by Gavin Seim: How often have you walked from of a business, annoyed at the lack of service? Businesses close everyday because people didn’t care enough to please. No matter what you sell, you need to give customers a happy experience. As photographers this is especially true. We’re selling quality and an experience, not a piece of paper. Similar in many ways to a movie theater, so today I’m using them as an example.
Last night I went to a theater called the Majestic in Yakima WA. Yep, I’m naming names. This is one of the worst Theaters in Washington because they don’t care. Poor management and inexperienced kids run the show. This “could” be a really nice theater, but you can almost feel the chilling lack of interest the moment you walk thru the door.
I went to see UP with family (fun movie by the way). The last show of the evening started and about half way thru I went to grab snacks. I was met by dimmed lights and told by a group of kids around sixteen that they were closing and cleaning so they could go home. Questioning this, I was informed that the owners make the decision. Then one young employee proceeded to make snotty remarks saying she likes the way they do it just fine and that they have lives too! Not kidding.
OK I’m not a Sprint or Blackberry user, but all work and no play is no fun and this ad is perfect for us photographers. It actually got me thinking though. What crazy cool things could I pull off if I had a stunt groom. Here’s a few images that came to my mind…..
“No, I want the jacket actually in flames. It’s looks hot! Oh and this is HDR. Keep it still”
“That’s perfect. Now when the Chopper flies over, hold the roses in one hand and swing up with the other”
“OK look like the groom is feeling. Scared”
“No it’s actually four stories, but the trampoline is solid. Jump into her waiting arms.”
“Hey do we have a stunt bride around here…?” Gavin Seim
33:00 Marketing and word of mouth talk.
– Word of mouth is best.
– Careful who you advertise with.
– Quality is the real advertising.
– Projection to sell.
– Consultations are key.
by Gavin Seim: Lightroom is great, but on those really special images that I want perfect nothing compares to what I can do with Photoshop and actions. They make me creative and save me loads of time. No matter how into Lightroom, Aperture ect you are, you should have some actions in your arsenal for those special images.
This video takes it from the beginning with installing actions, all the way to tips how to leverage them. I use my own actions (you can find them in the menu above) but these principles work with most actions you’ll find. If the video is not showing here’s the direct You Tube link. You can also Download High Res Version Here (right click & Save As.
Get the essentials: Thinking outside the box works, Just remember to get the MUST have's. Walking down the isle, standing at the alter, the first dance and many more. What's important to each couple can vary, so communication is important.
Where to start, how to get there, how to stay there. Secrets for professional and aspiring wedding photographers from Gavin & others.
by Gavin Seim:How do I handle my first wedding? How do I become a pro? I get these type of questions fairly often. Weddings aren’t for everyone but most aspiring and pro photographers will photograph a wedding sometime in their career. There’s much to be learned from what’s demanded of us at a wedding. While this article is aimed at those getting started, seasoned pro’s will get ideas too.
Today I’ll give some I’ll talk the basics of how I see and think when I photograph a wedding. Tips 1-6 will focus on getting great images. Then we’ll talk a bit about a post production and business (which is every bit as important). As we go thru them I’ll post some favorite images and share some thoughts.
The first wedding is daunting. Let me say that I won’t be talking about extreme photography basics in this article. If you’re at that stage there’s no shame in it, but you should gain some experience before tacking a wedding on your own. It’s a one time event and if you get it wrong you will be, at best, a sore spot in the eyes of your client. That’s not good for getting new clients and both you and your client deserve better.
If you can, second shoot aside an experienced photographer it’s a great way to learn, gain better portfolio and get more confidence. In my case that never happened. Though got serious about photography at age 12, my first wedding was cold turkey. I photographed for fun at a wedding and the couple loved them. That pushed me forward and my first paid wedding came awhile after. The rest is… Well the rest is below.
Try new things: This shot is the result of the first time I used off camera wireless flash (with Radio Poppers) at a wedding. I was just learning them, but made the choice to push myself to get great light in this scene. It paid off and my final image has a neat cinematic feel that fits my style.
Before my first wedding I absorbed the information in at least three wedding photography books. That helped me get a feel for what should happen. Without that study I would have missed a lot of important things. Resources like this are great (I wish I had had them) but a book can help you get perspective and have a reference to review. I’ll list few good books to get you rolling at the bottom of this post.
My first paid gig was back in the film days. I was about eighteen. Armed with my Canon EOS3, a cheap flash, a cheap zoom lens and an old monolight strobe handed down from Doug Miller, a real local pro, I became a wedding photographer. Was I good? No, but I was enthusiastic.
