Tips For The Would-Be Bridal Photographer
A wedding is the kind of occasion that people want to display pictures of for years to come. Every bride and groom wants someone who is well trained and who will guarantee quality. You can make a lot of money if you decide to be a wedding photographer. With the money comes the risk which 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. If you don\’t have a disclaimer you could be sued afterwards. For example, you should include that you are not responsible for pictures that might get lost after you send the film away to get developed, or pictures that do not come out clear due to equipment failure. Otherwise you could get sued for breach of contract.
Now with that said you should also include how many pictures are to be taken and how long you will be photographing for and what hourly rate will be. Include how much the cost of development is and the cost of the album. Make sure you discuss with your clients what their requirements are. 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.
Your clients will probably request certain photographs so make sure you make a list. Here are a few common ones, pre-ceremony, wedding ceremony, post-ceremony and reception. Who will be in certain photographs should be discussed with the client as well. Not every client will be the same so pay attention to what they are saying.
When you schedule your clients in make sure they pay you a deposit. 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! It would look very unprofessional if you did.
If you are developing your client\’s pictures yourself, Photoshop is an excellent photo editing program. You can enhance the photos with all sorts of techniques such as flaw removal, montage, changing the color to black and which or sepia, as well as other unique features.
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.
At the end of the day doing bridal photography can be a lot of fun and you can make good money at it. You may have to take your people skills to the next level but the financial returns will be worth it.
Find out more about Wedding Photography Singapore and Bridal Photography.