Los Angeles Wedding Photography

I am getting ready to start wedding photography, can someone honestly tell me how much I can expect to make on average per month living between Los Angeles and San Diego? I would think being between 2 major cities, advertising on craigslist, and in the local papers, being part of a church group, I would do fairly well and should be able to pull between 3 and 7 weddings each month. Does this sound realistic? I have an SLR with a hot box and flash, other lighting equipment. I believe as far as equipment Im ready and will probably do the 3 weddings for almost free. I am and buisness minded I have ran my own buisness before so I know how to market myself, I also sold cars before, so I am good at building customer relations. I think I take great pictures and have heard the same from other people. Ill let you be the Judge www.yountphotographyonline.com. I can handle constructive critisicsm. I just started this website. Comments/Suggestions plz email me @ j_yount_3@yahoo.com Thanks Josh

Here is my two cents worth:

First of all, your website has grammatical and spelling errors that would stop me from hiring you without even having to see a single photo.

So you have a camera and flash. You need a backup camera and flash at least equal to your main setup. You need duplicates of everything. You need brackets, sync cords, diffusers. Lots of memory. A fast, powerful computer with backup hard drive. Adobe Photoshop. The skill to use PS.

You also need people skill. Maybe you have it. You need management skill, Business savvy.

Now we get to photographic skill. I don't mean to be harsh, Certainly I'm sure the original pictures are higher resolution than the web posts show, but that doesn't hide the fact that your subjects were poorly lit and exposed, and the posing was awkward and utterly lacking in knowledge and style. These are things you need to study before presenting yourself as a wedding professional. In weddings, you usually have to use available lighting, sometimes in impossibly dark churches. Then you have to corral and arrange individuals and small and large groups into pleasing compositions. And this has to be done quickly with impatient people who are anxious to begin the party. The best way to get into wedding photography is to find an established professional willing to let you assist for a season or two while you hone your photography skills without someone's "special day" being on the line.

Some photographers in resort or high volume areas do manage 4 -7 weddings a month. I don't think a newbie, particularly one with questionable skill and no portfolio, should expect to book that many, at least not at an income level enough to sustain you. Don't forget the post processing time that a wedding takes. I have a full time day job in the industry, and shoot weddings on the side. Even if you nail exposure and WB every shot, the post work is time consuming, and I shudder to think of doing that many albums and coordinating that many print orders by myself.

Good luck to you if you decide to go for it.

2007-05-08 09:18:20 by Joshua Y

Los Angeles Wedding Photographer - Any wedding photographer in Los Angeles will appreciate this video. Los Angeles wedding photography is very ...

I live in Los Angeles and I do model portfolio and headshots and want to expand to portraits, engagement and wedding photography.

craigslist.org is the best place to advertise for free.

i get most of my business from there.

2008-01-09 08:09:45 by Scott

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I am trying to get some magazine to publish some press/article on my wedding photography business located in Los Angeles. Any tips? Do I approach the editor? How?

Press Attention?
Small businesses are likely not to have a lot of money for magazine ads. I would therefore start with Press releases to local papers.

Hints for Press releases, which are often used as fillers.

1) You may want to make a table of newspapers distributed in your area. Note name, editor's name, time line for press releases, phone number, address, e-mail address, fax number. Always send in your press releases ahead of the time line, may be a week ahead. Ask what is preferred: mail, e-mail, fax, and if you may send pictures. Make a note of the name of the contact person to be able to address the right person later. You may want to get their phone extension number. When you send in your press release, make some personal statements to the contact person, such as "thanks for the info you gave me, it was a great help." Become the editor's friend.

2) You may want to have "news" all the time. Be creative (but what you say has to match reality, has to be honest). E.g.
Event 1:
Elegant Wedding Photography Studio such and such has open house from 4-8PM, on Saturday, July 28, 2007. Enjoy trying out your wedding postures for your professional pictures. Learn about your photogenic side. Location: such and such, phone such and such. For questions please contact (name).

Event 2:
Fabulous Picture Party at the Wedding Studio Such and Such: Friday, August 3, 2007, from 6-8PM. Get ideas for your wedding party. Location such and such, phone such and such.

Event 3:
Say Cheese Party at the glamorous wedding studio such and such. (Same general info follows as in 1 and 2).

3) Place all the main info in the first paragraph similar to the examples above, since the newspaper may cut out the second paragraph for space reasons.

4) Add another paragraph if you like with the history of your studio, personal info about yourself, your education, about famous people who came in there, about special skills or services etc. Make it about 5-10 lines. Every submission should have some new info. These second paragraphs may be left out or shortened by the newspaper for lack of space in the issue.

5) Always make the text somewhat different in wording for each newspaper. Newspapers do not like to have the exactly same text as their competition. Just changing words around helps, the contents can be the same. Also use different pictures for each newspaper and make careful notes which photograph and what text you have sent to what paper and when, and what has been actually published. Collect the clippings in an album, show them to your customers, may be as copies. May be you want to make notes how many calls and customers your release got. When you get calls, ask how they heard about you. You may want to ask for their needs and think of some benefits for your customer to tell them about. Find out what the best press release style and newspapers are for you.

6) Add pictures to your press releases only after confirming with each newspaper that this is OK. The pictures may not always be printed, it depends on the space the newspaper has left for that issue. Inquire if paper photographs are preferred or digitals via e-mail and what type of transmission is to be used.

7) Keep doing it "forever" since people often need to read an add many times before they act. Furthermore, they may want to hire you as their wedding photographer but have not saved the newspaper with your press release they saw. Then they keep looking in newspapers and may find your new release.

8) Later, when you have a budget for adds, you may send articles and pictures to magazines or invite them to write a picture story on your studio with an exciting sounding letter, getting their attention in the first sentence! Think about innovative ideas to make the magazines want to print an article on your studio. You got the picture.

Wishing you good luck, you are on the right picture track!
Cordially, India.Magica

2007-07-03 10:35:43 by oliviastats

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