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Archive 2015 · Wedding season 2015 .... what to improve on?

  
 
Ziffl3
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Wedding season 2015 .... what to improve on?


I have been thinking about what areas do I want to highlight and place more focus through-out the off-season leading into and during the shooting season.
As in the corporate world, a fair review of the current status of business is healthy.
I try to be as humble and honest with myself. It helps to get feedback from a couple of other shooters.


I understand that there is a wide swing here on Fred Miranda as well with in the industry.
From more of a business/give me a the money+minimum photo skills to the other side - artist photographer who happens to cover weddings.

I see wedding photography as a combination of art/my creative endeavors and business.
I have been pushing myself to learn on both sides.
This includes starting an editing service over the last year and half.

Overall: sometimes I do well and in other items not so well.



For my yearly review, I break my business into 2 main areas.... The business side and the shooting/craft side.

As I review last season successes and areas to improve on, I notice it changes from year to year.
This makes sense as I learn more on both sides.

On the Business side:


    There is the 'hustle' or securing clients - marketing/branding....
    COA (Cost of acquisition)
    COG (Cost of Goods) - taxes/gear/expenses/supplies/etc.
    Networking with venders/shooters



The Craft of wedding photography:

    overall quality of captured images (timing/focus/depth of field/Consistency)
    Light: ability to see light - creativity.
    Story telling
    OCF
    Portraits
    Formals
    Client interaction/ Your Wedding day presentation-self awareness



These are just basic topic headers but they help me organize and focus on weak area but also to improve on my strengths.

My items to work on in business:

I have been recently asked to be the official photographer for a brand new all inclusive wedding event venue.
Pretty jazzed/excited but also looking at big picture; I can be buried really quickly.
I am a part time shooter that operates as a full timer.

To handle the possible explosion of work, I have created a team with 2 other full time shooters.
I have a strong-talented team. I feel pretty confident.
It will be event coverage that I see can be a challenging area.

We have settled on albums and pricing/deliverable/etc.
There are a few details left.... but it is all going smoothly at this point.

I have networking day scheduled with the local Facebook crew.
For my own clients, I have revamped my packaging with my branding. I have accounted for the cost within my business.

I have been too busy to update my website/blog through-out the year ... I am currently in the process of updating galleries.
I should be done inside a week.

I am planning on adding 2 lenses and possibly a new body if canon rumors is true. So I have the expenses planned out.
I should mention I am upgrading 1 of my 2 monitors. From 22" to 27". I have to wait for more wedding booking to have it covered.

Renew Insurance/hosting for website and proofing site.


On the Craft side:

I was reviewing the last 3-5 weddings.
Something I noticed... during a first look, what I thought would be cool with narrow DOF and only focus only on the bride.
When I look at the images, yes the exposure -framing is good. But It would have been better if I had both of them in focus.

Lesson learned.

Looking at my OCF, generally pretty decent, but I am going to add 1 more flash to make sure there is good consistent light.

I started to setup a flash on a stand to have ready for any interesting getting ready /pre-ceremony images.
Several times I ended up using the flash to fill or just kiss the faces for a better image.
I want to keep doing this.

I going to pull some old notes out from a workshop. I had some notes on creativity that I could have used in a couple of weddings.
For me, this is working on my 'tool box' of skills I can use on wedding day/bridals/engagement.

My posing is okay. I have several downloaded classes from Creative live I am going to review in a couple of weeks.
Myself and several local shooter will try to get together and practice with several couples.
I am going to bring notes and work through poses slowly. Thinking on what or how I want the light and the posing to blend with the couples strengths.

These are my high lights of my review.


During your review .... What are your pluses and minuses; area to improve ... areas you do well in?

-Mark













Jan 18, 2015 at 09:50 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Wedding season 2015 .... what to improve on?


Hi Mark,

thank your for the insight in your thought process. I see I have to take a more calculated approach to my business/skills.

heiko



Jan 19, 2015 at 03:00 AM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Wedding season 2015 .... what to improve on?


heikoM wrote:

I see I have to take a more calculated approach to my business/skills.


Seems you're already doing quite well for yourself as you are.



Jan 19, 2015 at 06:17 AM
PhilDrinkwater
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Wedding season 2015 .... what to improve on?


I'd recommend yearly business review to all photographers. The one thing that I'm finding more and more photographers want is to learn about, and something I'm training on this year, is SEO and online marketing:
http://www.phildweddingphotography.co.uk/wedding-photography-training/

For me too, I see a photography business as two parts:
* Photography
* Business

Too many people focus on (read as obsess about) the photography side. It's all about this latest lighting or that latest lens.

Now don't get me wrong - photography is important - but in my experience many photographers spend 90% of their spare effort on looking at other successful photographers and copying their kit or their lighting, rather than their business.

I see business primarily as:
* Offline and online marketing
* Sales & pricing & physical product
* Customer service
* Admin / accounting / other business

I'm really pleased when people start to talk about photography in a business sense In the end, it's what will allow people to continue in the long run.



Jan 19, 2015 at 09:05 AM





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