How to Become a Wedding Videographer Photograher



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Wedding Photographer
Wedding Photography
Wedding Videographer
Wedding Videography

Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Wedding Photographer
Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Wedding Videographer
Starting a Wedding Photography and Videography Business

I’m not that artistic, I don’t know anything about shooting artistic pictures or videos.

This is what all artists say. None of us truly believes that we are an artist. Even the very best artists in the world are usually humble regarding their talents. Do not sell yourself short. If you love what you do, it is actually quite easy to excel at it. In addition, there is actually another secret to this career that is not often spoken about. You actually do not have to have much talent these days to run a successful wedding photography business.

There, we have said it; spilled the beans. Yes it is true that with today's technology, being an artistic talent at photographing your subject is only half the battle, if even that. The plain truth is that a mediocre photo or video can be placed into the right hands and then photo shopped or edited into a stunning masterpiece. You will of course have to know your way around the computer to accomplish this, but chances are you already do. We are not saying that just anyone can be a success in this industry, but if you have the passion for people and the beauty of weddings, you at least fill one of the most important requirements.

I’m not a professional photographer, nor a professional videographer. Can I?

We were truly amazed at the number of professionals we spoke to who were self starters, self learners and had very little experience professionally, other than practicing on their own. The word “professional” is a tricky word, in that it can have a lot of different meanings. The most agreed upon definition for the term professional, in the artistic sense, is a person who gets paid for their talents. There is nothing in here that says they have had any certain amount of schooling or practice, they simply are being paid for their time and efforts.

With this said, a person could almost instantly become a professional the moment they step into a field and begin to be paid for it. There are many artists in the world, unfortunately, who call themselves professionals, yet lack good people skills, client satisfaction, and do not seek to give their very best with every job. This is the sad truth. In addition to this, there are amateur photographers who work hard at their art, yet do not feel like a professional and subsequently do not ask to be paid much for their services rendered.

This is a very common misconception that could cost you the happiness of this career. If you are dedicated to this art, have the integrity to satisfy your client fully with every project. You are just as much a professional as anyone else. People believe and eventually become who it is they see themselves as. With this in mind, it would be beneficial to go into this field thinking you are a professional, because somewhere between the reading of this book and your first paid job, you will actually become one.

I don’t have any professional equipment and they look pricey.

It is true that good photography and videography equipment today is not as inexpensive as we would all hope it was. But then again, nothing worth it ever comes cheap, at least the things that are truly worth it. In Section Two we will go over some of the necessary equipment for this industry and discuss some options you have to finding the equipment at a good price. There is one thing that we will caution you and it comes from the advice of a few professionals. You do not ever want to purchase an inferior product in this business, simply because it is the least price you can find. You would be better off buying used excellent quality equipment, than purchasing a new cheap one.

There is a standard in this industry you will be expected to follow and it involves a better quality product than what is found in the consumer market. Your average mini DVD or 4 mega pixel digital camera you use to shoot your own birthdays and vacations will probably never do.

You are offering a service that is supposed to go above and beyond what a typical family member could do in their spare time and you are going to need the proper quality equipment to allow the rest of your creative talent to shine. There is a saying that you can't polish a dirt ball and this is true in the wedding photography and videography industry. You can do some amazing things with computer software, but if you do not have a clean initial video or photograph from which to work with, you have already handicapped yourself tremendously.

A noisy photo or video (noisy referring to the grainy texture that appears with lower quality equipment) cannot be edited to satisfaction without taking all the element of reality out of it and practically starting from scratch with a colored paintbrush and reworking the entire product. This will not only take a long time, but most clients will not be happy with an overly edited piece that looks like it should be on the wall along with a Picasso painting. So, don't fret about the price of the equipment, there are always a way around this. But by the same token, don't purchase too cheap because you will end up paying for it in the end with more money than if you'd just bought high quality in the first place,

I don’t know that many people who are getting married.

Not many of us do once we pass a certain point in our lives. People are waiting to get married longer these days, but there is still a point where our single friends become satisfied with their position and the wedding bells cease to ring much in our circle of friends anymore. This has not stopped any of the professionals that we spoke to during the writing of this book, and it should not hinder you. This is where your initial advertising and involvement with various associations, networking groups and trade shows can really come in handy. It will not take too many initial weddings to begin a chain reaction of word of mouth that will skyrocket your business.

Many photographers and videographers got their start from two or three initial weddings that they were fortunate to come by. If you do a good job and those clients go away happy, then you can expect at least two or three good referrals from them and so on and so forth, until you have more work than you are able to handle as a single entity. Of course this will involve getting at least two or three clients to begin with, and if you do not know any friends, then you are going to have to advertise your service through various means that we will be discussing in Section Three.

According to the National Association of Wedding Ministers, there are approximately 2.5 million weddings per year in the United States. June is the most popular month for these weddings to take place, followed by August, September, and then October. The average couple spends on average about $20,000 for the typical wedding, which gives us the figure well over $70 Billion a year being made by the industry all together.

Photographers and videographers are estimated to make around $2,600 of the $20,000. Photography and videography is generally the fourth biggest cost to most weddings, with the reception, engagement ring and honeymoon being among the top three. The Bridal Association of America is estimating the average wedding will climb to $30,000 by the year 2009, which will then boost the price of photography/videography to the same percentage.

Surprisingly, the couples are usually making just over $55,000 a year, which leads to the belief that someone else (the parents) is usually paying for these engagements and would obviously become a large part of the decision making.

The average age of the male groom is 28, while the female bride is 26. Another very important statistic is that of all the weddings taking place, 50% of them are being organized by a wedding consultant. Of particular importance with this statistic, is that the consultants opinions of whose services to use, is often followed in cases where the bride and groom do not have a designated service picked out.

Advertising always comes up in the initial start of a wedding business and according to the Bridal Association, Family and friend referrals are the most important source a bride will use to make her decision on service providers. The Internet has become the next most important resource, followed by Bridal Magazines, Bridal fairs, and then finally private consultants/planners.

How much you can earn as a wedding videographer or photographer?

A conservative estimate would be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 assuming you've just started part-time with limited contacts and clienteles.
Successful professionals can expect to earn anywhere from $50,000 to a high six-figure earning.

About the Authors

Jennie S. Bev is THE fashion, image and fun careers expert, whose reputation has been acknowledged by prestigious media internationally. She has been profiled and mentioned in Entrepreneur, Teen People, Canadian Business, Home Business, Dong (France), San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent, Daily Southtown, The Arizona Republic, Chic (UK/Asia), Fit (Asia), Femina (Asia) and Dewi (Asia).

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev was named an EPPIE Award finalist in Non-Fiction How To category for excellence in electronic publishing. She has published over 70 books and 1,000 articles in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Southeast Asia. She is also a college professor based in San Francisco Bay Area.

Co-author Eric J. Leech was born into this world without a GI Joe (with a Kung Fu grip) or silver spoon, Eric J. Leech grew up on the streets of the small town of Grand Junction, Colorado. After high school, Eric found his way to Colorado State University where he attained four degrees in Psychology, Social Sciences, English and Theater Arts.

Eric has since put every degree to good use with a variety of career accomplishments. These accomplishments include seven years as an actor/model and Production Assistant for various television and film projects. He also maintained a successful business as the co-owner of an outdoor living structure design company for several years before pursuing his full-time career as a freelance columnist/writer.

Since that decision Eric has been featured on such international magazines as the Circle (India), Urban Male Magazine (Canada), UNO (Philippines) and Coffee House Digest (International).

This 88-page instantly downloadable StyleCareer.com eGuide Breaking Into and Succeeding as A Wedding Videographer or Photographer brings you valuable insider tips, advice and suggestions not available elsewhere to help you embark on this highly lucrative career path.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Myths, Realities, and Basics
I’m not that artistic, I don’t know anything about shooting artistic pictures or videos.
I’m not a professional photographer, nor a professional videographer. Can I?
I don’t have any professional equipment and they look pricey.
I don’t know that many people who are getting married.
I don’t know how to start a new business. I have never started one.
If I don’t want to run my own business, can I hire a manager or an agent?
If I need to hire assistants, I’m not sure how to pay them with my limited start-up capital.

Getting Started
Statistics
Wedding Industry in General
Wedding Photography Industry
Wedding Videography Industry
Destination Weddings
A Day in the Life
Wedding Photographer
Wedding Videographer
Basic Techniques
Ways to Deal with Clients
Developing Harmony and Balance with Your Business
Principle Shots and Rules
Equipments to Familiarize with
Minimum Camera Needed for Wedding Photography
Minimum Video Camera for Wedding Videography
Online Classes, Workshops, Reference Books and Websites as Learning Resources
Online Self Paced Courses
Workshops for Videographers
Workshops for Photographers
Reference Books
Online Resources
Learning the Best

Starting A Business in Wedding Photography or Videography
Should You Choose Photography, Videography or Both?
Personality Traits
Earning Potentials
Wedding Photography (indoor and outdoor, studio based, packages)
Wedding Video (packages/pricing)
Basic Skills
Basics of Photography
Basics of Videography
Starting A Studio
Hiring Help
Marketing

If Working with A Talent Agent
Understanding How Talent Agency Works
Pros and Cons of Working with a Talent Agent
Pros
Cons
How to Spot A Reputable Agent (Caveat Emptor)
How to Find A Reputable Agent
When to Fire Your Agent

Being Successful
Organizations and Trade Associations to Join
Photographers
Videographers
Forums to Join
Trade Shows to Attend
Photographers
Videographers

Success Profiles

This eGuide literally saves you hundreds of dollars spent on professional workshops and training and hundreds of hours of research. It will help you break into the career of your dream faster without having to repeat the same mistakes that most newcomers do.

You can have this exclusive eGuide right away by instant download for only $33.95, which you will earn many times over with your first paid job. This special low discount price is reserved for today, Tuesday, May 13, 2008 only. (Regular price: $43.95)

Breaking Into and Succeeding
as A Wedding Videographer and Photographer
88 Pages
Regular Price: $43.95
Sale Price: $33.95

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