How to become a professional wedding photographer?
To become a wedding photographer is to embark on a new adventure! A captivating, incredible, human adventure where you learn constantly.
Moreover, no diploma is required for this profession. Yes, above all, being a photographer is an artistic job, a job of passion where we let our freedom and our creativity express themselves.
So, if you have been interested in wedding photography for a while, go for it!
Today, it is certainly very easy to set up a wedding photographer business. But be careful, passion should be your first motivation!
Indeed, there are many actors on the market… So to see the first results, you will have to be a little patient. And above all, I almost forgot, be ready to face many responsibilities!
To read also
- Créer votre site de photographe professionnel, quel éditeur choisir ?
- SEO pour photographe : 10 conseils pour Optimiser son référencement naturel
- Comment devenir photographe de mariage professionnel ?
- LES 7 ÉTAPES INDISPENSABLES POUR PHOTOGRAPHIER SON PREMIER MARIAGE
The qualities required for a wedding photographer
In reality, a wedding photographer spends 1/4 of his time taking pictures and retouching them.
The rest of the time, he manages the commercial, marketing and financial aspects of his business.
From my experience in wedding photography, I can say that a photographer must be versatile and flexible.
Moreover, this one must have :
1. Business sense
As a self-employed or company manager, the wedding photographer must manage his business by being extremely meticulous on every detail. He must also know how to make decisions, and adapt to each context.
2. Good marketing knowledge
The basis of a business is marketing. To be able to practice your profession as a photographer, you need to find an audience, clients.
Fortunately for you and me, we live in good times! There are now many tools to develop your business, target your customers, promote your activity (social networks, SEO, Google Adwords…)
Don’t worry, marketing knowledge is acquired over time!
3. Comercial skills
To attract clients, you must also know how to sell your work, and how to sell yourself in the process. Indeed, the bride and groom attach a lot of importance to your personality and the feeling during the first meeting.
A wedding photographer must be a good listener, show professionalism while remaining friendly… A good salesman!
4. Most importantly, good human skills
Above all, being a photographer means spending most of your time not for yourself, but for others! Therefore, it is essential to like human relations, to be open and enthusiastic.
The 6 essential tips to become a wedding photographer
Before I started wedding photography, I was in the computing business. Passionate about photography, I had never covered weddings. Then one day, a couple called me. Their photographer had left them… It was my first experience. But also my trigger !
Today, after 5 years devoted entirely to photography, I am still as passionate about my job.
I am often asked how to become a photographer. In fact, I could give you 6 tips that are essential in my opinion.
Build your Portfolio
The portfolio is your showcase. It is the one that represents your personality, your universe and your style.
At the beginning of your business, it must be your priority. It’s what your future and potential customers will look at first!
So, take the time to establish it.
It is obvious that at the beginning, you will not have enough content. As they say, everything has to start somewhere!
In this case, you can initially offer free services or collaborations. It will be entirely beneficial for you and your image. And in addition, you will have the first pictures of your portfolio!
Also, don’t hesitate to share your wish to become a wedding photographer with your entourage. It is through word of mouth that you will find your first clients.
This is what allowed me to do my first weddings!
Get inspired constantly
The first time I was called to cover a wedding, my first instinct was to see the work of other photographers. Since then, it’s been an automatism. The work of my fellow photographers is always a real source of inspiration.
In addition, today, social networks have become a real gold mine for inspiration. Pinterest or Instagram are full of pictures, so to find your happiness, it is really the place to look! This is an important point that I underlined in the article “the 7 essential steps to photograph your first wedding”.
Looking at other photographers is also to see the technique of each one, the material used, the style of retouching… It is a good way to learn. Besides, it must be a continuous work, even for the most experienced photographers.
Create your professional website
The website is your showcase. A showcase that must reflect your universe, style and identity.
By the way, if you still don’t know how to create your website, it’s a good thing! A few weeks ago, I gave you some tips on how to create your website.
Of course, to make your website your best asset to attract new customers, several rules must be respected (SEO techniques, mobile version, design…)
Develop your personal branding
Personal branding is the most effective way to stand out in the increasingly competitive wedding photography industry.
Having a brand image specific to your universe is in fact affirming your style, your personality and your passion for photography.
So, it is important to take the time to determine this image. How do you want to be perceived? What is the message we want to convey?
Moreover, today, social networks are a precious help to create and maintain this image. They are very good ways to communicate quickly and simply, but also to reach a large audience.
Refine your style over time
From the beginning of your activity, you must ask yourself the question of the style you want to apply to your shots.
As you know, there are many styles all more attractive than the others: Bohemian, Vintage, Fine Art…
However, at first, I strongly advise you to choose one: you will be able to propose a quality portfolio without spreading yourself too thin.
With time, experience but also the choice of inspirations, your own style will emerge. This will be noted in the contrasts chosen, the light applied, the vintage or pure side…
Get trained!
Today, every passionate and motivated person can freely start in wedding photography. It is no longer necessary to go to a particular school or to obtain a specific diploma.
In addition, the big advantage of the digital age in which we live is that a multitude of courses are available for free on the Internet, and especially in all formats (videos, blogs, articles, podcasts …)
However, it is always good to learn from a professional. He can guide you according to his own experience and to your problem.
For my part, I offer different forms of personalized coaching. So, if you are interested, I invite you to consult the coaching section of my website.
I hope these 6 tips will have persuaded some of you that becoming a wedding photographer is not impossible. In fact, the recipe is quite simple: a lot of passion and a lot of motivation. And… of course, diligence!