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. If you choose to be a wedding photographer you can make a lot of money by doing so. 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. 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.
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. Your client’s requirements are important so make sure you talk it over with them. There could be a particular family member that they want photographed separately, or a certain group of people they do not get to see very often.
Make a list of all the pictures that your client’s requested. Generally your clients will want pictures of the pre-ceremony, wedding ceremony, post-ceremony and of course the reception. Discuss with the clients about which shots they want and who’s going to be in the pictures. 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. Fifty percent is reasonable to ask for an up front booking fee. This will make sure you are covered in the event of a cancellation. 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. 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 bridal photography can be lucrative and fun as long as you build on your people skills.
Find out more about Wedding Photography Singapore and Bridal Photography. Also published at Tips On How To Become A Bridal Photographer.
