A wedding is the kind of occasion that people want to display pictures of for years to come. Your clients will be looking for a quality track record because it is such a special moment they want capturing. You can make a lot of money if you decide to be a wedding photographer. As well as the money though there is the risk that you must manage well.
If this is going to be your first wedding shoot you will want to make sure your contract is written up properly and a disclaimer included in it. A disclaimer is something that can prevent you from being sued later on. There are a few reason you should not be held accountable for and they are failure of equipment, miss placed pictures after they were sent away, and photos that do not develop properly. Otherwise you could get sued for breach of contract.
The hourly rate and how many pictures are to be taken should also be included in the contract. Something else you should include would be the fees for developing and the fee of the album. Your client’s requirements are important so make sure you talk it over with them. They might want a certain person or family they would like pictures of since they don’t get to see them often, so that should be discussed as well if it is an issue.
Make a list of all the pictures that your client’s requested. Here are a few common ones, pre-ceremony, wedding ceremony, post-ceremony and reception. Discuss with the clients about which shots they want and who’s going to be in the pictures. Pay attention to what your clients are saying because each one will be different.
A deposit should be made after you book your clients in. Most people will pay you 50% prior to the wedding and the remaining afterwards. You should set a date when the remaining amount will be paid because you do not want to be bothering the bride and groom during the reception for payment! They would think you were unprofessional and wish they had hired someone else.
Photoshop is a good program to use if you are going to be processing the pictures yourself. Flaw removal, montage, and changing the color are a few of the enhancements you can use with Photoshop.
Look for ways to add extra value that you have not told them about. This will always generate good feelings. A special surprise will keep everyone talking and generating more business for you in the future. Think different. Imagine for example if you uploaded all their pictures onto a password protected part of your website so that they and their friends can login and view.
In the end doing wedding photography can be lucrative and fun as long as you build on your people skills.
Tags: Weddings