the prospect undertakes to "give it some thought and get back to him" (and of course never does). Was the prospect REALLY after the lowest cost ... or the best value for money? But what information were they given? ... only a price. So what information do they have to make their decision on? ... only a price! Were they really that price conscious or have we as sales professionals turned them INTO someone who is price conscious?

I was listening to a podcast featuring a wedding photographer the other day, and her position was that digital had made it EASIER for her to compete BECAUSE there was so much cr^p out there and thus it made it easier for her to differentiate herself.

So perhaps we should ask ourselves the question "is the proliferation of cheap DSLRs murdering the wedding photography business" or is it more a case of "are current professional photographers committing commercial suicide by not taking the time to understand more about business and lifting their game"?

Thank you most kindly sir!

Hi Colin

I find that the individuals who do ask about price are those embarking on their initial journey (you are the first photographer they have met with), and they don't know what else to ask. Many years ago i worked in the fitness industry and it was exactly the same. The client wants good photo's but they really have no idea of how to get them; it boils down again to the trained/educated eye.

I personally prefer to meet a client who has already talked with other photographers because they are a little more qualified. The business acumen then kicks and I can establish what they like so far, but equally what was was missing that prevented them from signing the contract. I come from a marketing background so closing the deal has never been something that frightens me...

I do agree that there is a lot of cr*p out there and the message for all is yes we must raise the game. I wrote an article recently 'named the death of photography' - serenepictures.com. My answer to this problem was "Probably the best way to survive is to produce images that are in demand but are complex and advanced, so that amateurs are unable to replicate."

One problem is that fewer people are getting married, but I do also think the number of photographers who are lifting their game and creating advanced images is on the increase. So even with advancements, are we putting one foot forward and two backwards?

BTW, I own the URL above, so if you want to contribute with your own article and link back to your own site, by all means.

Best

David Vidgen
bigdayphotographer.co.uk

[Colin Southern]

I personally prefer to meet a client who has already talked with other photographers because they are a little more qualified. The business acumen then kicks and I can establish what they like so far, but equally what was was missing that prevented them from signing the contract. I come from a marketing background so closing the deal has never been something that frightens me...

Hi David,

Sounds like you've got "your head screwed on right" ... what bothers me about your strategy is that it relies on other 'togs not closing the deal first though.

[hoffstriker]

I have to add my "two cents" to this continuation. I actually earned two jobs for next year based solely upon my candor with the couples. I made it perfectly clear where my abilities sit and that I am definitely not at a Denis Reggie level, but I am still learning the ins and outs. I also made it clear to these couples (after they had already met with multiple photographers) what their expectations should be. They had no idea that they could mandate what it was that they wanted. They then continued their search and both returned to me, letting me know it was my openness and honesty that won them over. They did also like style of shooting, but it was more important to them to know that their photographer cared about what they wanted. I have a style that could mesh with their expectations and would let them know if there was something they wanted that just would not be possible. Not just the simple "give me your money, this is how I shoot, and I know more than you" attitude.

As I stated, I am fairly new to weddings (only been shooting them regularly for the last couple of years) but I am a far cry from being new to photography. This being the case, the one thing I've learned over the years is if you are selling the photos the client should really like them. Not just one image in the bunch, but a whole lot of the images if that is what the gig entails. You will never get that kind of consistency from an uncle Bob.

Colin has stated many times on here how he believes wedding photography may be one of the most challenging tasks to embark upon within the photography realm. This will always allow for the cream to rise no matter the advancements in technology. There will never (in my lifetime) be a camera that is able to adjust settings based upon the image I see in my head. The photographer must therefore have to knowledge to make those adjustments on the fly in a fairly rapid pace.

[Cparoyan]

I'm new to photography and teaching myself and even I know well enough to stay far away from Wedding photography! Also, just to add my 2 cents, It's so frustrating how many websites and forums I find that are moms who just had a baby and run out and buy a DSLR because they want nice photos of their baby. Nothing wrong with that, but so many of these people are teaching others how to do it and it's making it so hard for people like me to get known as a serious photographer. Also because of this people take advantage of me because I have a nice camera and since everyone can run out and buy a nice camera these days no one feels the need to have to pay you for your services. Since I'm new to this I don't know if this is how it's always been, but it definitely seems very competitive for that reason.

~Cheryl
http://facebook.com/cherylparoyanphotography

[Colin Southern]

I'm new to photography and teaching myself and even I know well enough to stay far away from Wedding photography! Also, just to add my 2 cents, It's so frustrating how many websites and forums I find that are moms who just had a baby and run out and buy a DSLR because they want nice photos of their baby. Nothing wrong with that, but so many of these people are teaching others how to do it and it's making it so hard for people like me to get known as a serious photographer. Also because of this people take advantage of me because I have a nice camera and since everyone can run out and buy a nice camera these days no one feels the need to have to pay you for your services. Since I'm new to this I don't know if this is how it's always been, but it definitely seems very competitive for that reason.

~Cheryl
http://facebook.com/cherylparoyanphotography

Hi Cheryl,

A couple of thoughts came to mind ...

1. There's an old saying that "just because someone knows the technical side of a business (like photography) doesn't mean that they'll succeed in that business" - because running a business involves a LOT more than just the technical side of it (eg sales, marketing, accounting, compliance etc).

2. I guess one could say that "mums and dads with SLR cameras" are the "competition" - but (a) they're not going to get the same results as a professional because they don't understand many of the essential parts of what makes a top-notch image - but - they probably don't know how much they don't know either - so perhaps we're the ones who have to market ourselves to them, and educate tham.

Either way, I think the onus is on US - we can't just sit back and blame the customer's perception - we have to educate them as to why they need to spend the money to get a quality product. We won't get everyone, but then again, we don't need to

Shot by "Mum and Dad with a fancy camera"? ... I don't think so!