How To Become A Wedding Photographer In 10 Easy Steps – Photographers Hate This

July 8, 2014 by JP Danko 44 Comments

Starting a career as a wedding photographer is EASY – all you have to do is follow these 10 EASY STEPS TO BECOME A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER!

If you have ever wanted to start a fun, glamorous and profitable ($$$$!!!) career as a wedding photographer, I will share the secret to success that professional wedding photographers don’t want you to know.

The best part is that you don’t even need to know how to use a camera – or even have a camera to get started!

And you can learn it all FOR FREE – just read the rest of this article (and then be sure to buy our eBook*)!!!

The Wedding Industry Is Big Money!

Every year, brides with more money than brains spend tens of thousands of dollars on their weddings.

In 2013, brides spent an average of $30,000 on a wedding. Out of that, on average $2,500 was spent on the photographer and another $1,700 on a videographer!

All you need to do to grab your piece of that pie is to find out how to become a wedding photographer in 10 easy steps.

Now, we’re not allowed to promise you a BIG CASH INCOME, if you follow these 10 easy steps to become a wedding photographer…but just between you and me – if you follow these 10 easy steps to become a wedding photographer, WE CAN PROMISE YOU A BIG CASH INCOME FROM YOUR NEW WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS!!!!$$$**

How To Become A Wedding Photographer In 10 Easy Steps

Step 1: Hire a cheap wedding photographer for your own wedding.

If you hire a cheap wedding photographer for your own wedding, you will get thousands of mediocre photos – and probably the full resolution copies as well. This will give you the confidence to realize – hey, if he/she can do that, so can I.

You will also get a sneak peak into how easy it is to photograph a wedding from start to finish.

If you are already married, you can modify this step by getting divorced and starting over, or by hiring a cheap family photographer to take some family portraits.

You can find cheap wedding photographers and cheap family photographers for a dime a dozen on Craigslist. Or even better, find a Goupon deal like this!

Step 2: Get good camera.

Everybody knows that the better camera you have, the better your wedding photos will be.

I started my wedding photography career with a Sony DSC-F717 Cybershot and a ton of people actually paid me to photograph their weddings with that bad boy!

Of course, you can just use a cell phone for wedding photography, which makes adding some cool filters and uploading wedding photos to Instagram a lot easier – but for some reason clients tend to want to hire a wedding photographer that has a fancy looking camera.

So you can think of a good camera as both advertising and a camera. If you really want to maximize the advertising potential of your camera, put a big flash and a really big lens hood on it as well. The more stuff you have attached to your camera, the more weddings you will book.

Of course you don’t want to spend more on a camera than you did on your cell phone, so a Canon EOS T3 or a Nikon D3200 are excellent cameras for professional wedding photographers – and you can get either of them for less than $500 – and they even come with a lens.

Step 3: Go to weddings of friends and family and poach wedding photos from the real photographer.

If you don’t have any friends or family members that are getting married any time soon, you can just go to a church on any Saturday afternoon and chances are there will be a wedding. From there you can follow the bridal party when they go for wedding photos and if you are sneaky enough, you can crash the reception too.

What you want to do is stand right behind the actual wedding photographer and take every photo that they take. That way, you can get great wedding photos for your portfolio without having to do any actual work. Don’t worry if the wedding photographer is using fancy lights or other fancy looking gear – if you have a good camera you can take good wedding photos – just use “P” mode.

Just watch out because most established wedding photographers are real assholes and they don’t want anyone new to take the same photos as them. Just remind them that its a free country and you can take a photo of anything you want.

Of course, a great alternative to Step 3 is to just buy some wedding stock photos and pass them off as your own – how easy is that!?

Step 4: Start a wedding photography website and advertise.

Once you have a bit of a portfolio, its time to start a website and advertise – you’ll be booking weddings in no time!

Choosing the perfect name for a wedding photography business can be tricky. Just remember that brides love names that say something about your approach to wedding photography – so be sure to use something with the phrase “Capture the Moment”, “Timeless”, “From the Heart”, “Artistic” or “Treasured”. And don’t forget to add your first and last name too.

Our you can just combine them all into something really impressive like:

Treasured Moments Wedding Photography From the Heart by JP Danko – Artistic, Timeless and Treasured Always

And don’t forget that it also really helps to have some very emotional wedding style music on your website too – Marry You by Bruno Mars or pretty much anything by Train are unique choices that will work great.

Step 5: Set your rates really low and find a few people who will actually pay you money to photograph their wedding with your “good camera”.

At this point, knowing how to use your “good camera” means knowing how to use program auto (“P” = “Professional” as opposed to full auto “A'” which is for “Amateurs”) and showing up with charged batteries.

You might also want to also advertise yourself as a “natural light photographer”.

People love natural light photographers because they take natural photos with organic light and its almost impossible to take a bad photo in natural light.

Of course, this might pose a small problem inside some churches and at the reception. But fortunately, most churches have beautiful natural light everywhere and if your ceremony photos don’t turn out, you can just explain that since you are a natural light photographer, the bride and groom should have chosen a church with better natural light. Oh and nothing very important ever happens at the reception, so just forget about those shots anyway.

Step 6: Gradually increase your talent level while gradually increasing your rates.

Somewhere along the line you might start to notice that your photos start getting better and better. Maybe you will discover how to artistically tilt your camera. Or maybe you will invest in some awesome new Lightroom presets – but whatever the case, as your photos get better, you can start charging more money for them.

Step 7: Realize that your “good camera” is not quite so good – invest in a “really good camera”.

Upgrade to a 5D Mk III (B&H) or a Nikon D610 (B&H). With a full frame camera you can now start taking photos with bokeh. You’ll want to take photos of everything with as much bokeh as possible in every shot – brides love this.

While you’re at it, you should also get an f/2.8 24-70 lens (B&H). This lens is called the “wedding lens”, because its the only lens you will ever need for professional wedding photography.

(This photo was actually taken with an f/1.4 85mm prime, but that’s not the point, the point is bokeh, bokeh, BOKEH!)

Step 8: Realize that its not actually the camera. Start reading Strobist and invest in some off camera flash.

I suggest going old school with Lighting 101 from back in 2006, and then read through every single article up until today.

Of course, you won’t actually know how to use any of the wild and wonderful off camera flash techniques that you are reading about, but you can just practice at every wedding you photograph until you figure it out. Soon you’ll be adding strobes everywhere!

Step 9: Gradually increase talent level, acquire lots of photography gear, gradually increase rates until you finally arrive as a real life mid-level wedding photographer.

Congratulations, you’re almost there – but for now you can enjoy the life of a mid-level wedding photographer.

As a real life mid-level wedding photographer, you’ll want to try implementing some sort of flush mount album, canvas gallery wrap and giclée fine art print sales program. You should also think about not giving away the edited full resolution photo files.

But, alas all mid-level wedding photographers fail miserably at both, so on second though – why bother.

Eventually, you will get sick of your significant other nagging you to get a real job at Walmart so you can improve your standard of living.

You will also eventually realize that 95% of all other wedding photographers are your direct competition.

Now, and only now have you completed your training.

You are ready for Step 10.

Step 10: Realize that being a mid-level wedding photographer sucks. Quadruple your rates and re-brand as a luxury, high end wedding photographer.

Change your business name to your first and last names followed by “Photography” (for example JP Danko Photography). Get a nice clean looking website with a cool damask pattern background and a funky hipster logo. Change your rates and bam – you are now a high end luxury wedding photographer.

You can also get a sexy assistant to carry your stuff around.

Oh and just to be clear, you don’t actually have to take better wedding photos then you were as a mid-level wedding photographer – you just have to charge a lot more money from them.

All that stress you had about the full resolution photo files – forget about it! They’re now totally free after your clients purchase a $5,000 album.

All that time you wasted second guessing your own pricing structure every time a bride questioned your rates – its in the past. If a couple wants to hire you now – its on your terms!

Now all you have to worry about is all those smart ass young punks that stand behind you at every wedding and snap the photos you set up with their damn little smartphones and post them to Instagram before you finish setting up your lighting #MyWeddingPhotosAreBetterThanThePro #ShouldIBeAWeddingPhotog #AmazingWeddingPhotos #NoFilter

What Do You Think?

Will these 10 easy steps help you to start a fun, glamorous and profitable ($$$$!!!) career as a wedding photographer?

Is this the secret information that old wedding photographers don’t want you to know?

What step are you on right now?

Follow Up

In the words of Homer Simpson: “Its funny, ’cause its true.”

These 10 Easy Steps to Become a Wedding Photographer are more or less a summary to my own journey into the wonderful world of wedding photography. Of course, I was a little less cavalier towards my clients then I portray above – I really did try my very best to provide them with the best quality wedding photos I was capable of taking at the time.

But what I have come to realize that even though my early wedding photos sucked, the fact is that people still paid me quite a bit of money to go out and take them – which I think says a lot about the wedding photography business in general.

More often then not, new wedding photographers can’t be bothered to progress beyond Step 5, which leaves couples paying way too much money for really bad wedding photos that anyone could have taken.

On the other hand, I see so many talented mid-level wedding photographers slug away at the business for years only to eventually burn out from the stress of endless haggling in a grossly over-saturated mid-level wedding photography market.

That leaves the luxury market to the survivors. You can make a decent living as a high end wedding photographer, but you really do have to put in your dues.

Maybe one day the wedding photography market will normalize, but right now there are too many brides that are not getting value for their money, and too many photographers working for a lot less than they are worth.

*There is no eBook – but if this was a real how to be a wedding photographer article, there would be.

**This article is satire and JP Danko and DIYP do not offer any promise of a big cash income.

About JP Danko

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.

JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.

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David

Oh, my tummy really hurts now. To much laughter in 3 minutes
Shooter

If it wasn’t so sad, it was actually funny
lord eels

it’s a free market. with almost zero barriers to entry. no surprise, and it’s always been this way. it’s also “young man’s work”, generally, so everyone thinks they are some wise sage after 5 years in. PAH. wedding photography is about salesmanship, not the actual photos. people will be happy with OK wedding photos as long as there are enough of them with the right folks in them. it’s sweaty stressful work, and your clients are usually pretty stressed out and young/inexperienced/stupid. have fun with that crap. I did my time and moved on.
- thebeline
  
  It wasn’t always as “free” and open, this comes in cycles. I don’t want to go as far back as gun-powder flash, and sitting for sixty-seconds, but this idea of “anyone can do it” can be seen with the advance of point-and-shoot film cameras, the advent of the first digital SLRs, and the gradual perfection of the Camera Phone. The cause is simple, everyone realizes how terrible their pictures used to be with old tech, and how “great” they are with the new. This cycle breaks down when they realize they may be “better”, maybe better quality, maybe just simply larger in numbers, but that doesn’t make their photos “great.” Consider that Cellphones can now take photographs that are considerably better than the first few years of Digital Cameras. That alone is enough to make your uncle think “well hot damn, my photos are PHENOMENAL.” That, coupled with ease of use, ubiquity, and speed of sharing, make people think that their a gosh darn pro. The unfortunate part is that, with the speed at which the digital market changes, there is a steady wave of people experiencing various stages of this cycle now. I am not feeling beaten up by it, it’s a funny train-wreck to watch.
  
  On the “doing time” bit. Weddings are a cakewalk, really. I never understood people’s stress over them. Plan the evening out, have contingencies, bring backups, wear deodorant, profit.
  
  Also, NEVER shoot for family or friends. They invariably want to get you a drink or dance. Dancing isn’t so bad, but Jack is a terrible photographer…
  - Jim Johnson
    
    Agreed. There were always barriers before digital, particularly film and equipment costs, lab charges, etc. Digital has removed most of the barriers. Now you can get your education from the internet, process all your own photos on your $300 laptop, and have a virtual storefront. There is no need to invest in hundreds of thousands of dollars of education and equipment.
    
    Digital has democratized photography which is great because anyone can now do it. It is also terrible because ANYONE can now do it.
    - Mia
      
      true. and it`s as horrible as it is beautiful. getting into the business is easypeasy but shining in it has gotten much harder. more need to focus on creativity and marketing. i think in the end this anyone-can-do-it pushes pros to do better and work harder and eventually transforms photography for the better.
      - Jim Johnson
        
        Without a doubt, the quality of work has greatly improved. When I think abut the kind of photos my hometown photographer produced when he held the monopoly… I feel embarrassed for him.
Jon Peckham

This is absolutely factual. This is what people are doing now. It’s so disgusting. . . I know this one chick that bought a Costco camera and now she calls herself a pro. It’s horrible.
- thebeline
  
  What the heck is a Costco Camera??
  - jeffmcc
    
    I’m guessing they mean a camera that is bought at Costco.
    - thebeline
      
      Oh thank God. That is better than the alternative.
      
      Now, Costco does carry a 70D (not the 60D as you mentioned above), and this is a good camera. So not all is lost. However, honestly (and this is a subtle point that may be lost on the reader of this article) the camera does NOT matter. I, for a few years, shot weddings on a Konica-Minolta Maxxum 5D. There are pros and cons of digital vs film photography, and if you simply master the camera it’s self, the cons list gets shorter no matter which camera you use.
      
      That said, back in those days, I would have killed for a T5i equivalent.
      
      However, typically, those who buy such cameras will never “master” them.
      - jeffmcc
        
        Last time I was at Costco they had the 60D. That was 2 years ago.
        
        I shot a wedding once with a T3i. Yes there is a notable difference when using a camera such as a T3i and maybe a 6D.
      - thebeline
        
        Oh Jesus yeah, the technology has come a long way since then. My third body, an NEX-5n, is leaps and bounds over the old Maxxum 5D, that’s to say nothing of my A900. That said, it isn’t the hammer, it’s the carpenter.
  - Jon Peckham
    
    Jeff is right, any camera bought easily at costco. . .
- jeffmcc
  
  Costco has a 60D. Not toooo shabby.
- BLSS
  
  Everyone has to start somewhere – Even the author – “These 10 Easy Steps to Become a Wedding Photographer are more or less a summary to my own journey into the wonderful world of wedding photography” 🙂
jeffmcc

Interesting except some of the photos featured in this article are just HORRIBLE.
Cedric

I didn’t find this article to be that funny. Leave the satire back and add customer respect and you get my story! Yes, wedding is an easy business to get in and I’m not ashamed to admitt that I chose it for that reason.

You can find someone that will take ugly shots for 100$. At the other side is the “real” pro that will take gorgeous pictures but will ask you 3000$, and you won’t even get the digitals! Wow, what a difference! Being a customer that doesn’t understand anything to photography, would you even be able to understand what the differences are? Or when you asked the 3000$ guy, didn’t he replied that his pictures were just “better”?

To illustrate my thoughts I’ll take a personnal example. The car I’m driving is almost 15 years old. It runs ok, comfort is not its strong point but it is reliable. If I wanted, I know that I could afford a brand new car. But I don’t care! For me, it is not that important!
It is exactly the same thing with brides. Every couple doesn’t WANT to spend a big amount of money for pictures just because pictures are not that important for them.

One thing I totally agree with: a lot of couples pay way too much in regard to the quality that is delivered. That isn’t only valid for “low cost” photographers but also those with premium prices and their own “well established” studio or shop in the middle downtown.

I strongly believe that as long as your prices are in line with what you propose and customers are aware of it, then there can’t be any issue, whatever the price you ask for.

I’m not a “premium” photographer and my objective is clearly not to become one. Photography is not my full-time job and that’s the way I achieve a decent living. I just want to please my customers and get myself pleasure by learning and increasing my skills.

I have to admitt that it is pretty exhausting to read articles where pros spit on “low cost” photographers. Like I said my car is almost 15 years old but it can run on the same exact road that the very latest model of Mercedes. If the value you bring to the customers is in line with the price you ask for, then it should be easy to explain the differences compared to lower prices.

About those that pretend being “pro” photographers, I still don’t see where the problem is. Please wake up, it is not disgusting or sad at all, it is called the free market. Take a plumber, a mechanic or a cook, same thing! Some are just better than the other. If you are a “real” professionnal (skilled, serious, coherent, etc.) then people get to know it by themselves.

Thank you for reading that far.
Cedric
- thebeline
  
  I will agree that the “hate speak” should probably be calmed. Love all and all that, but there is another side that really should be considered.
  
  Take {insert your country}’s current unemployment and economic stance at the moment. I am in America, and while we do have a fairly substantial corporate industry that I will not pish-posh on, we are also hemorrhaging money to other countries due to pricing and labor value differences. Ignoring the corporate (or, “‘Merica has more money than God”) arguments, the industry and product markets have three-fold application to the Photography market, and their resolution would require the adjustment of many sets of perspectives:
  
  On one hand you have the Photographer who produces mediocre product, but feels they are worth more. Some consumers will buy it just because more means better (or in the analogy, “Made in the USA” must mean “good”). However, this product is still slightly less that other really good product that costs about the same, and hurts the people who actually put time and effort into their craft, diluting the market, giving high-prices (“Made in ‘Merica”) a bad name, and just generally causing ruckus.
  
  Then you have the countries what will produce dirt-cheap junk with no regard to quality (the flip is incredibly uncommon). This takes away money from the people that do good work, and it also wastes resources and money, makes the consumer generally upset or apathetic and unfulfilled, and also causes issues.
  
  Then you have the consumer who sees a proliferation of both cheap and junk, and because of saturation and exposure, they begin to believe that that is fine, and that that is acceptable and the status quo. And they never realize that better exists, or they simply won’t pay for what is of higher quality and more to their needs and desires, because, jesus, in a market so saturated with low prices, the pros look ludicrous.
  
  To take this just one step further and really make the point: The people making cheap junk can not support themselves on that alone, and either die off (in world markets, this is unfortunately all too true) or keep more than one job so they don’t. The issue becomes that these cheap junk making weekend warriors saturate the market so heavily that the word “Professional” (which should mean: you sustain yourself on your craft) becomes devalued, and everyone loses..
  
  The change in attitude becomes: Do what you are best at, and make a living off from that. Hobbies are great, but don’t steal the bread from your neighbors mouth by making cheaper headphones…
- ajfudge
  
  Hi Cedric, I agree with @thebeline ‘s comment. But I would like to emphasize the one great difference between cheap and premium photographers: mediocrity.
  
  Photographer is, first and foremost, a creative medium (unlike plumber and mechanic, and btw premium cooks are called chefs so they’re like us too). It’s like watching a crappy TV show: people will watch it for the simple reason that it’s what’s available at the moment while some people know better to change the channel because sticking to the crappy TV show is going to be a waste. Mediocrity is the main fuel that pumps those cheap photographers. Customers mostly care about saving money so they readily go for the cheap price. But at the end of the day, when the wedding’s done, the event’s done, the moments have passed what can clients do when the resulting images are crappy? What this result to mostly is that clients have little faith in photographers.
  - Cedric
    
    I agree on the fact that cooks and photographs have a lot of common points. But if I keep this example, does it mean that clients have little faith in the pizzeria around the corner because the guy is not able to prepare a pizza as good and as creative as if the chef was preparing it? Does it mean that the pizzeria is mediocre and that the guy should go out of his business because he knows that he will never come to a chef level, and that he may be harming the profession? Seriously? That’s a hard shortcut.
    Even a chef doesn’t start with a 5 stars restaurant in the Michelin guide. If you like what you do then you naturally tend to learn and improve, but you have to start at some point.
    From a professional community perspective, the cheap guy is always the bad guy, in every business area. But from a customer perspective it is inverse. You’re the guy that charges twice the price for something that is just a bit better. Yes, I’m saying just a bit better, not because it it true (I know it is not), but because that’s what the customer thinks most of the time when you were not able to explain him the huge difference between you and the cheap guy … But if you are able to do this, then you are in business and you shouldn’t be afraid of any kind of competition.
    - ajfudge
      
      Hi Cedric,
      I think you’re generalizing too much. If I offended you in some way, I apologize. Be it known that I too am just a weekend warrior. I classify myself as “semi-pro” because I have 2 other jobs in an industry that is a far cry from photography. Now what I’m going to say is based on my experience.
      *****
      
      Let’s keep the photographer-chef analogy.
      Both a top chef and premium photographer have to start somewhere. To rise above the ranks, their experience should be valid.
      To become a top chef, one should have merit.
      To become a premium photographer, one should have merit.
      They may start at home-cooked meals or photographing pets but they have to go beyond that as far as experience is concerned. And merit is the opposite of mediocrity. Merit, after all, is something you earn and it’s a selling point for clients. Merit together with experience, can be a base of your value. To overcome mediocrity, you really have to become better. One must assess himself if he’s “getting better” or “good enough” [a]. However, not everyone has plans to become a premium photographer (or a 5-star chef). I think every photographer doesn’t aim to become the most expensive photographer or to sell the most expensive photo. They do aim to become legendary, or their work immortal, and those are achieved through merit. So recognize that “premium photographer” and “chef” have experiences and/or achievements to brag about.
      
      Now, I’m curious what’s pushing your buttons when “cheap” is mentioned. But first, let us define “cheap”. For me, there are 2 kinds of “cheap”: The first one, which from here on shall be indentified as “bad cheap”, are photogrpahers who aren’t really good, both technically and artistically. They charge cheap because they don’t have to promise an awesome product. They charge cheap because they simply happen to own a good camera and they saw “taking pictures” as an opportunity to earn additional income. They don’t strictly invest to improve their skills. For them, photography is just pushing the shutter button and that’s it. Going back to the photographer-chef analogy, they sell pizza just because they happen to have an oven so they put up a pizza stand and sell bad pizzas. This kind of cheap photographer is always the bad guy because of mediocrity.
      
      Then there’s the 2nd definition of cheap, which from now on I’ll refer to as the “unlucky cheap”. They charge cheap because they don’t have to pay an army of assistants, because they can do the post-processing themselves. They charge cheap because the type of work they do doesn’t require them to invest in expensive or niche gears. They charge cheap because they must compete their prices against “bad cheap” photographers. They are, for the lack of better word, are the unlucky mid-levels who cannot command high prices yet but are fighting off those bad cheaps who are over-populating the industry. And this is a touchy thing because most of the “unlucky” ones have no other source of income besides photography. Again with the photographer-chef analogy, they are pizzerias around the corner who are fighting to be in business. And they are the unlucky ones because they’re always threatened to be the casualty.
      
      The pizzeria doesn’t have to be out of business. The oven-owner should be. Because of [a]. That’s not a hard shortcut.
      
      Now we end our photographer-chef analogy here. (Because food and photographs are different priorities). So let’s delve into the customer perspective. Clients/customers will always go for the lesser price. As I mentioned above, merit and experience can determine your value. But let me be clear that PRICE IS DICTATED BY THE VALUE YOUR CLIENT PERCEIVES YOU AT and the VALUE YOU SET UPON YOURSELF. Why do clients insist on paying you less? Because of lack of understanding. They don’t think you’re entitled to high prices because all you do is click the camera. They are not aware of the planning and the post-processing that photographers do to ensure a lovely outcome. They don’t think you have a hand in making a beautiful photo because the scene is already beautiful. They don’t think that light is a big deal. They don’t think you deserve to be paid much because they own a dSLR and they know they can take the same pictures as you do. BUT PHOTOGRAPHERS KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.
      
      Here’s the relationship between clients and “bad cheaps” (as I outlined above, they share the same attitude): Clients want less expensive service, and “bad cheaps” just want extra income. If the client received crappy pictures, who are they going to blame really? They know it’s partly their fault. And they lose faith in photographers in general so the next time they have an event that requires pictures, they will save up the money and just buy their own camera. Now, who shouldn’t be afraid of competition? And let’s not forget the belief that digital makes everything easy.
      
      Now if the client risks the higher fee of the “unlucky cheap”/mid-levels, then that’s a different story. But that isn’t always what happens. Clients do need to be educated sometimes. But if your work speaks for it (again, merit), you really shouldn’t have to explain.
      
      Some questions for anyone to ponder on:
      Who is harming the industry here?
      Are you actually “getting better” or “good enough”?
      Are you a “bad cheap” or “unlucky cheap”?
      Do you think you’re paid enough?
      Are you guilty when you charge a high price?
      Do you think you’re valuable?
sircracked

Ugh, here’s my problem with stuff like this, especially the “Step 3” effect. I do other sorts of photo work, and generally have little interest in doing wedding photography regularly. But because I have folks, especially extended family, who see my work, I get pestered about doing pictures at weddings, etc. “After all, that picture of the Milky Way was cool, or those fireworks and parade photos, you must be able to do great pictures of weddings too!”. I actually have a cousin who’s wedding is coming up in 4-5 months that this is an issue with. I did some engagement photos for them, easy stuff, outdoors, not too far outside what my gear is generally used for, but convinced them to pay for a “real” wedding photographer for their ceremony/reception. So far so good. But they still want me to bring my camera to the wedding take some pictures.

In one sense, I’m happy to do it, I actually like shooting and trying new things, stretching outside my comfort zone, as far as work I ordinarily do, but, A) I don’t want their special day to be my lighting and shooting guinea pig, and B)I really, REALLY don’t want to be “that guy” described in step 3 above. I know there’s got to be a middle ground here, being able to take some good pictures at a loved one’s wedding, but, not inciting resentment from the “pro”. Obviously, not butting in on staged photos, as appears in the upper part of the article, but, for certain moments and points in the ceremony, yeah, I’d like to get a good picture, and to some degree, learn what works and dosn’t for that sort of scenario, both with the photo itself, as well as the logistics of getting it. To some degree, there is a learn by doing, and, how the hell else are you suppose to learn, without potentially ruining peoples keepsakes of a treasured day?

Again, It won’t bother me a huge amount if this isn’t a skillset I obtain, but, this concept of ordained priesthood, with sarcastic disdain for other, lesser folk who are just wielding cameras, not True Photographers, is kind of unhelpful, either in this piece, or as a general attitude that you see elsewhere.
- Jim Johnson
  
  One of the hardest things I have had to do (and still continue to do) is to convince people that being a wedding photographer requires a particular talent and skill set not all photographers have. I think I take really great portraits and landscapes, and will gladly do that for you, but photographing the wedding… let’s leave that to people who know how to do that.
- Vala Grenier
  
  Talk to the hired pro at the rehearsal and tell him/her what you said here. Ask if you can cover a different angle and/or carry gear for the formals. If he/she is up for it set a signal the pro can use to say “move that way. You’re in my shot!”. Maybe you can keep other would be shooters from bothering the pro 😉
- mike
  
  If someone thinks your fireworks photos mean you would make a good wedding photographer, tell them “Sure, but you will have to be on fire for the pics to be good.”
- Christine Slattery-Friberg
  
  I am sort of in your situation, only I was recently laid off from a full tim (and good paying) job and upgraded my photography equipment so I can bring in some income. I have taken many landscape photos and have sold them (I have a web page where the prints are sold). I have taken pics at weddings but not all that many as I am always worried about getting in the way of the paid photographer. I actually got permission from my niece (the bride) and her dad (my brother in law) to bring my camera to her wedding. I was very, very aware of where the photographer was at all times and was extremely mindful to not be in her way at any point. She was so unpleasant she scolded me! I was literally 10 to 15 feet behind her and slightly to the right, waiting for the bride and groom to enter the reception and she turned around and yelled that my flash was distracting her. I hadn’t even taken a photo yet and was way behind her. She was insecure because, as it turns out, she was a terrible photographer. So bad I thought she should be ashamed of herself to charge money She yelled at me when there was a line of over 10 people with point and shoot cameras right next to her (I have a Nikon DSLR and flash). I would love to take the above advice and just jump into wedding photography but am terrified of using a paying customer as a “guinea pig” as you accurately put it. It could be a good paycheck if we play our cards right though. Decisions, decisions…..
Tony

Step 11. Go back to Program Auto since there’s no time to fiddle with settings in between being ordered around by the planner and dealing with bridezillas. I despise weddings.
darylcheshire

use Photoshop to erase the official photographer who was in your way in every photo.
darylcheshire

I’m not a pro and I have refused to do a couple of weddings. I photograph landscapes, buildings and railway items. It’s as an eye opener when I photographed a friend’s cat which was a tortoiseshell mixed with something and it came out as a muddy mess and she rejected every cat photo. In hindsight it’s better to photograph it in natural sunlight.
My comment was not to give up my day job.
Claudio Grieco

I’m shooting a relative’s marriage this Saturday. I’m no pro and it’s my first time, but now I’m confident I can start my business. Thanks! ;D
Lyle

JP: try substituting “than” for “then” and most times your diction will be correct. It’s never too late to start on the path of becoming a writer.
Rocky Point Joe

In step 4, who needs to shoot their own photos for their website…just go out and steal someone else’s!
Deirdre Ryan Photography

At the moment I guess I’m “mid level” but I’m working on becoming something more.
darylcheshire

take pictures at an angle like the 1960s Batman series.
SB

This is very similar to my own rise in the wedding photography industry (I’m Currently at step 9, and about to move to step 10). Although I did offer to shoot my first 10 wedding for free to build a portfolio, and I am/was a trained (but not experienced) photographer when I first started out.
Besim Mydyti

you are totally amateur… !!!!
and stop writing anymore about photography…!!!!!!
BillG

ROFL!!! Thank you! Although these have somewhat been covered … I think on #3 you forgot; you can also go to other wedding photographer sites and collect their images as inspiration, then by putting your logo on them, show them on your new website as your own… and on #5 – shoot the reception at your highest digital ISO so the shots don’t come out dark. and … Thanks again for the laughs I so needed.
Gabriel Mora

Forgot Step 11: when not able to book weddings, schedule/organize workshops. .. create a big buzz about how you quit your high management corporate job (must sound impressive) and in les than 2 years and now making 6 figures $$$ charge top money for it, ask people to collaborate with you for free (make up artist, wardrobe, models, venue, etc ) promising then lots of exposure then get a fan club to buy on your BS and you are all set!
Gabriel Mora

You might even add step 12 (after all 12 is a HOLY number so makes it more believable) partner with an established (or arising) business (albums, software, presets, etc) or come up with your own gadget. ..brainwash all your followers that “That’s the best to have” :The reason why you are so successful” get a % from the sales and you are building your retirement plan.
Brian C Idocks

I can’t tell you how many people actually think this is how you do it.
T-Bone

I think your fucking nuts…
B Herrington

There’s a lot more skill that goes into photography then that all the photos look like garbage.
Joe Freedom

Dear God let this be satire…

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