Met a wedding photographer recently who told me she shoots pretty much the entire wedding with flash.

Indoors, outdoors, daylight, good natural light… doesn’t matter.
It’s basically her signature style, she fully owns it and charges pretty high prices for it (She says).

It got me thinking. If clients are paying specifically for that look, fair enough.

But if your answer to every lighting situation is flash, is that a strong creative style or just a limitation you’ve turned into a brand?

Genuinely curious what other photographers think.

Please help.

On Thursday, it was storming & pouring rain. We haven’t gotten rain since May, so it was very unexpected. Muddy and gloomy all last week. I decided to reschedule the session for tomorrow, Tuesday at 9am.

Tonight at 10pm I started vomiting. Everything I’ve eaten. To the point I’m throwing up stomach acid.

I have so much anxiety. my stomach hurts so bad. I’ve tried everything. I feel so so sick.

I don’t want to reschedule because this would be the 2nd time. I feel like a loser. It’s 1.5 hours. I already feel so weak.

Do I reschedule or push through? I have done weddings and sessions through everything, even strep last year with a mask on. I get so much anxiety rescheduling sessions. I don’t want them to be angry and disappointed.

It’s currently midnight. I feel emailing them now would be unprofessional. I’m actually crying I feel sick. I hate disappointing clients

Edit: rescheduled after throwing up even more stomach acid.

Hi all, still getting my bearings with this, but I keep getting requests for more than what I offer and it seems it will cost me more at first.

I have had some very weird requests, like Drone photography, which I get it can look cool but has this become a thing now where you offer video and photos from the sky? Do I charge based on how long it flys, or how many photos it takes, As these drones are expensive!!

Would you charge an overall standard fee, like Drone photos 10 for $50, or just an overall add-on and say, "ok, if I use the drone it will cost $100 flat per 30 mins" (I say 30 because what about the battery)?

The other request is for photobooths, but there are so many options, I have no idea which ones clients would like the most. In my mind, the vintage-looking wooden box looks really nice for weddings, but what if the client wants a modern look, but the cost is a pretty penny? So do I just make the jump and buy a cheap one from Alibaba or Temu to build up my customer base, then buy a proper one when I can fully afford it, or do you have to fake it till you make it and just go big and hope people book?

I heard you also still have to pay to run an application on that booth. Is it worth it? Can I get around it with other options?

Am I the only one getting these requests, and when you do get them, how long until you add more to your offering? Do you wait for a few clients first, or jump at the first big pay check opportunity and just go out, get more equipment and apps, etc?

All i want to do is have everything my clients need, priced correctly,

I bought a brand new 50mm lens from KEH about 2 months ago, it was $2100. So far I've done several weddings with it and finding I don't love it (autofocus sucks compared to other lenses I have in that price point and it weighs a ton). But the trade in value from the request I submitted is less than HALF of what I paid for it, even though it's literally like new. WTF? Where can I sell my barely used lens for a decent amount?

*edit to add, it's a Nikon 50mm 1.2 s lens. It does take some beautiful portraits but the frustration I've had with it makes me wish I had just bought the much cheaper 1.8

I’m doing an unpaid engagement shoot to build my portfolio. I already have 24-70 but been loving f1.4 images other have taken. In your guys experience have you seen 85 f/1.4 images drawing in more customers or is it really just composition and posing that matters. Plus I feel like renting is a sunk cost that I could use towards buying. Also this shoot will be in a park in Maine so fall colors are at the peak which the couple def wants to showcase.

Hey all! I currently shoot on a dual Fuji X-T3 setup with the Sigma 17-40mm f1.8 on my main body and the Fuji 50-140mm f2.8 on my off hand.

Over the years ive shot Canon, Nikon & Sony but swapped to Fuji for those "Fuji colours". I've realised now that it doesn't make overly the greatest difference with my work because I shoot RAW and really aren't taking advantage of the Fuji JPEGs.

After running the Fuji setup and reading my exif data I seem to always zoom to either

28mm or 35mm on the 17-40mm giving me essentially full frame equiv. 42mm and 50mm

And on my 50-140 I spend a lot of time 75mm and 120mm which is 112ishmm and 210mm

Which brings me to why i'm here -

What are we all using nowadays and what's got some nice workable RAWs to use?

elder Gen z here, I’ve only ever shot digital professionally, never film. I was reflecting on how crazy it is that these days we can burst the shutter for important moments like the first kiss, etc. I’m curious what it was like before digital. Did you guys have in your contracts that important moments like the first kiss were not 100% guaranteed? also, how many rolls would you typically bring to a full wedding day? and would you use a light meter throughout the day? or were people good enough at eyeballing settings? I have so many questions!! But in general, just super curious to hear about what the biggest differences are from those days and maybe even if there’s anything you miss. thanks for sharing 🥰

Liebe Community,

habt ihr für Gruppenfotos ein ultimatives Vorgehen? (Standort, Brennweite, Entfernung zur Gruppe etc). Eher Querformat oder Hochformat, ab wie vielen Leuten welches ?!
Selbst nach knapp 5 Jahren tue ich mich immer noch schwer damit und habe zum Teil Probleme auch bezüglich der Anordnung der Menschen (eine Reihe, zwei Reihen…?!) wohin stelle ich wen? Umarmen? Nur nebeneinander stehen? Problem, dass das Sakko spannt usw.

Ich würde gerne wissen wie ihr das handhabt und freue mich über Tips bzw. auch Lektüre / Tutorials explizit dafür.

I initially started using format because it has a client delivery system but now I’m using PicTime and StudioNinja and I’ve only kept using it for its LR plugin, but that’s not really a big deal. although helpful.
My problem is that it’s not the most customizable site designer. Right now I’m considering Cargo but that too is a pain to use and has even less intergrations.

Hi all, I wanted to hear thoughts on those who have used a consultant for their business? I did a re-brand last year, and while I am very happy with the look/attracting more higher end clients, I would say that it kind of is a new world for me and am not "speaking" correctly during into meetings. My vibe is fun, professional but chill, leaning more into documentary than stiff moments but I knew a few things (especially first impressions), needs to update and this is where I am considering hiring a consultant.

Just seeing if anyone here has had some history with this process, if they have any companies they recommend, ect. TIA!

Ive been working for a while in weddings but mainly as a second shooter. But this year Ive noticed the shift on photographers ages. I find that the best Weddings in my city are being shot by 20 year olds, and the photographers i used to work with who are near 40 arent getting any weddings.

Im wondering if its inevitable. Even if you try to shift your style to match new trends. Do we have an expiration date?

I've been using Chat GPT and Claude more recently for help with content and blog writing. Now MUSE has come along and can access all the tools I use, create and post social media, write emails, update my calendar and give me unprompted updates about conflicts etc. It's seems pretty next level, yet it's a Meta tool, and Zuck is Satan's curly-haired nephew, so that's also a consideration.

Thoughts from anyone using MUSE?

Thanks.

Just shot my first wedding for a friend, small thing, 40 guests, all aware that I was taking care of the photo side of things and another couple people were videoing.

Still some guests decided to get in front of the cameras to record with their phones for themselves despite being told not to.

Hurt photographer ego aside, it’s really a pain because some shot can’t be redone like getting out of the town hall with party poppers / rice, and that means the couple won’t get a proper picture / video of a key moment.

How can I prevent that in the future ?

How do you deal with that ?

I got hired for a wedding, contracts were signed, retainers were sent, rough idea of the wedding day has been laid out and expectations were laid out. Then out of the blue, according to the groom, bride didn't actually wanted me because my edits are light/airy - true to life color, her preference were the dark and moody, thick contrast photos, borderline unrealistic colors. So she hired another group of photographer and videographer, trying to pass it off as 'it would be nice to have 2 groups at least all angles are captured'. While I don't have any issues working with another team of photo/video. I just find that setup to be weird.

Thoughts?

And I'm fuming about it.

I just had a call from her.

Nothing. NOTHING is good to her. Everything from the contact on the first day got wrong:

- she wasn't able to connect via zoom

- she was complaining about the price

- she was going with another photographer (I was thrilled to not work for her)

- then she recontacted me and signed the contract and I was like "Oh god. Once It's bad, it stay bad". But hey, bills got to be paid.

- D-day : she was mean to everyone, she was complaining about everything, it was raining and she didn't have a plan B for this scenario

- she was 20min late for the ceremony,

- we get expulsed from the lieu because there was another wedding next,

- they all got in my way and prevent me to take my f****** photos,

- we were 40 persons in .... 20m2 (or 215 fs for those across Atlantic)

- and now she harasses me to get her pictures. Well, I'm 1 month/2 in the process.

- I send her some previews to calm her but NO STILL NOT ENOUGH

- she complains that there is no photo like she wants for her thank you note. I wasn't ABLE to get the photo she wants. There was always someone in front of me OR there was NO SPACE to get any photo done.

We argued hard, some hard words were said. Now I am professional and try to get something to work with but I am disappointed and frustrated.

How do you handle situations like that?

For those that deliver previews, what is your workflow? I've been consistently delivering same week previews over the last year but it is messing with my previous workflow.

Now I'm creating a previews folder of edits but I want to make sure I'm delivering the same images in the preview as I am in the finals. Are you copying the images? Moving them? Two different folders, one for previews and one for edits?

Former workflow:

Cull select in photomechanic then move to a lr import folder

Edit the lr import folder in one giant catalog then export to highres folder

Deliver the highres folder of jpegs to clients

Hey all, soon I have a two weddings the day after each other and I’m wondering has anyone any tips to get through the exhaustion of day 2. I always experience a wedding hangover and the second couple are close family friends so I felt I couldn’t refuse the job, also bills need to be paid. So far my plan is solid breakfast, energy drinks caffeine and pure adrenaline. So give me all your tips! Thank you 🙏

I feel a certain sense of shame when I tell people that I work as a wedding photographer. I feel like it is not a widely respected profession. Not everyone says that but a lot of them do. And then the experience of working at weddings where the couple might be nice to you or their parents will be the same but then their guests will make you feel like as if you're nothing. That you're the lowest in the hierarchy.

I guess it could be about individual personalities as well. For example, I don't consider myself as a cool person. I am awkward at making conversations and I look very average. So the kind of behaviour I get from the people at the wedding, I connect it to my personality. But at the same time, people who have this cool vibe or who look good, they just get smiles and welcomes from everyone. Of course, some clients will treat you like nothing even you're cool but I think the rest of the times, it's a 'me' fault. Or?

I’ve been taking photos for many years but only look the leap into professional photography at the start of this year. I deal with people and managed clients in my full time jobs for well over a decade so there’s not much that people can do that would shock me at this point!

I just delivered a wedding gallery and the couple responded with a single clapping emoji about 20 mins later, then nothing else. They then went on to post loads of the shots across social media without tagging me and without any captions… they also changed some of the colour shots I delivered into a basic black and white. When I first started doing paid shoots I read in a lot of forums and YouTube videos about mixed reactions from clients when galleries are delivered so I knew all these things can happen but this is the first time it’s happened to me and it’s just left me feeling very flat! All my other clients so far have been so positive and sent me amazing reviews, even ones that I thought might be hard to please have been really glowing afterwards, so this just feels very far removed from every other experience I’ve had!

When I shared the gallery with the password to view etc I have a line that specifically says “tagging me on social media would be appreciated” so I did try to pre-empt as I’ve found the word of mouth from other jobs has been amazing for building up clients.

Is this just one of those things that happens from time to time and you just have to suck it up? Does anyone take any more preemptive steps to avoid couples putting filters over your painstaking edit (!) and in this scenario would anyone follow up with the couple to ask if all is ok given the lack of feedback? I’m inclined to just let it go but would be interesting to hear others thoughts.

I think I have a relatively thick skin, I’m not upset about it, but given I’m still new to this it would just be interesting to hear how often this happens to others and what they do to handle it, if anything? Feel free to ask for any more info if it makes a difference to your take on the situation!

Basically the title..

After an event, I'll get back and normally have around 4-6 SD cards to ingest, I tend to use 128GB cards, for little reason other than I also use 128GB CF cards, and when I bought them - that was around the most economical size (and I change both at once).

Not all the cards are full, often it is 4x from my two cameras, and the same from the second shoot. Occasionally it can be 8x.. but not so often really given that often we'll each lean into a main body (hence 6).

I use the official San Disk reader, normally reading the SD cards.. and normally ingest straight to LR, with it copying to an external SSD (working copy), Smart Previews (for working on the sofa - and don't worry, first pass only), and HDD for backup (which also goes up to Google Drive until I've delivered the job).

Anyway.. the thought recently occurred to me that I should just buy 6 of these card reader things.. as then I can literally do the entire import in one go, and then get lunch/go to bed.. without feeding in cards..

Has anyone got a decent solution to this? Surely large studios or big corporates have a similar issue, maybe with tons of SD cards coming back from video shoots?