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Archive 2014 · How did you get to where you are today?

  
 
swoop
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · How did you get to where you are today?


It was a series of events that led me to photography but once I knew it was how I was going to spend my life I went to college for it with the goal of becoming a photojournalist. My first photography job was actually teaching it. I became a teaching assistant instructing introductory and advanced photography classes at my college.

About a month before I was all set to graduate I applied for a staff photographer position at a magazine in Milwaukee and flew out there for an interview. It was a nightlife magazine, and lucky enough the majority of my portfolio at the time was focused on nightlife because it was a series I was working on at the time.

So after I graduated I up and moved from NYC to Milwaukee. I spent a year there at the magazine doing a variety of things. Portraits, product shots, exteriors and interiors of locations. But the bulk of it was essentially going to bars and clubs four nights a week and photographing parties. After a year of that my contract was up and I just didn't want to do it anymore. I wanted to be a photojournalist and that place seemed like a dead end to meet that goal. So I moved back to NYC.

I had a hard time finding work and ended up assisting/second shooting for a wedding photographer for awhile. That was my first experience with weddings. I hated it. It was mostly lugging equipment and holding a speedlight, and at the end of the night when he was tired he would hand me his camera to take photos while he chatted up the single ladies.

Eventually I ended up freelancing for a community newspaper. Then I ended up freelancing for another one. And after two years of that I ended up freelancing at a large daily, which eventually offered me a contract. It was like a dream come true. Within the span of about four years I went from college graduate to working full-time for the largest circulation daily newspaper in the country. But after a year they eventually cut the photo budget, dropped their contractors and went to all freelancers. Things were still good for awhile, but every month I was getting scheduled for fewer and fewer days, then a month or two would go by between assignments. I was still freelancing for the community weekly but eventually that became my only dependable check and it was just too tight. So I started to look for second shooting jobs at weddings.

I was still doing assignment work for the community paper as well as stringing and selling what I could to the large daily. But I was hoping second shooting a few weddings could provide some extra income. So I started reaching out to wedding photographers and marketing myself as a "professional second shooter." It went ok but there were a handful of consistent boundaries. One was that most already had someone they shot with regularly or worked alone. The second was that they didn't like the camera I had, I worked with a Leica M9 and four lenses. Which actually caused me to go out and buy a 5D Mark II. So thinking I had alleviated that issue only brought up the third. That I only worked with 28mm, f1.8, 50mm f1.4 and 100mm f2.0 lenses. A fourth and less occasional obstacle was experience. Some wedding photographers didn't see photojournalism experience as translating directly into wedding experience.

Of course I had a counter argument for each and every time. That I already have significant photography experience, so I wouldn't be learning the skill of photography as I went along (I wasn't second shooting for experience, I was second shooting for profit). That I had done enough weddings to become familiar with the flow of a wedding day and the responsibility required. That a lot of what happens at weddings is very similar to the work of a photojournalist. The processional is much like a perp walk. The ceremony like a press conference. The reception like a community event. That much of what happens at a wedding requires a photographer with the ability to see and react instinctively and creatively and often make something visually mundane visually interesting. That I know and trust my equipment and I'm comfortable with it. It's the way I'm accustomed to working and am familiar with every piece of gear, its capabilities and its limitations and that it's perfectly suited to the way I work. That every image in my portfolio was done with this equipment.

I had some success and second shot a good deal of weddings for a variety of photographers but didn't really build up the Rolodex of consistent work I was hoping for. And I just got tired of explaining and defending my experience and my equipment to new prospects. I had some luck booking weddings independently with essentially little effort on my own part. My portfolio wasn't even geared toward weddings at all. But I found booking independent clients was a lot easier than trying to book wedding photographers. So this year I've decided to actually give it a try and I set up a wedding section on my portfolio. Things have been going ok so far. In the past month I've booked one wedding and have had three interviews at studio's for associate shooting positions. So we'll see how it turns out.

Wedding photography is not the end goal for me. I'm not seeking to turn in my press card for a holdfast moneymaker. But there's a totally different vibe to photographing weddings than news and I appreciate those differences.



Apr 04, 2014 at 01:19 PM
SGallant
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · How did you get to where you are today?


NYstyles - another pretty unique story, very cool

swoop - sounds like a roller coaster man. Bunch of ups and downs, and twists and turns.

Thanks to everyone for putting in a lot of effort to write your back stories.



Apr 04, 2014 at 03:07 PM
CoLmes
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · How did you get to where you are today?


So I lurk a lot on here but this is a great great thread.

It started with a ukulele.

I've played for awhile. During my Junior year of college I was at the main campus of PSU in state college and just felt very lost. I was in a weird place. I played around with my camera and played ukulele. I took it up for who knows why but it was always there.

I started teaching a lady named Beth who was the head of the creative department for the brand new university health center. After one of our lessons, we started talking photography and I told her I did it as a hobby and showed her some photos. They had a really old website and wanted to revamp it and needed new photos to use. The entire summer she had me shooting for the website, creating campaigns to use around the school, bus advertisements, commercials. I had no idea what I was doing but I did it.

Fast forward to a few years later, and I find these guys on youtube who are playing newer songs that I like on the ukulele. Their videos look amazing but their playing is shit. I find out that they are from Cherry Hill, NJ and find them on facebook. We talk and meet up. They want to trade uke lessons for photography lessons. They bring me on family shoots, teach me what real gear is and I make my first big purchase and go on more and more shoots. Eventually they let me tag along on some weddings, then actually 2nd assist weddings. And once I thought I was ready, I began taking my own weddings and we've all just been using each other as 2nd's for all of our weddings.

In between all that time, I found an internship at a magazine that is very big in my area. That turned into a lot of freelance work. I've been in the last 20 issues and might even get the cover of the next one.

And most recently, I was asked to be the main photographer for a national foundation. Craziness.

I never thought I would have come this far and I know I have a lot to improve on. I'm constantly trying to get better and watching the work from all of the great photographers here. I'm really enjoying the ride.



Apr 04, 2014 at 09:48 PM
Scott Mosher
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · How did you get to where you are today?


2004 I had no idea what I wanted to do for work. I was on a road trip to Mammoth Mtn with a friend to go mountain biking and watch the US Nationals bike races up there. I decided that since I liked sports and I was getting into photography, I'd be a sports photographer. I shot sports in addition to my day job for a couple years, struggling along in addition to getting married.

In 2007 (or 2008) my sister in law got engaged and they asked if I'd photograph the wedding. I told them I had no experience and showed them some portraits and they said it would be good. I joined FM, read up as much as I could, and shot it. Very traditional, straight forward, they loved it. I met up with Sam Hassas to go on a shoot with him and got hooked onto wedding photography. I assisted him at 5-6 weddings before he allowed me to 2nd shoot for him.

Fast forward to 2013 I became a "professional 2nd shooter". I 2nd shot ~25 weddings last year in addition to 4-5 of my own and numerous portrait sessions. I have another ~25 I'm 2nd shooting this year, 3 booked of my own, and 4 associate shooting gigs. At the same time I started a new business editing images for other photographers which I launched in Jan 2014. AND in addition to that, I'm partnering with another photographer & videographer and we're starting up a photography based education site, which we're hoping to launch in July.

The past year and a half I have REALLY been working on relationships with other photographers and vendors. That is paying off TREMENDOUSLY this year. My work has gotten way better, I'm learning (and teaching) tons, and not to brag but I have an awesome reputation among phototographers in my area. A few guys from FM have been very inspirational (Hoffer, Canerino, Duy, Michael, Kurtis, and a few others that don't post here anymore. I may not have met you, but your work and willingness to share means a lot!



Apr 04, 2014 at 11:09 PM
SGallant
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · How did you get to where you are today?


Ok Colin you may possibly win most unique story at this point.

Scott I never realized you chose to do more second shooting than primary. Interesting read. Good luck with the new ventures.



Apr 05, 2014 at 08:28 AM
Scott Mosher
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · How did you get to where you are today?


SGallant wrote:
Ok Colin you may possibly win most unique story at this point.

Scott I never realized you chose to do more second shooting than primary. Interesting read. Good luck with the new ventures.


The goal is to shoot weddings full time. Until then I 2nd shoot as much as possible. I have 2 weekends free between next week and Nov 22nd. Other than that I'm out shooting. I do have it arranged with the photogs I 2nd shoot with that if I book my own wedding then I cancel shooting with them. Especially those photogs who I'm booked to 2nd shoot for in Nov.



Apr 05, 2014 at 10:25 AM
ghdarnell
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · How did you get to where you are today?


This thread is incredible! It's amazing to hear the back stories to some seriously talented photographers.

Here is mine:

My dad always had a camera ever since I can remember. When I turned about 10 or so I begged him to get me a camera. Well he always had to have the latest and greatest so when a new camera model came out, he passed down his old one to me. This happened every few years until I really started getting into it and learning to get off the auto settings. We really used it as a father/daughter bonding activity, I had no idea where I would end up today.

All through highschool I took photography classes and photographed horses. Not professionally by any means, I really just had a camera and a horse, so I shot whatever was around.

Matt (my fiance now) was never into photography. I used to complain we didn't do much together and one day he surprised me by purchasing a Rebel T2i in 2010. I was thrilled and we would take all types of trips to photograph landscapes and bugs.

I'm not really sure how we got down the path of weddings. In 2011ish heard through the grapevine that Mike Morby (our churches Youth Pastor) was also a photographer, so I looked him up and was really impressed by his work. Matt + I approached him asking for a few tips on lighting and people photography. He not only gave us tips but took us outside and showed us things about backlighting and exposure AND allowed us to assist him at weddings with his equipment and lighting.

We took that lesson and ran with it. Our first experience photographing a person after that was like night and day, and something just clicked.

In March of 2012 we created "Right Start Photography" and immediately partnered with Living Social. Our first deal gained us over 200 new clients. We used those sessions as a place to learn and gain experience with both photography and customer service. We have run several deals since then, and to date we have shot roughly 400 portrait sessions.

When we finally felt confident enough we accepted our first wedding in May of 2012. It was 2 hours long and we earned $169. Look if you dare: http://jwdarnell.zenfolio.com/p807346986

Our next wedding was for a friend in South Carolina in May of 2012 and the improvement was really incredible. I still use some of those images in my portfolio today. http://jwdarnell.zenfolio.com/p773216467

We ended 2012 having shot 3 weddings starting at $900. In 2013 we shot 7 weddings without really doing any kind of advertising or having any direction. We weren't at all looking for weddings, these sort of just fell into our lap via engagement sessions we had done with living social and friends. By the middle of 2013 we raised our prices to $1,900 to start; and rolling into 2014 we started at $2,400.

We made $12,500 in 2012, $52,000 in 2013, and are charting about $85,000 for 2014.

In October of 2013 we decided that this is what we wanted to do professionally and for the next chapter of our lives. We really got serious and created a website and began to work on branding. I also changed my major in college from Psychology to Business. I assumed we would have a slow buildup that would allow us to grow as we gained more customers. Totally wrong.

We signed up with The Knot in 2013 and between that and referrals from Mike, we have booked 27 weddings for 2014. This coming year (2014) will be our first year as "wedding photographers". We currently have 15 weddings on the books for 2015.

I never imagined that just shy of my 22nd birthday I would be a full time wedding photographer. It's been a crazy ride, but it's something I am passionate about and love with all my heart. It can be frustrating at times to see such talent and want to "get there" right away, but I have to constantly remind myself that we are young, our work will get there in time. I can't wait to compare work from 2013 to the end of 2014 as I really think our work will have grown by leaps and bounds.

And just for fun here is a shot from that first wedding in 2012 compared to one we took in 2013.

http://jwdarnell.zenfolio.com/img/s5/v117/p2116714555-4.jpg



Apr 06, 2014 at 12:08 PM
joshua grasso
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · How did you get to where you are today?


Thanks to everyone who's shared this is awesom. Grace thanks for sharing your numbers as well as your numbers. Im in that first year of being busy too and wondering if full time will be realistic and so when I see numbers it helps me get a better feel of how realistic it is.



For me I started with photography as a hobby shooting whatever back in college and in 2005 joined my college newspaper and fell in love. Shot a wedding with a fellow photojournalist and thought that doing photo at weddings would be amazing. However I kept thinking it wouldnt be realistic and decided ill continue my path teaching and just do weddings on the side when I could. I did a few here are there for friends/family and second shot a handful of times but went in to gradschool for a few years while teaching so never got serious. in 2013 I decided to give it a shot. I second shot and worked for another studio as primary for a few weddings. Shot 9 for other photogs and got 1 of my own from a referral. Booked 3 from friends and referrals for 2014. So far in 2014 ive gotten 15 total. Mostly from bridal shows and a few from facebook. Becoming obsessed with honing my craft and getting as good as possible. I still have doubts on if its a realistic business as it seems too good to be true but I figure if I can become awesome then I might be able to pull it off. Goal is to be full time in 2016 if I can make more than I do teaching.



Apr 06, 2014 at 12:41 PM
dhp_sf
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · How did you get to where you are today?


I wanted to elaborate since everyone is sharing and I copped out by just saying it was similar to Sean's story

Chapter One: Duy Meets DSLR
In late 2008 or early 2009, I went to Muir Woods with a point and shoot and took photos. And while looking through them I thought "why do these look so sh*tty?" After some googling, I discovered this cool thing called "raw files" and how you could really fine tune exposures and stuff like that -- and I was familiar with this kind of processing through many many years of doing digital renderings and working with files with high dynamic range. I thought "COOL!" and looked for a mode on my Canon Elph that allowed me to shoot in this mode only to find that I could not. Then after I realized I was no longer a poor college student, I might be able to afford a DSLR for the first time in my life, and did very basic research on affordable SLRs. At the time the 5D mark II had recently come out and a photographer friend of mine coveted it, though my thought was "Why would anyone need a camera that costs over $2k!?" So I ended up with a Rebel that was a generation or two behind. Thus began my hobbyist days where I'd bring my camera everywhere and take pictures of everything and anything. I ended up starting a blog of just posting random photos, but only 3 at a time.

Chapter Two: Gear Acquisition Syndrome
Fast forward to fall 2010, my friend was getting married and invited me (on the B-list, last minute because some relatives ended up not being able to make it). So I went, and just before I walked out the door, I decided to grab my camera "just in case." I took a few shots here and there but was just trying to take interesting photos but mostly just enjoyed myself. I edited the few images I had and gave it to the couple who loved them. Then I saw the pro's work (who at the time was actually an amateur herself) and thought those were really cool. And that's when I thought maybe I could try my hand at it... and how it would be a great excuse to upgrade my equipment. I read up on a lot of the more technical aspects of photography (what the aperture actually does, how lenses work, what ISO means, etc--really really basic stuff). I then decided I needed one of those lenses that could make the background all blurry because that was cool as shit. So I bought a 50 1.8 to go along with my Rebel. And a short time later, a 24-70 2.8L. Thus began my downward spiral of excessive spending on photography equipment.

Chapter Three: The beginnings of DHP
I started working with models at first (craigslist/modelmayhem) just to get used to photographing people. Then offered to shoot a friend's engagement session (for free, and still on my blog). But was paid with sushi. After that, I ended up shooting another friend's engagement session and they wanted to pay me so I told them whatever they felt it was worth was fine with me (they paid me $200 after the session). All the while, I was listing my services on Craigslist: "Affordable, Artistic Photography!" And then it happened....someone actually inquired about shooting a wedding and I told them I'd love to but I've never done it before and are you sure you want me to do this? And they were sure and I did it for about $700 (no idea where I got that number from). They ended up pretty happy with it and that was a really valuable learning experience... It was pretty humdrum as far as photographs go--but decently exposed and covered the major parts. I started discovering really awesome photographer's work like the Chrismans and Anna Kuperberg, and was really inspired to do beautiful, meaningful work. So my engagement sessions started getting better and then I ended up booking more and more weddings and it just snowballed. I did 11 weddings in 2011.

By mid-2012, I was itching to leave my day job and I had enough weddings the rest of the year (22 total) and a few booked for 2013 that I felt like it was possible for me to quit my day job and take the chance of going full time photography. Between 2012 and 2013 I was really getting better about understanding the work was not about me, but more about my clients. The content of my work didn't really change, but how I approached my consultations and communicated with my clients shifted dramatically and that has been probably the biggest impact in terms of client satisfaction for me. I take in as much information as I can and try to filter out what makes sense for me and what doesn't. In the end I just find that if I believe in what I'm doing/offering/etc then it is much easier for me to "sell." I do better work when I'm happy working and I just try to find ways to make that happen. Throughout it all, I dissect my own work and others'--both from a technical and emotional standpoint to establish for myself what I liked/didn't like or what I felt worked/didn't work. My process is constantly evolving but all built upon the basic principle of authenticity.

TL;DR: Bought my first DSLR in 2009 because my Digital Elph wasn't cutting it; became obssessed and ambitious about photography; spent TONS of money acquiring (investing in?) gear; jumped headfirst into weddings; loved it; quit my job; happy ending?



Apr 06, 2014 at 01:48 PM
fstopperdown
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · How did you get to where you are today?


Quite honestly, if I did nothing but poor man Michael Kenna knockoffs and sold prints at local fine art shows, I'd be living a dream.

Love photography, but I lack focus. I think this is my downfall. I like the solitude of a landscape, the action of an athlete, the power of a portrait, and the thrill of a wedding.

Shot for a local weekly newspaper in the early 2000's

Second shot for a pair of photographers and myself up to 2009. Probably 80 weddings over five years. Failed miserably for many reasons, plus it was too much stress on my real job and marriage.

Fast forward to 2014, and a friend talks me into shooting his niece's wedding coming up in October.

Ok... I have broken a promise to myself, and relented to a one off, small, late afternoon, outdoor wedding with a beautiful couple at a primo locale.

Recently returned to shooting news and sports for my weekly newspaper.

Strangely, now my wife is now on board and learning photography. Thru her business we have several clients lined up for free beach/family portrait sessions. Well within my skill set.

Early on, she'll be the face, assistant, and people person of the team. This will be a major burden lifted from my shoulders.

Locally, there are close to 80 local portrait and wedding photographers. Some not so good, and others really good.

I'm setting a high bar and we will re-evaluate in October. By then, I should have a dozen portrait sessions and a wedding or maybe two.

I'm really trying to focus on portraiture, lighting, and PJ for the next sixth months.

When we wake up on October 5th it will be at a crossroads.... time will tell.







Edited on Apr 06, 2014 at 02:42 PM · View previous versions



Apr 06, 2014 at 01:53 PM
JakAHearts
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · How did you get to where you are today?


This is such a cool thread!

I (like many other photogs) bought my first camera just before my first child was born three years ago. I started taking awful pictures and hit the internet to find out why. Several thousand dollars and a few years of intense study later, fate hit me when a woman my wife works with had her wedding photographer cancel on her at the last minute. Id always heard horror stories about weddings and Ive seen more than one photographer who's work I admire shy away from the wedding scene. Reluctantly, I met with the woman and shot her wedding. I LOVED it. I loved everything about it except that I had sooo much room for improvement. Im approaching my first anniversary of that wedding and have booked the amount of weddings for this year that I set as my goal. Next year, I want to do double that. We shall see.



Apr 06, 2014 at 02:05 PM
NYstyles
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · How did you get to where you are today?


Such great stories!!

Funny how so many of use 'fell' into it.



Apr 06, 2014 at 02:18 PM
Inku Yo
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · How did you get to where you are today?


SGallant wrote:
Where are you located now? You were out in Secaucus before weren't you?


My office was in Edgewater on a pier that jutted out into the Hudson River. I miss that space. We moved to Rockland County in NY last year. I work out of a home office now.



Apr 06, 2014 at 08:41 PM
JR Magat
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · How did you get to where you are today?


some very cool stories to read in here and it's amazing where some of you are today versus just a few years ago! I am not as established as most of you, but here is my story:

For me it pretty much started in 2008 when my son was 2 years old and I wanted to take better pictures of him and our family. Before then I didn't know anything about photography 101 and pretty much just shot in 'Auto' mode with decent results bc dSLR's weren't so wide spread at the time (Nikon D40 + 18-200 VR lens). Probably some time in 2009, I started to ask my buddy and my wife's cousin, who were aspiring photographers, what cameras they use, etc. Discovered the world of lens, and became a gearhead... joined FM for mainly the Buy/Sell forum and went nuts! Needless to say, 155 feedback later (positive btw) and switching from nikon to canon & TONS of gear changes... I finally settled down on the gear side of things... for the most part.

2009-2010 was basically family photos, and began getting requests for children/family photos from friends & FB peeps. 2011 my wife's cousin was getting married and I shot the ceremony & reception for them as a gift, and surprisingly enjoyed it. Later in 2011, I had my first paying couple at $700 (with my buddy... 2 photographers!) which was a friend of a friend... they loved it and I decided that "I can do this..!" and set up a website, etc.

2012 I booked 6 weddings on my own... second shot for about 5 weddings including one with Sergio Mottola (learned a ton!), began making network connections.. 2013 I booked 10 weddings and second shot a little bit more, changed up my website, pubished in wedding blogs, and built more connections... and this year I am at 16 weddings and 3 already booked for 2015

So like a lot of others, I kind of "fell into" wedding photography unplanned. However, I still work a full time engineering job and have no (short term) plans to quit the day job with a wife & 2 kids now; but photography gives me a break from the normal 9-5 and is something that I enjoy. This year will be my test on how I can handle 15+ weddings but this might be my target for next year as well. But we shall see where this takes me, but I do give a ton of credit to this forum for helping me along the way.



Edited on Apr 07, 2014 at 08:15 AM · View previous versions



Apr 07, 2014 at 08:08 AM
JR Magat
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · How did you get to where you are today?


BTW, my wedding photos from 2006 SUCKED like Inku and Robin... so that has been nice motivation to do a better job for couples & I do take that to heart


Apr 07, 2014 at 08:10 AM
DannyBostwick
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · How did you get to where you are today?


Started shooting when I was 15. I was dating this girl who lived wwwwayyyy out in the country. I'm talking 20 minutes to the nearest gas station. Out there. Anywho, it was beautiful where she lived, right on the water on the chesapeake bay. I'd always go over there after school and see really cool things, interesting waterfowl, epic sunsets, cool windmills etc etc. So I stopped to get gas one day and saw a disposable camera, bought it, stopped about 10 different spots along the way shot a roll of film, got it developed at wal mart and was really exited to show my dad my pictures. He always like to take photos of me surfing or playing basketball or baseball and had a Canon Rebel 35mm. So, he taught me the basics on how to use it, start shooting stuff, mainly surf. Fast forward though the first digital rebel canon made, a 20D, and FINALLY a 5D! I got to travel all over the world shooting surfing, Portugal, Nicaragua 2x, Puerto Rico 3x, California, up and down the east coast, all over.

While I was shooting surf mainly, a friend asked me to shoot his wedding, had no interest. I'd never even been to a wedding before. The photos totally sucked and took me 6 months to edit, I did have one shot I realllllllly loved. It was of the bride and groom dancing with their kid, totally a shitty photo now that i look back at it, but it lit the fire.

Started pursuing it, got some more weddings and it just took off. No idea why people liked my work, looking back at it sucked. Some of the "first weddings" I have seen posted here make me realize how bad I truly was. I knew nothing. NOTHING. But I kept digging' kept working, kept practicing, and fast forward to today, 160 weddings so far, no signs of it slowing up. Hoping I can keep this rolling for quite a few years.



Apr 07, 2014 at 08:29 AM
SGallant
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · How did you get to where you are today?


Grace - Another great story, wonderful detailed information and a great set of examples of your progress!

Josh - You have has a good journey yourself, I hope your goal of full time plays out for you!

Duy - Reading your story, actually reminds me of more of my story. Like working with models on MM. I worked trade with models from MM for about 5 years before I ever started charging. I still rely on it to try new things and work out new techniques. The client focus lessons and changes in presentation are lessons I learned as well.

fstopper - interesting story.

JakAHearts - Nice to see you got bit by the bug of shooting weddings

Inku - Cool, didn't know you moved to NY.

JR - Sounds like you took the long road and fell into it too

Danny - Another interesting story. Quite a few weddings you have photographed there. Think my first wedding back in 08 took me 6 months to process too. I Photoshoped every image

Thanks again to everyone for all of the detail, nice to read your stories!



Apr 07, 2014 at 08:58 AM
mineymole
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · How did you get to where you are today?


I shot my first wedding in 2008. It was my niece's wedding. She didn't have a wedding photographer and I had a camera. That was the entirety of my expertise.

At that time, I had a full time freelance graphic design business.

By the end of 2008, the economy was tanking and several of my design clients were going out of business. I had also moved from New York City to the Hudson Valley. So it was either - refocus my design business and find new clients or do something new. I chose to do something new - and somehow decided that photographing weddings was meant for me.

So for the first two years shooting weddings was a part time job while my design business limped along with existing clients. In 2009 I photographed my first "professional" wedding. I did it for free in the middle of winter. With that in my portfolio, I advertised on Craigslist and booked 15 weddings. The weddings started at $750 and by the end of the season I was at around $1500 per wedding.

In 2010 I booked 20 weddings - budgets between $2500-$3500. Again it was a part time job.

I quickly realized that I could not handle the workflow of doing 20 weddings a year and my design career so I ended the design work and went full time shooting weddings.

In 2011 I booked 16 weddings - $3500-$5000. In 2012, I booked 23 weddings, $3500-$7500. In 2013, I booked 18 weddings, broke the 6 figure barrier, charging $4500-$9000.

It has been quite a ride and I have made a zillion mistakes and I am still figuring things out - every day. I spend way more time working on my business than I do working on my photography which I would dearly love to change.




Apr 07, 2014 at 09:24 AM
Fraktion
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · How did you get to where you are today?


First post here. What a great thread, and 'Hello from the UK'.

I actually started as a night photographer. I did it for the love, my hobby took off, I got sponsored by a couple of lighting companies. Fantastic. People picked up I was a little nifty with a camera so took a chance on me shooting their wedding. Turned out I loved doing it...but...

...I had to learn everything about weddings, the little things you don't think are important, after all you're a photographer, right? Wrong. I didn't realise I needed to be a helping hand whenever I could. From helping the groom get dressed, fold a hankie, have a pen at the ready for grandma. I had to make all the mistakes and learn from them. From not touching the cake topper when setting up a shot (they fall off and break - yep, happened) to making sure you pack a change of clothes (in case you split the crotch of your trousers just as you get to the venue - yep, happened). I had to learn how to make a set of images shine in spite of a groom that had to leave the ceremony 3 times to be sick and had to sleep in a darkened room for the rest of the day (again...happened). I underestimated the importance of networking, not just with other photographers but with all the hired help at a wedding. Makeup artists to cake makers. You're all one big team and there's so much to be said for being able to personally recommend people to the happy couple at contract signing. It truly does work both ways. The multiple late nights of doing a regular day job then spending every evening editing. If not editing then checking out the competition, blog posting, chasing leads, tweaking websites until 2am. Missing times in your personal life, family gatherings, friends stag parties, not taking holidays (using up all your day job holidays to do weekday weddings).

In comparison with some of my colleagues - who have since left wedding photography - don't underestimate how much you have to love what you do. I'd argue that it's one of the most important things to make your work stand out from the rest. Ask yourself if the only time you pick up your camera it's because you're getting paid for it. Go out and shoot for you.

Ultimately, though, I had to man up and learn to properly sell myself. You absolutely cannot be a shrinking violet in this game, you simply have to get involved. You have to be able to live in the moment, all day long.



Apr 07, 2014 at 10:07 AM
BKphotography
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · How did you get to where you are today?


I'm ashamed to say I stole my first camera (karma can back to bite me and the camera was stolen from me) but I fell in love with photography using that Canon Ixus APC camera. I was mostly taking photos of my girlfriend (now my wife) and friends drinking in the town where I live.

After leaving school and working dead end jobs for about 5 years I wasn't happy where my life was heading and I wanted to at least TRY and get a job that I would like (I wanted to photograph Hip Hop and Rock band album covers.

Went to college at the age of 23 to take up photography. I turned up for the interview with a handful of snapshots which my lecturer quickly dismissed. He later told me he accepted me into the course as I seemed smart but my he was taken by my enthusiasm.

Back in the day it was film and though I had some success most of my work was below par but back in those days not that many people were taking 'pro' photographs never mind wedding photos so I was hooked in to do a local wedding for £300.

The wedding photos were terrible but the mother of the groom who paid for the job liked them.

After being pestered into a couple of more weddings (which wasn't that hard as I had no money and also back in those days very few people had any interest in shooting a wedding) I had a internet savvy friend show me the Strobist site (it was David Hobby's site that I found this forum) and John Michael Cooper's crazy bridal shots.

I didn't realise wedding photography could be fun.

After spending a shite load of time on here and other places on the internet I felt so driven to be a successful photographer. I was also fortunate to score a job in the local photographic studio who was run by a man who was AMAZING at dealing with people. It was a very low end place but he taught me how to hustle and we had a lot of fun... I was paid £25 a day.

Today I am a full time pro. I shoot weddings and commercial work. I have photographed and met many of my hero's in sport and music. I have made lots of great friends. I am travelling to New York in May to shoot a wedding which is a place I have wanted to visit since I was a kid.

I will never be rich doing this but honestly I feel very fortunate to be able to do this for a living.



Apr 07, 2014 at 10:16 AM
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