Becoming a Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography is unique because there is only one chance to get the perfect pictures. So, to become a wedding photographer, assist a professional photographer to learn the tricks of the trade. Become a wedding photographer by developing a niche with this free video from a professional photographer.

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Video transcription

My name is Anthony Maddaloni and I'm going to talk about how to become a wedding photographer. One of the first things that you have to realize about becoming a wedding photographer is that it's very important occasion that you really need to think about how you are going to view that occasion, and if you are going to do it without being extremely stressed out. Wedding photography is something that you only get one chance to do. It's not like a lot of other types of photography where you can have a redo. So that's the first thing that I want to talk to people about that, becoming a wedding photographer, you have to really think about do I want to do something that has that much stress? And there's a little bit of a rush involved with that much stress, so you might say yes. The second thing is most people become wedding photographers by assisting another photographer. That is probably the best way to get into the wedding photography business because it will give you a chance to see if you like the pacing of a wedding. It's very hectic, it's a lot of wait and then rush, wait and then rush. You're going to see what kind of shots are required for a wedding. What are your standard wedding shots? What are shots that you can make better than your typical wedding photography. And that's sort of how you start to become a wedding photographer. After that you're going to want to get a portfolio together of wedding photographs that you took. And that's the best way to show potential client your wedding photography portfolio. One very important thing you want to keep in mind when assisting another wedding photographer, is that you need to be paid. One thing about wedding photography is it's not easy; it's not really just lugging equipment. It's actually a lot more than that. It's using your eyes. A lot of times being extremely responsible and being organized. So those are two things that you need to be paid for. So I pay all my assistants pretty well, and I expect other photographers to do the same, so keep that in mind. As you're building your portfolio, you need to be paid. After you do that, what you want to do is, I like having something that's tangible that I can bring to my clients. I also have a website and a CD but I like showing people that I make things. It's sort of my niche. That's the other key element in wedding photography is if you can set yourself apart from all the other wedding photographers in town, you're going to have an advantage. And that's pretty much how I would tell someone how to become a wedding photographer.