Thanks for a summarize
I understand what you mean about doing weddings. I would love to do it occasionally and then really do great work - I am not at all there yet, but I'm sure it will come.
Great ideas, thank you! I like the one with dress stores. Will see if I could figure out something about this.
I've been pretty bummed out due to work and i hardly had any shoots the last 1-2 months. But now I am forcing myself again and got some advertising coming up + two studio shootings with kids (I asked them) to produce something to promote with.
try to find smaller dress shops. ones who are maybe new and dont have huge budgets for advertising. you can do a studio session for them and you give them the work for free and they use your work and recommend you. make some nice enlargements to place on the wall and make a big album with printed pics. put your logo in the album. you have to invest to go further. no one will comes because you have a nice smile. also you can make a small album with your wedding work so they can show that. you might consider doing a deal with them. weddings dress+photographer for X amount of money. it takes time to get constant work. I say about 5 years of pushing non stop. networking with other vendors. the more the better. dont stop once you get enough work. but thats going to be awhile.
Another thing I will highly recommend is you should consider working for other photographers. especially the veterans. most newbies have their heads up too high with pride and say "what? me? work for someone else? no way." you are missing out on the fastest way to success. lower your head and your pride and dignity and do it. huge pluses. you learn trade secrets from pros whove been dfoing it for years. you dont waste money and time buying gear you thought youd need. you learn tips for honing your skills. and 2 biggest pluses...1, you as the 2nd photographer have many opportunities to get better photos than him. why? because he as the main photog has almost all responsibilty on him to shoot the basic mandatory pics and you have much less resting on your shoulders. you can be creative and walk around and shoot different angles he may not be able to because he has a must capture list thats time restrained and doesnt have time to be creative. for example. in the chuppa/ceremony. my friend is the main photog must get specific photos of the ceremony. I dont have that weight on my shoulders. so I found a high point where I shot some nice pictures from the side. I can even go stand with the guests and get their pov looking at the BG at the ceremony where he must stay close to the BG and capture it should something unveil.
and last huge plus with working for other photogs...you get to practice all the time. you have no stress on you to deliver and if you dont have your own weddings, you get "cold" and you lose your "edge" if you know what I mean. if its been a while since one uses his camera he will lose that edge. by shooting for other photogs you constantly practice and get better. less stress on you to deliver and youll grow more confident. and you need a LOT of confidence to be a good wedding photog. the more confidence the more you "dare" to get amazing pictures.
for instance, you need confidence when you do the formals. people look to you as the photographer to "arrange" them in a pleasing way so they come out as best they can. no confidence, the pictures show. the photog you work for will give that to you. he will slowly push you to better yourself. when you do your own weddings there is so much weight on your shoulders you start to forget, you eff up a lot of things. its a win win. going back to formals portraits. I did a group shot with 20+ family members standing. they all grouped up together. and because im experienced and have confidence I went in and arranged them so they look their best. so I spread them out. BG in the middle always. mother fathers to the sides of the BG and grandma grandpa next tothem kids I bring them in front of the parents but always standing in between so they dont block one person completely. and I joke with them while I do it. I maake them feel at ease. I project my complete confidence and they are relaxed knowing im going to make them look as best as I can (under the situation and lighting) and they sense this. while im arranging them, I give the person a look over and see if they need tidying. men usually their ties need to be tightened and women their bust line is popping out. little details to make sure they look their best. I also joke with the grumpy ones "smile, its such a happy occasion" and they all laugh and enjoy themselves. or the ones who dont shut up, I say to them "shhh, dont talk so loud or theyll hear you in the pictures" and everyone laughs and that breaks the ice and they are relaxed. but if the photographer has no confidence, this will sense this. the pictures come out showing it. the camera doesnt lie. it shows peoples true expressions. in mine, they are smiling, relaxed, enjoying. I make them feel at ease.
Speaking of, I just got booked for a wedding this summer
good, time to build up your work. see what things are missing. get details sorted out. like a location for shooting the BG. gear you might be missing. practice with the flash more. consider getting slaves and a manual flash or 2 for off camera fill on the dance floor. summer comes there is no time for anything. you should be ready for work. winter is pretty much planning for summer. good job!
btw, the church pictures look flat because the lighting was flat. they was no contrast in the scene. the lighting was diffused from what I see. and the colors are very drab and muted. you deal with what you have. dont boost colors in pictures that have muted light. it will look artificial. its my personal preference but I will critique your 2 first pictures.
the first one is a nice entrance. father has closed eyes or is looking down. before they do the walk down the aisle I always psych them up and say "slow and with pride". the entrance way is beautiful with the arch and I would have been standing straight on and shot with the whole arch and glass setting there. a nice compressed picture at 150mm or so. if I had no place to go back, I would get on one knee and shoot it upwards blurring the arch while they come towards me.
picture two has too much going on. you shot the preist and the setting with the balcony but you were trying to get an atmosphere shot. I would have gone back and opened the WA sigma and got more of the place included.
love the energy in the 3rd, why? because its tightly shot and it makes you feel like you want to lift your hand so you dont get rice in your face. I can feel what the bride was feeling. very powerful feeling of happiness and feeling the pfeww relief "were married" I love tight shots. they are intimate and your eyes are drawn exactly to where you need. in the 2st and 2nd pic its neither here nor there. im giving you my personal opinion. sometimes we as photog shoot what we sense is the right picture but these events are so quick and you dont have much time to think. it will only come from working years in it and from experience of what feels right.
I will say another thing. regarding pictures I deliver to clients. if they are not photographers themselves, I dont care what they think. Im sounding like a snob haha but I dont get satisfaction if they say good or not. im my own hardest critic. when I am happy inside knowing I captured amazing images then im content and move on to the next event. if Chef Ramsey cooked you a meal and you didnt like it, he is not at fault. he did a fabulous dish. he cooked it perfectly. the fact you didnt like it doesnt mean a thing. give the dish to 100 people and 90% would love it. so who cares if the 10% dont like it. once you start slacking and think "eh, thats good enough" then youre screwed because you stop bettering yourself. like steve jobs ( I dont like the guy btw). he didnt care what others thought. he did what he did because he knew what people wanted. he gave people things they didnt know they want or need. man am I talking too much.
