If you’re trying to get into the world of wedding photography, you’ll soon learn that there’s more to it than showing up at the ceremony with a camera in hand. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes to get those amazing photos and happy clients. In this full-length seminar, Brian Marcus of Fred Marcus Studio in New York shares his tips for running a successful wedding photography business:
Photographers like Brian Marcus make wedding photography look easy, but nothing is as easy as it seems. There will always be ups and downs, mistakes and successes in building a business. The Fred Marcus Studio has been in business for three generations, and they’ve learned from each failure along the way. According to Marcus, these are some of the fundamentals behind successful wedding photography:
Share stories about satisfied past clients and emphasize how hard you work for each customer. Customers want to know what benefits they will get from your business.
Show albums and other product samples that the couple can relate to. If they’re planning a beach wedding, show them a similar wedding. If the bride has brown hair, show photos of brides with brown hair. Your clients want to see themselves in your work.
Show your interest and get specifics. Ask questions about the wedding and schedule to get to know exactly what the couple needs from you.
On first contact, ask how they heard about you. This helps you learn where your clients are coming from and if they’ve been referred by a previous client.
Make an appointment for an initial meeting with the bride and groom. At this meeting, you’ll get to know more about the couple and their wedding plans, and the couple will get a chance to become comfortable with the photographer.
Gaining your clients’ trust is more important than the photos you show them. They want to know you will make sure they have beautiful photographs.
Learn simple guiding and posing for portraits. The average person doesn’t know what to do in front of the camera. It’s up to you to make them look good.
Practice. Hire a model or do a shoot for a friend for free and give them the images. Pretend it’s a bride and become comfortable with setting up shots and interacting with a client.
Have a plan and a shot list for the wedding. The shot list should include any special shots the clients want.
Use your time wisely. While you wait for everyone to get comfortable during the pre-wedding happenings, start photographing the details. Ask for shoes, rings, and other symbolic objects.
Wear clothing that reflects your level of service. Your business cards, camera bag, and other gear should also fit with your branding.
Stay organized. Back up all photos, make clients’ files easy to find, and have all paperwork in order.
Use quality accessories. For memory cards, Marcus recommends Lexar XQD cards. You need the best performance out of your gear to ensure photos do not get lost and your equipment does not fail during the wedding.
Spend money on a quality camera and lenses. Marcus suggests the following gear starter kit: a Nikon D4, a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, a 50mm f/1.8 lens, and a 17-35mm f/2.8 lens.
Have lighting equipment available for low-light situations. Marcus uses a Lowel GL-1 Power LED light.
Cater to your clients. Work with their schedules. For example, let them meet you when it’s most convenient for them. This might mean you will have to work in the evening when they’re not at work.
Keep in contact with clients. If you treat them well and keep in touch, they will come back with births, bar mitzvahs, and other life events that they want photographed.
Brian Marcus is confident and professional, and his clients see the quality that his studio offers. Follow his advice to keep your wedding photography business running smoothly.
Like your article very informative .I would like to know where a new photographer can get help with equipment
How can you get rid of love handles? According to our medical director and board certified plastic surgeon Stephanie Stover, MD, there’s quite a few options available. Whether you’re interested in liposuction or CoolSculpting, she has answers you’ve been looking for. To hear Dr. Stephanie Stover’s thoughts, check out her article in Think South Florida. […]
Ever wanted to get rid of those annoying crow’s feet and frown lines? Do you know which method to choose? Look no further. We know there are a lot of questions that come with today’s injectables and fillers. Our own medical director and board certified plastic surgeon Stephanie Stover, MD’s article in Think South Florida […]
Dr. Alberto Pierini: the prestigious name heard all around South Florida.. and South America. With two successful plastic surgery practices, one in Broward County’s Tamarac and the other here in Miami, he has no plans to slow down. One may think his journey was an easy one. One could not be more wrong. We’re proud […]
Do you know why you should use essential oils, holistic medicine and meditation before surgery? Every new year brings new ideas for self-improvement, whether it’s to shed an extra few pounds or finally doing that mommy makeover you’ve been waiting for. But did you know that holistic therapies can minimize the pre-surgery process and assist […]
One of the things we specialize in here at Pierini Esthetic Surgery and Pierini: A Solution For Beauty is the rhinoplasty… otherwise known as the nose job. A staple here in Miami, we’re known for giving our patients picture perfect results. But we know that, like you, most of our patients have a lot of […]
Your sister’s done it. Your mother’s tried it. You boss may be doing it on her lunch break. Yes, we’re talking about fighting your wrinkles with BOTOX Cosmetic. So if you’re still thinking about trying BOTOX Cosmetic and haven’t yet, we’re here to give you the basics about what to expect, and why you should trust […]
We’ve passed the holiday season, and let’s be honest: you MAY have overindulged. Your pants don’t fit like they did last summer, and you can no longer zip up your favorite pair of jeans. Once upon a time, choices to lose your love handles were limited. You could diet and workout and hope that that […]
We’re all thinking one of two things when we see our favorite beauty blogger’s Instagram post or Snapchat story: There’s no way she really #wokeuplikethis If she’s NOT lying, there really ARE no filters and she’s NOT wearing any makeup… I want what she’s having. Recently, our board certified plastic surgeon and medical director, […]
You’ve seen it over and over again: the botched nose job. Whether it’s on the ACTUAL show Botched with fellow board certified plastic surgeons Terry Dubrow and Paul Nassif, or walking down the streets here in South Florida, we know what you’re looking at. We find two categories of patients in our office: those who […]
Let’s be honest: the only place a turkey neck is sexy is when you’re a meat lover on Thanksgiving… and that turkey is on your plate. With all of the buzz about Kybella, we’re proud that our team offers a way for our patients to trim down their neck fat. You can see our article, […]
Reducing Variability in the Management of Children and Young People Admitted to Hospital with Mental Health Problems
We are initially focusing on two centres which are both covered by the same OOH CAMHS team. ED, Paediatrics and CAMHS departments are all involved.
Measures will mostly be qualitative, assessing the change in attitudes and experiences in professionals involved in these patients’ care. We will also look at documentation in notes and handover practices between teams.
Following meetings with Paeds, CAMHS & ED staff in both hospitals, a questionnaire was developed & distributed to assess the principal concerns of those managing these patients. 60+ have been returned. Issues highlighted include the care of patients with acute behavioural disturbance, poor communication between teams & lack of community support.
Free multidisciplinary study days on Acute Behavioural Disturbance are being organised for both hospitals, to take place in the spring and summer. We are also organising team debriefs on challenging patients, to include all three specialties. Additionally, a buddy system to pair Paediatrics trainees in core Community placements with local CAMHS trainees is being developed and will be piloted in three areas from March.