I get a lot of emails from aspiring photographers asking for advice. They want to shoot weddings, and have no idea where to start! In reality, that’s a novel worth of material – but I sat down and thought of the top things that beginners should do to successfully break into the wedding world!
1) Build your skillset. Bring your camera everywhere you go. Shoot everything under the sun, come back, and practice different editing styles until you find one you like. Practice DOES make perfect, my friends. There are no shortcuts to this – the only way to get better is to shoot more, and more, and more! Time and volume are your friend. Dedicate time to gain complete knowledge of your technical camera settings, basic posing and directing, composition, and editing.
2) Assist + second shoot. It’s best to have a pretty solid portfolio before second shooting, hence shooting your friends, surroundings, and yourself constantly for at least six months if not more. If you’ve never second shot before, it may be difficult for a photographer take a chance on you on a big wedding day. They have a duty to their clients to deliver at a certain caliber of work, so if they can’t take a chance on a brand new second shooter, know that it’s not personal! Start out by offering to assist for free – email photographers in your area and offer to carry bags, take behind the scenes photos or videos, and immerse yourself into the flow of how a wedding day goes. When you reach out, don’t talk about why you need this or what you want, stick to what value you can bring the photographer – think, “What can I do to make your day more easeful?” After 4 or 5 of those, email photographers that are in the lower price range in your area to second shoot for free. Wedding days must be executed at the highest level, so it’s typical that higher end photographers require second shooters with multiple years of experience, which is why starting at the bottom and working your way up over a few years is the best strategy. Once you have another 4 or 5 of those, then you can start charging for second shooting. Join Facebook groups for second shooters, be available to step in last minute, and shoot like crazy to build your skills. You will have no shortage of practice or jobs once you prove your worth – everyone needs good second shooters!
3) Put your work out there. When I used to get coffee with “beginners” in the industry, I would ask to see their work online. Most would respond that they don’t feel “legitimate” enough to start a social media presence. NO! Get your work out there. Get feedback and learn from your peers. There is no “kickoff date” when you run your own business, it all just unfolds on its own, so take the plunge and post your work to Facebook, Instagram, etc.
4) Only compare yourself to yourself. Okay, so I would tell anyone this, not just someone starting out. It is so easy to turn green in the face with envy looking through creatives and other photographers’ Instagrams feeds. Why are their lives so perfect? They just got published in The Knot! They’re shooting Lake Como weddings! On top of that, they live in the Pacific Northwest, which is basically cheating. Instead of scrolling through and getting depressed, take a step back and remember that your journey is no one else’s. Pull out an old hard drive and look at your work from a month ago, a year ago, and two years ago. Look at the difference in composition, editing style, artistic vision… I’m willing to bet that there is a significant change. Be proud of that! As Mary Marantz says, “Don’t compare your behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.”
5) Don’t be afraid to reach out to others. If you love a photographer’s work, and have a question about how they got the shot, or their camera, or their editing – ASK! Send them an email, comment on their Instagram… the worst that can happen is that they don’t reply. If you want a better chance of a reply, email, don’t Instagram DM. Timing matters, too – answering non-client emails during busy season is not a priority. It’s better to reach out in Jan / Feb / March, and be SPECIFIC with your question. Asking for general advice on photography or business will not get you an answer. But asking a targeted question like, “Did you find that online education or in-person workshops helped your skills and career more?” – that’s a better question. Join Facebook groups, attend Instagram meetups, and surround yourself with other people who are learning, too!
6) Invest in yourself and your education. If you didn’t go to school for photography, make sure your knowledge reflects that you did. Watch documentaries on the history of photography and the progression of the technology. Study the work of historic photography figures. Know their names, their work, and their legacy. Know how your camera and lenses work inside and out. Learn why there is a “burn” and “dodge” tool in Photoshop (yes, these are real darkroom techniques). Don’t know these things? INVEST in an online course, a Patreon, or a one-on-one mentor or coaching session. You can trade dollars to shave years off of learning curves. So do it! Do not expect people to invest in you if you do not invest in yourself.
My biggest piece of advice is not to rush it. There are no shortcuts. Time, practice, patience, and skill will get you where you want! You may have to build your skills for years before really entering the market on your own as a lead photographer. But that’s ok! Everyone is learning at every level. Keep pushing, keep going, and enjoy the ride 🙂
xoxo Lena
