Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Wedding Resource List
  

FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2014 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?

  
 
thebeginning
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


I've had a fairly conservative client base for years, but my area is also just known for being more classic and conservative.

I'll flat out say it: I want to book more interesting weddings. More 'alt' couples, non-traditional decor and clothing and locations, etc.

Everyone says to display what you want to shoot, but I can't display something without shooting it a few times.


Is this where some people would do a styled shoot, or should I just try a different marketing approach?




Sep 25, 2014 at 11:59 PM
rondphoto
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


Do a stylized bridal shoot featuring the types of couples you want to feature. Blog it as a day-after or anniversary session.

Funny...because I'm coming to your market to shoot the more classic and bigger weddings.

As a side-note, nothing about your website says alt, or non-traditional. I'd change up the site to make it a little more progressive and see if that attracts some of the clients you want.



Sep 26, 2014 at 12:22 AM
thebeginning
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


Yeah I'm sure the website / branding will be a huge necessary step. I've had the same site since like 2009, lol.



Sep 26, 2014 at 12:34 AM
D. Diggler
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


I've tried to go to a more upscale market but every time I raise the prices the phone stops ringing.


Sep 26, 2014 at 01:41 AM
LBrimhallPhoto
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


See if you can second shoot a wedding for a photographer who is already in that type of market and will let you use the photos. It's taken me YEARS to put together a portfolio of the types of things I wanted to shoot more of and I finally feel like I'm to the point where I'm attracting clients with a more similar style and sense of humor, but it's a long process

I agree area can make things more difficult... there was a very small market for my slapstick style in Colorado where people generally just wanted pretty mountain portraits. The minute I announced I was moving back to the Northeast the inquiries literally came flooding in.



Sep 26, 2014 at 05:08 AM
ricardovaste
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


What don't you like about the market you're currently in?


Sep 26, 2014 at 05:37 AM
sherijohnson
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


my first thought is you need to start hanging out in the places where these people are and meet them, start doing some casual photo shoots with the kind of people you want to photograph weddings for


Sep 26, 2014 at 06:34 AM
thebeginning
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


Good thoughts, thanks all.


ricardovaste wrote:
What don't you like about the market you're currently in?


First off, I love the couples I work with so it's not that, more of an artistic desire. I'm just really tired of ultra-traditional American weddings that all are at churches, all have the same types of wedding gowns, all follow the exact same pattern and songs, etc. I see photographers from other areas post such unique weddings (e.g. bohemian/hippy couples or really elegant/fashionable ones, quirky or uncommon locations, etc) and I would love to shoot stuff like that.

What's so bothersome is that I know I can make great work in some of those markets and do well, I just can't get the 'in' I need (much like with destination weddings).

sherijohnson wrote:
my first thought is you need to start hanging out in the places where these people are and meet them, start doing some casual photo shoots with the kind of people you want to photograph weddings for


This is not a bad idea, actually. Might consider doing some free shoots in exchange for spreading my name amongst friends.



Sep 26, 2014 at 10:13 AM
rondphoto
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


The grass isn't always greener. I'm in Vegas where there are hardly any church weddings. It's not because there aren't any churches...it's because people use ballrooms and other venues out here. You don't know what I'd give to be able to shoot in a church every once in a while. I have a church wedding next year, and I'm stoked. Out of the 2 church weddings that I shot in the past 6 years, one was in Vegas and the other on the East coast for a destination wedding I did.

I shoot pretty high-end weddings. Very modern couples who are pretty damn artistic. I try to capitalize on that by doing day-after shoots which allow me to take them somewhere off the beaten path and just relax. I do the day-afters because even though I'm shooting more affluent couples, weddings are still the same. Drunk people at receptions, people with iPads getting in my way, the music, the format, etc. I'm like you...I see the same shoes, the same dresses, the same lighting, the same locations....and people would kill to shoot the weddings that I book.

I'm willing to bet that if you got the hippy couples or really elegant couples, you'd get tired of them too. I've also found that the people who are more into the bohemian stuff are more into Pinterest and aren't really that creative at all. They just want what they see on other blogs and in magazines, just like what you're experiencing now. I think that you'd have less creative freedom with couple that are so Pinterest-involved.

Take your clients and set the expectation that you're an artist and need to be artistic with them. You have the opportunities to do unique stuff with the couples you book, you're just not capitalizing on that.



Sep 26, 2014 at 10:46 AM
MRomine
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


rondphoto wrote:
The grass isn't always greener.


So true!

rondphoto wrote:
I'm willing to bet that if you got the hippy couples or really elegant couples, you'd get tired of them too. I've also found that the people who are more into the bohemian stuff are more into Pinterest and aren't really that creative at all. They just want what they see on other blogs and in magazines, just like what you're experiencing now. I think that you'd have less creative freedom with couple that are so Pinterest-involved.


Regarding the Pinterest-involoved comment. I also find that these couples tend to have smaller budgets. They are more the DIY crowd. They book cool outside locations or unique indoor facilities because their budgets don't allow them to do fancy hotel banquet rooms or country clubs with sit down meals. So as your rates go up your clientele changes.

rondphoto wrote:
Take your clients and set the expectation that you're an artist and need to be artistic with them. You have the opportunities to do unique stuff with the couples you book, you're just not capitalizing on that.


It requires constant pushing of yourself, especially if you are constantly in the same venues or locations.



Sep 26, 2014 at 11:15 AM
NYstyles
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


Change your website! Sooner rather than later. Your site is that basic traditional wedding look. You need to make it 'quirky' like the couples you want to book. Your site is completely opposite of your personality! You've posted here enough for me to know its not!! get on it! ha ha

Clients all the time mention my site and how fun I seem. I did a site review and they said the same thing. People know Im fun so thats who books me.

Ive done one church wedding ever, I finally have a second in a couple weeks. My DIY Pinterest couples in to details and quirky fun things while 'budget' spend where it counts. Im not cheap but not high end either. And I will add this DIY can be way more money than you think! Trust me Im a DIY craft geek! ha ha



Sep 26, 2014 at 01:59 PM
TTLKurtis
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


NYstyles wrote:
Change your website! Sooner rather than later. Your site is that basic traditional wedding look. You need to make it 'quirky' like the couples you want to book. Your site is completely opposite of your personality! You've posted here enough for me to know its not!! get on it! ha ha

Clients all the time mention my site and how fun I seem. I did a site review and they said the same thing. People know Im fun so thats who books me.

Ive done one church wedding ever, I finally have a second in a couple weeks. My DIY Pinterest couples
...Show more

Not to de-rail, but I wish you and everyone else would put their actual website in the www instead of nothing or flickr or 500px etc... I don't mean this in a negative way at all, by the way, just would be nice to be able to see your website when reading a post like this that makes me curious to see your work and website.



Sep 26, 2014 at 02:47 PM
NYstyles
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


TTLKurtis wrote:
Not to de-rail, but I wish you and everyone else would put their actual website in the www instead of nothing or flickr or 500px etc... I don't mean this in a negative way at all, by the way, just would be nice to be able to see your website when reading a post like this that makes me curious to see your work and website.


Im nothing special and neither is my site. ha ha. It suits me though. I keep private here, I did add the link with Some work recently, I did it just to add here, Im not a 500px user in general. I can share my website privately. I just like Im semi private here. Im open all over the net so I like the more private account here.

Regardless what my site and works looks like the OP's website does Not fit his personality at all. hes a 'rocker' and wants 'rocking' clients, his website portrays exact the opposite. Not like a website is the be all of our business but it sure gets people in the door.




Sep 26, 2014 at 05:44 PM
glort
Offline
• • • •
[X]
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


Gotta say I have just advertised and promoted what I have done and got quite a variety of weddings. Done them on Islands and on ships, on beaches, My first ever registry office last monday after 30 years doing the things, I have done them in backyards and mansions, on city rooftops in country paddocks, plenty in mountain retreats, cathederals, Synagouges, all races and nationalities ( couple I'd NEVER do again) ...... and I haven't actually promoted a style other than the style I do.

Going out tomorrow to do the pre wedding shots and check out the location for a job I have at a Military base in November. I often thing of the places Photography has taken me and a lot of that has been through weddings. Some people were talking to me earlier in the week about going to the US to shoot their wedding in '16.

I love the variety of jobs I get but I just do weddings, no particular type or market other than price level.

Perhaps you could get a couple of friends or wanna be models and dress them uyp and do a shoot of the type you want to portray? I did that a few times in my early days and it worked real well. If you don't know anyone that could play model for a day for you, just put an ad on a local site or craigslist or something.

Approach a suit and wedding hire place for the clothing or even a designer. I have got last season dresses from them and half the time they tell me don't even bother bringing them back! At worst they should give them to you for the price of cleaning and some promo pictures.

I'd also look at approaching a spectacular venue and arrage a shoot there during the week. Either that or take the couple somewhere out of the ordinary that creates a WOW factor shot that would appeal to a market you want.

When I was starting out one of my mentors drummed it into me, " You only need one shot to start you off". He was right and I know exactly what that shot was and it was one I set up. Did a 1/4 page ad in a bridal mag in B/w because it was all and more than I could afford at the time ( No net back then) and things took off from there.
I'd do more than just blog it or put it on your site, I'd look at getting it out to a wider audience.

Do you have anyone that refers you now? Cake decorator etc? If so get a few 20x30 or larger prints made and put them up in their places.

The one thing that this really hinges on though is you. If you're an old fart like me and trying to get hippy weddings, you are really going to be up against it unless you are an old Hippie from way back. Either that or you better be good at selling yourself and getting onto peoples wave length.

People first and foremost book people they can relate to and believe understand them, not just what they want. Make sure you can talk to them and get excited about what they want and contribute to their ideas.

Frankly any wedding is exciting to me if the couple are paying the money I want. :0)



Sep 27, 2014 at 04:43 AM
glort
Offline
• • • •
[X]
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Getting outside of the market you're stuck in?


D. Diggler wrote:
I've tried to go to a more upscale market but every time I raise the prices the phone stops ringing.


Then don't advertise your prices, advertise what what you do.
Prices wouldn't stop my phone ringing because they have to ring to get the prices to even know what they are.

You also have to make sure what you are offering matches the pricepoint you are aiming at. If you have hit a ceiling, then maybe you are already getting what the market will bear for what you do. That's not a bad thing at all.

There are 3 ways to make more money.

Sell to more people. ( more clients)
Sell more often. ( offer and sell more products to each client) or,
Sell at a higher cost. ( raise your prices)

Maybe the 3rd option isn't the best for you and you would do better with the 2nd option?

Many years ago on an ego trip I decided to go after the top end of the market. Can't say it was a mistake but it wasn't really for me either. I found the weddings very boring, the people extremely difficult to relate to and satsfy, I didn't understand them very well at all and I felt often they talked down to me and treated me like a 2nd class citizen. many were great, many weren't.
I made good money but I soon got to hate the work.

I dropped back to what I call upper middle class and that was the sweet spot.
Good money and elegant work with people I can relate to and treat me like a friend.
Perfect!

There is always more to it than just prices.



Sep 27, 2014 at 04:56 AM





FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.