Speaking of negativity... look at this fantastic shot from this past weekend. Dear planner, if you're going to look smug, guess what, nobody needed you to hold the bride's dress to get from point A to point B, don't ruin my shots.
Haha I have great clients, I simply took on too much this fall. I had committed to 8 weddings in as many weeks a year ago, then landed essentially 2 full time jobs that I couldn't turn down due to their future prospects.
Oh, and I got married this summer. I'm ready for some normalcy.
As for your shot, I seriously would consider emailing the planner with a friendly note.
I'm there with you man. For me, this season has been extra stressful, and the work hasn't really slowed down. So yeah, I feel you about all of these issues. If you can manage, take some time away and do something fun for just you and your wife. I just came back from a camping & white water rafting trip at the Gulley, and feel a bit more refreshed. I didn't think of anything work related while I was there, and now that I'm back, I feel much better about starting back on editing, and tackling the few weddings coming up. I know you're still teaching, but if you can manage to get away, do it.
I have better shots, but she's in a lot of the photos with this sour face. I'll definitely grab lunch with her some time soon and show her a few photos on an iPad so she sees what she does.
jneilosu wrote:
I'm tired of coming home from my day job to work on weddings that I'm tired of looking at for 3-5 hours before going to bed and repeating.
If you don't need the money I'd say get out - for your own sake.
I don't. And I will. I plan on doing 4-5 carefully selected weddings a year. As soon as Todd teaches me how to charge twice what I currently do... Muahahahaha
TTLKurtis wrote:
Speaking of negativity... look at this fantastic shot from this past weekend. Dear planner, if you're going to look smug, guess what, nobody needed you to hold the bride's dress to get from point A to point B, don't ruin my shots.
I had this problem second shooting a wedding at a beautiful historic mansion. I had this awesome wide-angle shot framed of the bride and groom walking down this huge staircase inside the mansion where they would make their appearance to the reception. Well, what do ya know, here comes the coordinator holding her dress the whole way down with a less-than-thrilled look as well. Seriously, you need to hold her dress as she walks down a carpeted stairway? Weak.
Having no weekends and having the opposite schedule as my gf (and my family) gets to me sometimes. I'm going on a couple of vacations this off-season and see how I feel about next year. Additionally, I'll be pushing myself to finally do a good amount of personal photo projects with hopes of getting paid jobs for those types of shoots.
Ha! You must be reading my mind. I could not wait for my last wedding to be over! And I only shoot 10 weddings a year and second shoot another 5 or so, but I love having my weekends back.
I know exactly what you're talking about. We only take on around 10 a year tops, and still felt exhausted at the end of this summer. But then again, we also finished two jobs, went on a family vacation, bought a house, moved, started two new jobs, and I went back to school (to become a teacher), all in the same summer.
Right now, I work a full time job that alternates weekends while I take classes in the evenings and do homework on my days off. It's busy. I'm looking for a M-F job right now simply because I miss not getting to see my wife every weekend. We don't have time right now for weddings!
Ironically, we're meeting clients for a consultation and likely signing this weekend. However, by the time the wedding rolls around, my wife (and probably I) will be on vacation, although I'll still have classes, and I definitely won't be working any job (besides weddings) that swallows up weekends, so things are going to get better.
Do you do all your own editing? My plan is to outsource as much as I can next year so that I do not have to give up my entire life to shoot weddings and still have a stable day job.
I honestly have no idea how so many of you shoot more than 10 weddings a year whilst having a full time job. Personally, I think would be an express train to burnout. If had another full time job, I would only shoot enough so that it never becomes a "burden" but always a delight. Even doing this as my full time job, sometimes the 30+ we shoot a year border on a burden
I currently have a full time job doing post production for wedding photographers. As well as shoot 25 weddings a year for myself. So I color correct 8 hours a day then come home and color correct some more. If my girlfriend wasn't also my business partner I think i'd go crazy.
I have a full time day job. Paralegal at a law office. I work form 8-5, and with taking my kiddo to the in-laws for day care, I leave my house around 7:30am and get home around 6pm. My average day has me using my lunch breaks to call clients, return emails, and making sure we have groceries.
But the good thing is that, when I go full time photographer (I kinda' already am - just with a day job), it's going to be like a huge vacation. All my vacation each year is used to take on weddings. All my off-time is spent not riding my bike, or having date nights with my wife, but used for more work.
The good thing? I have steady income while I build my client base, and my business.
I went to a friends wedding over the weekend. Toward the end of it I went to say goodbye and they were doing formals. I know, at the end right? They were well aware they looked a mess but didn't have any other time to get it done.
Anyway, I just hung around with them while they did their formals because it's going to be a long while until I can see them again. Also chatted a bit with the photographer and exchanged cards. I get a text the next day from my friend asking if I had seen a "Quantum Turbo Battery" or "accidentally picked it up." I'm guessing the photographer left it behind which really sucks. And then I realized I was passively accused of stealing.
I run my wife's medical practice and between 20 weddings a year (may-october) and the 50 hour weeks at the office, Im exhausted this year. Each year the medical practice has increased and the photography has decreased a little and each year I wish I took on less and less photo work. At this point I would like to do ten weddings a year and just keep it part part time. Can't complain about the money though, the only silver lining to busting ass all year.
. I thought you only care about the weekend in the winter? Ski season?