There have been many part-time jobs that have sprung up due to the bad economy and recession we are in. It can also be difficult to find that perfect part-time job that is tailored just for you. To be successful, you really need to find that special job that grabs and keeps your interest. You should also enjoy working in the your field of choice as well. Finding a job that you have a passion for can also greatly increase your chances of success. For many, becoming a professional wedding photographer is the answer.
Join the Excitement
If you enjoy taking pictures at home and with your family, then you should have no trouble breaking into the exciting world of becoming a professional photographer. Photographers are hired in many lines of work, but few are as fun, or as rewarding as a wedding photographer. First of all, you will enjoy the feeling of knowing that you are a part of the couple’s most important day they will probably ever have. Second, you will be in and will be a part of a lot of action and excitement that will always be exciting. Instead of setting at home watching TV on a Saturday, you’ll be documenting memories to be captured that will be passed down for generations to come.
What you will need
The first thing you will need to do is to keep your weekends open for booking future weddings. Second, you will need to have a high-end digital camera that you know how to use. Nikon and Canon have always been to two big guys on the block when it comes to professional camera hardware. You will always have an assortment of choices in lenses and additional equipment with these two popular brands. You will also need several good software programs to do your editing and image correcting. You may need to correct the lighting, focus, rotation, and other aspects of an image before it is released to the client. Some software programs will do many of these things for you to help reduce your editing time. You will also need a good scheduler or calendar to help you keep track of all of your booked weddings. One must be a paper calendar in case of a hard drive failure.
How to Get Ahead
There is a tremendous amount of competition in this field. You can even the playing field by doing a few things that will help bring in business. First, dress professionally and stop by all the churches and reception halls in your area or city. You should introduce yourself and also hand them some professional flyers and material that show cases your work and lists your packages and pricing. You should also have business cards printed up as well so the clergy and banquet personnel can give your material out to future brides. You should also create or pay someone to create a professional web site to help drive business to you. You may also want to pay a few bucks and rent a booth at a bridal fair to help become known in your area. Also check out the local bridal magazines and inquire what the cost would be to place a modest ad in bridal publications. Finally, list your photography company in as many Internet directories as possible. You should also try to develop as many quality back links as possible that point to your site to help with your Google placement position of your web site.
What to Expect
One nice thing to realize is that being a wedding photographer pays very well for the time and skill that is required for the job. Most wedding photographers can expect to make anywhere from one thousand to several thousand dollars per wedding. One little secret you may want to know is that releasing the copyrights to the bride will pay off nicely in the form of additional future customers. This is a huge selling point when you make first contact with a customer and will win many bookings if you are willing to transfer ownership of your work to the client. This will make brides very happy and happy brides love to talk. You will probably louse some picture re-orders from releasing the copyrights, but getting your business to grow is your first order of business.
Final Thought
Keep in mind that you won’t become a sensation over night, but with time and consistent hard work, you will gradually start to rise and will have more booking request than what you can handle. When that happens you will need to expand so you can get ready to begin hiring additional crews that will work for you. The sky is the limit so get ready for the time of your life in this wonderful, fun and exciting job of becoming a professional wedding photographer.
Donald Tilford is webmaster and editor of http://brightlove.org/2.html. This is a public service web site dedicated to helping people find surveys, emergency cash, jobs, free housing, free cell phones, free education, free food, and free autos.