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Archive 2013 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...

  
 
joelconner
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


I am curious how you think the standard bride would respond to a splash of interesting, artistic, slightly off-the-wall type photos?

We have a bridal session coming up where I am going to be trying some adaptations of things I used to do in my more pseudo fine-art days. While I am going to be doing mostly the type of things we usually show, I really want to have some fun, so I am going to be pushing the envelope on the creative/conceptual side of things. It's not going to be any weird (well, "weird" to me, I should say). It will mostly be things along the lines of multiple exposures, motion bur, and other in-camera techniques to get some interesting results. There are a few wedding photographers I follow that do these types of things, but their customers are mostly other photographers. I am wondering if there really is a place for this for brides who are not photographers or other sorts of creatives.

I will say, we have had decent response from some of the more interesting shots we have done in the past year, but really, we have not done many. Here is the only one that I really showed on its own.

http://conner-photography.com/photos/st-louis-wedding-bridal-conner-photography-26.jpg

I guess my main fear would be that to some people, these (or moreso, some of the things I want to try) are what they would remember when they see our work rather than the things that people remember us for currently.

I could be just worrying too much. We heard back from two brides in the past 12 hours that are going with someone else, so that usually leads to a day filled with self-doubt hehe



Feb 14, 2013 at 01:27 PM
morby
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


Jon-Mark would be a good person to ask. It seems that he has some experience in doing these types of shots.


Feb 14, 2013 at 02:18 PM
Nikon_14
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


I think it's a great way of showing what you can do that Uncle Bob can't.

On the other hand, though, some brides might have an allergic reaction to anything that's not 100% candid PJ- i.e., they might call it the dreaded "p-o-s-e-d" word.



Feb 14, 2013 at 02:42 PM
NYstyles
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


The answer is yes the average bride would want these type of images. IMO. If I couldn't find brides Id surely be doing it with models for trade. I personally need creatives like this myself. I love, love, love glam model fashion type shooting.

Use these kinds of photos to promote the "Trash the Dress" or "Bridal Portrait" style shoots. Call it what you like... I call mine Glam style. If a bride books a shoot I would think she'd be down for some cool creative images.

You could always do creative like this for engagement sessions.





Feb 14, 2013 at 02:54 PM
johnrg
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


What if it's something you keep in the back of your portfolio, then present to brides who seem have the right vibe during the consultation? Clients who are really interested in portraits and seem a little off-beat and fun might be a great target for this sort of thing. Whether it's a prospective client or someone you've already booked, you can just go for it and gauge the reactions.


Feb 14, 2013 at 03:44 PM
Ian Ivey
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


Joel, I think you're right to ponder this. We always say "show what you want to sell." On the product side, that means clients are more likely to buy stuff they can see and touch than stuff they have to imagine.

On the photography side, though, I think it has a different and more significant impact. The images you show create your brand image in the minds of your clients. And the more memorable any single image is, the more likely it is to define your brand in the mind of a prospective client.

I suspect this is especially true of wedding photography because 95% of wedding photographs are impossible for clients to distinguish from each other. The few images you have that truly stand apart from the ocean of common images are the ones your brides are most likely to use in order to identify your value proposition.

Imagine a prospective bride discussing a short-list of six or seven photographers with her groom or mom. They can't remember most real names (Inku might be an exception) because nothing about your real name conveys brand or value information. If I had to guess, I'd say brides who see the image you posted here are at least 75% likely to call you "the sparkler photographer."

Once you have a nickname, you've established a brand identity. Now it's up to you to be sure that brand identity is the one that most strongly conveys your most compelling value proposition.



Feb 14, 2013 at 03:51 PM
sherijohnson
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


I won't pretend to have all of the answers.... but I sure could appreciate people who like creative stuff like this, it's way more fun


Feb 14, 2013 at 04:04 PM
form
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


I would rather just do creative stuff all day. Then I could brand myself that way too. It would be more fun than the pattern I fell into last year.

I wonder how I will shoot this year, basically I will have been without a session for over 2 months by the time my first 2013 wedding comes around...



Feb 14, 2013 at 04:37 PM
That Photog
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


The thing I would want to be careful of is setting expectations too high. I try hard to explain to all potential clients that your wedding photography is what you make it. If you like my pictures with cool cars, fireworks, sunsets...you need to plan accordingly and let me know. I don't bring cars, fireworks and sunsets, but if they are there I will gladly shoot them (and include them in my portfolio).
I've seen some people that include models/workshop pictures in the portfolio. I wouldn't want my brides to expect crazy cool pictures from a typical blah wedding with 1 hour for pics. But it is cool to show some of that stuff with the "if you have the time, desire..."



Feb 14, 2013 at 05:53 PM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Creative, off-the-wall, artistic wedding photos...


That Photog wrote:
I've seen some people that include models/workshop pictures in the portfolio.


That's a no-no.



Feb 15, 2013 at 01:56 AM





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