Is it easy to make money from wedding photography?
I have zero experience with camera so far, but I want to buy a proper camera for youtube and some of them cost a fair bit of dosh. So I had this idea of maybe going around taking pictures of people for the wedding for say a hundred quid.
I've read a few Daily Mail articles about cowboy photographers and reckon I could do at least as well as them if not better?
I've read a few Daily Mail articles about cowboy photographers and reckon I could do at least as well as them if not better?
Do you mean do wedding photography to earn money to buy a camera? If so, that won't work because you need a decent camera and equipment to start out, plus a portfolio to show to potential clients that you are worth hiring. 'Going around' reads like you'll just wander about doing casual snaps; is that the case or proper photographs? Even the first isn't an easy job. The couple will want some decent memories and with no experience do you think you have the confidence for this, could understand settings for the environment and frame a decent shot?
I used to work as a cinematographer at weddings. It's not easy cash.
Yeah, wedding photography is pretty high professional standard, I dunno anyone that would really pay £100 for a random with a camera phone.
Original post by Surnia
Do you mean do wedding photography to earn money to buy a camera? If so, that won't work because you need a decent camera and equipment to start out, plus a portfolio to show to potential clients that you are worth hiring. 'Going around' reads like you'll just wander about doing casual snaps; is that the case or proper photographs? Even the first isn't an easy job. The couple will want some decent memories and with no experience do you think you have the confidence for this, could understand settings for the environment and frame a decent shot?
Well in my other thread I asked about a cheap camera that I could use for youtube, otherwise I might try and save up for something like the Fujifilm XT-3, which I think would be good enough to go around a wedding venue with a gimbal, tripod and extended battery pack?
Obviously I would watch a lot of videos off youtube about photography and have a play around with everything myself, including using it to start my youtube channel. But i don't expect to make any money off youtube, and want to get my money's worth from investing in a camera some how.
As for confidence, I think that would depend on managing expectations before hand. I'm not going to lie and steal portfolio pictures, but surely there must be some cheapskates out there who cannot really complain about paying a rock bottom price? I'm not going around intending to rip people off.
And from reading Daily Mail articles like https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5410109/Furious-couple-sue-wedding-photographer.html
surely anyone could do better than that with 2 weeks youtube training and £1500 in equipment?
Original post by buttermesilly
Well in my other thread I asked about a cheap camera that I could use for youtube, otherwise I might try and save up for something like the Fujifilm XT-3, which I think would be good enough to go around a wedding venue with a gimbal, tripod and extended battery pack?
Obviously I would watch a lot of videos off youtube about photography and have a play around with everything myself, including using it to start my youtube channel. But i don't expect to make any money off youtube, and want to get my money's worth from investing in a camera some how.
As for confidence, I think that would depend on managing expectations before hand. I'm not going to lie and steal portfolio pictures, but surely there must be some cheapskates out there who cannot really complain about paying a rock bottom price? I'm not going around intending to rip people off.
And from reading Daily Mail articles like https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5410109/Furious-couple-sue-wedding-photographer.html
surely anyone could do better than that with 2 weeks youtube training and £1500 in equipment?
Obviously I would watch a lot of videos off youtube about photography and have a play around with everything myself, including using it to start my youtube channel. But i don't expect to make any money off youtube, and want to get my money's worth from investing in a camera some how.
As for confidence, I think that would depend on managing expectations before hand. I'm not going to lie and steal portfolio pictures, but surely there must be some cheapskates out there who cannot really complain about paying a rock bottom price? I'm not going around intending to rip people off.
And from reading Daily Mail articles like https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5410109/Furious-couple-sue-wedding-photographer.html
surely anyone could do better than that with 2 weeks youtube training and £1500 in equipment?
Watching youtube is not the same as having the experience of herding cats - or trying to get people together for photos. You didn't answer the question; are you wanting to do candid shots or proper bride/groom/family photos? The confidence thing is being able to speak up and organise people, you need to be able to work quickly and, as already mentioned, have a portfolio. How are you going to achieve these without practice?
TBH I suspect if a couple were willing to cheap out on a wannabe photographer they'd go the extra cheap step and ask a friend to do it. And even then I doubt a lot would risk it, you see some couples go proper mental when they see the pics have been done badly.
As Surnia said, there's a lot more to the role than the camera. You need to be pretty assertive and unflappable,
As Surnia said, there's a lot more to the role than the camera. You need to be pretty assertive and unflappable,
Original post by buttermesilly
Well in my other thread I asked about a cheap camera that I could use for youtube, otherwise I might try and save up for something like the Fujifilm XT-3, which I think would be good enough to go around a wedding venue with a gimbal, tripod and extended battery pack?
Obviously I would watch a lot of videos off youtube about photography and have a play around with everything myself, including using it to start my youtube channel. But i don't expect to make any money off youtube, and want to get my money's worth from investing in a camera some how.
As for confidence, I think that would depend on managing expectations before hand. I'm not going to lie and steal portfolio pictures, but surely there must be some cheapskates out there who cannot really complain about paying a rock bottom price? I'm not going around intending to rip people off.
And from reading Daily Mail articles like https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5410109/Furious-couple-sue-wedding-photographer.html
surely anyone could do better than that with 2 weeks youtube training and £1500 in equipment?
Obviously I would watch a lot of videos off youtube about photography and have a play around with everything myself, including using it to start my youtube channel. But i don't expect to make any money off youtube, and want to get my money's worth from investing in a camera some how.
As for confidence, I think that would depend on managing expectations before hand. I'm not going to lie and steal portfolio pictures, but surely there must be some cheapskates out there who cannot really complain about paying a rock bottom price? I'm not going around intending to rip people off.
And from reading Daily Mail articles like https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5410109/Furious-couple-sue-wedding-photographer.html
surely anyone could do better than that with 2 weeks youtube training and £1500 in equipment?
As everyone has mentioned, you would need a professional level camera and a couple of lenses for a wedding which would cost more than just 1500 unfortunately. Your portfolio would also need to be wedding specific for most clients so you're better off starting as a second shooter for an established wedding photographer. Most of them however will require your camera to match their camera's brand and so it will need to be a Canon or Sony in most cases. They'll show you which important moments to capture, family groups and compositions and angles to photograph, etc..
As for starting off with cheap clients- believe me, they're the most demanding ones in my experience. You have to also factor in editing time (and software) as well as gallery websites to have the photos viewable to the clients and their family and friends.
Hope this gives you some info about the process!
Original post by C'est me
As for starting off with cheap clients- believe me, they're the most demanding ones in my experience.
As for starting off with cheap clients- believe me, they're the most demanding ones in my experience.
Bingo, someone who's expectations were unrealistically cheap to begin with will likely react in an unreasonable way when they aren't met. And suddenly you've got an angry (likely drinking) emotional group aimed at you...which unless you really know how to handle a crowd could end with the police being called.
OP There's a reason wedding photographers, musicians ect tend to get paid above average, their working environment and people are all high stress and there's generally no room for mistakes.
Original post by C'est me
As everyone has mentioned, you would need a professional level camera and a couple of lenses for a wedding which would cost more than just 1500 unfortunately. Your portfolio would also need to be wedding specific for most clients so you're better off starting as a second shooter for an established wedding photographer. Most of them however will require your camera to match their camera's brand and so it will need to be a Canon or Sony in most cases. They'll show you which important moments to capture, family groups and compositions and angles to photograph, etc..
As for starting off with cheap clients- believe me, they're the most demanding ones in my experience. You have to also factor in editing time (and software) as well as gallery websites to have the photos viewable to the clients and their family and friends.
Hope this gives you some info about the process!
As for starting off with cheap clients- believe me, they're the most demanding ones in my experience. You have to also factor in editing time (and software) as well as gallery websites to have the photos viewable to the clients and their family and friends.
Hope this gives you some info about the process!
Agreed entirely. I really wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of an angry, tearful bride intent on retribution against a rookie photographer who ****ed up her wedding snaps.
Original post by Reality Check
Agreed entirely. I really wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of an angry, tearful bride intent on retribution against a rookie photographer who ****ed up her wedding snaps.
Slight tangent, But I had the misfortune to know a cheapo rookie photographer, but they mostly did clubs/gigs ect. When they did a cheap wedding one of the mum's clocked he was spending an awful lot of time filming 14-15 years olds chests (which is exactly what he did at clubs and gigs) and a couple of folk went to have a word and ended up taking the camera off him. He was told to leave for his own good and went to walk into the nearest pub and his head was smashed through the door window from behind, apparently never got to the bottom of who it was. He'd got the job as a friend-of-a-friend so it got back to everyone.
Original post by StriderHort
Slight tangent, But I had the misfortune to know a cheapo rookie photographer, but they mostly did clubs/gigs ect. When they did a cheap wedding one of the mum's clocked he was spending an awful lot of time filming 14-15 years olds chests (which is exactly what he did at clubs and gigs) and a couple of folk went to have a word and ended up taking the camera off him. He was told to leave for his own good and went to walk into the nearest pub and his head was smashed through the door window from behind, apparently never got to the bottom of who it was. He'd got the job as a friend-of-a-friend so it got back to everyone.
Crikey. Sounds like someone followed him out of the wedding venue to give him his comeuppance. Not a good idea to get a reputation as a bit of a perv/nonce with a camera - hardly a good advertising strategy.
My best advice, stay clear of weddings till you get the right experience. I have been covering events both via photography and video for 3-4 years and I still get chills from the idea of covering a wedding, also I can not afford a second body.
If you have zero experience, avoid!
What if something goes wrong and you ruin their special day.
I'd say practice at other events.
Also, it's very expensive if you have no kit.
I spent £3K on both my 5D Mk4 and glass.
For weddings, you usually need two bodies, preferably both full-frame.
I am planning to get one crop to accompany my 5D Mark IV as I don't want to be carrying big boy lenses when I try and get shots from afar, mind you, also do photojournalism and cover protests so.
If you have zero experience, avoid!
What if something goes wrong and you ruin their special day.
I'd say practice at other events.
Also, it's very expensive if you have no kit.
I spent £3K on both my 5D Mk4 and glass.
For weddings, you usually need two bodies, preferably both full-frame.
I am planning to get one crop to accompany my 5D Mark IV as I don't want to be carrying big boy lenses when I try and get shots from afar, mind you, also do photojournalism and cover protests so.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Reality Check
Crikey. Sounds like someone followed him out of the wedding venue to give him his comeuppance. Not a good idea to get a reputation as a bit of a perv/nonce with a camera - hardly a good advertising strategy.
Yup, one of the guests told me when they started checking the camera before he was chucked out there was a lot of tipsy/confused guys being told to 'calm down' 'leave it' 'don't ruin the day' ect, my guess is they then got to a particular photo, after he'd been told leave and then someone just tore out the door after him.
I've worked in clubs and music a fair bit, and depressingly, most of the rookie men photographers tend to be on the pervy side and it's generally caught up with them one way or another ...I was at a memorial for a gig photographer a few weeks ago, and even then, one of the main if quiet subjects of conversation among a lot of the women was that although they were fond of him, he was a total letch
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