My First 3 Years As a Wedding Photographer - Lessons Learned

Wow, it's been a roller coaster ride for me in the last 3 years. As well as holding down a full time job as a marketing manager I've also been building up my wedding and portrait photography business. Whilst it's been very challenging juggling the two elements in my life, it's also been richly rewarding, and I've learned some very valuable lessons. So what advice would I offer other like-minded photographers looking to build a career in social photography? Here are some of my top tips:

1. Plan your week ahead - When you are juggling both a job and a business it's absolutely critical that you manage your time effectively. A great tip is to spend an hour every Sunday afternoon planning your week ahead. Also, plan in time for your different 'roles', such as 'Photographer', 'Day Job', 'Father' and 'Husband'. It's vital to keep some balance in your life, so plan in some down time and recreation.

2. Look at other photographers' work, but keep true to your style- Whilst it's great to look at other photographers' work and style to get inspiration, you shouldn't overdo this. It's important to develop your own unique style and trust your own artistic instincts. At the end of the day it's your own unique vision and style that you must sell, and this is what becomes your brand identity. Rest assured that you are probably much better than you think you are!

3. Write a business and marketing plan- If you don't set yourself objectives for each year, and write out a plan of how you will achieve them, there's a high probability you won't achieve them. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it's a fact! We write a business plan every January for the year ahead, set out all of our objectives and then work on a marketing action plan for how we are going to achieve them. Write a plan, but more importantly, work the plan!

4. Keep networking- Keep building links with other wedding suppliers, such as other photographers, make up artists, venues and dress makers. It's a great way to raise the profile of your company and also generate leads. If possible join a local business networking group.

5. Maintain a positive mental attitude- This is less tangible but incredibly important. It's tough getting a business off the ground in the current economic climate, and you're going to face knock-backs and challenges along the way. You must keep your objectives in mind through it all, and remain positive. You have to build up some mental resilience. In addition I would say that you should try to adopt the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which basically means that you seek to continuously improve every aspect of your business and photography.

Good luck! Keep positive and above all persist, and I'm sure you'll make it as a professional photographer.

Matt Foden Photography are Wedding Photographers in Surrey. You can check out their site here:

http://www.mattfoden.co.uk/

View the original article here

Photography Lessons

The traditional way to get photography lessons is to attend a photography school or program outside of the home. Nowadays there are Online and distance education options available as well. However, for the amateur photographer who just wants some help improving their skills, and doesn't desire to enroll in a school, there are some great free options available.

Nowadays, the focus is definitely on digital photography. However, there are still classes being taught in more traditional photography. Despite the fact that film is obsolete, the rules of exposure and composition are exactly the same in digital photography. So, many photography professionals still recommend that students get a basic knowledge of film photography, in addition to their digital training.

Today's cameras have such advanced automatic functions, that the majority of amateur photographers don't feel the need to take any photography lessons, and learn more advanced techniques. However, having a mastery of light, exposure, depth of field, and composition can take your photography from the realm of the "snap-shot" to the polished look of a professionally taken photograph.

There are people who choose to pay a professional instructor for one on one lessons in photography. This can be a real boon since all of the attention that would be spread thin over an entire classroom, is then focused in on you the individual. Also, some people are shy about having their photos shown in front of a classroom, and would rather be evaluated more privately. Also, this is a great option for those who don't care to earn a degree, but simply want to learn the needed skills.

It is possible to get some great photography instruction at absolutely no cost. There are many websites offering free lessons in photography, which are often of very high quality. In fact, for the very independent person who doesn't care about earning and degree or certification in photography, free lessons can be a wonderful option. Free instruction can also be helpful to the photographer that is already accomplished, as nobody can know everything, and being able to quickly look up the answer to a photography related question is very convenient.

The true drawback to free lessons is the lack of support from an instructor. Getting your photos critiqued by a real person can be invaluable. Often friends and family will just tell you that your work is nice no matter what they really think, or they don't have a sufficiently trained eye to offer real help in improving your photos. Still, free photography lessons can dramatically improve your photos if you really make the effort to learn from them.

View the original article here