5 keys to stand out as the best photographer

Of all the professionals involved in the organisation of a wedding, the wedding photographer is the one who assumes one of the greatest responsibilities, as he or she will be in charge of capturing the unique and unrepeatable moments of that special day. If this professional makes a mistake or fails to live up to expectations, it can lead to great disappointment for couples. Whether you have years of experience in wedding photography or you are taking your first steps in this exciting profession, it is essential that you apply certain strategies that allow you to offer a professional and high quality service so that you can stand out from other photographers in your area.

For couples who are planning their wedding, making everything perfect involves achieving several objectives, such as: surprising their guests, being original, enjoying every moment, etc. But, if there is one thing they really care about, it is making sure they have an unforgettable memory of their big day through photographs that capture every detail. Since every couple has unique needs and preferences, it is important that they find in you a wedding photographer that reflects a very specific style. Therefore, it is essential that you know how to highlight what makes you special and different. To help you on this path, we have prepared a series of practical tips that will allow you to become the most outstanding wedding photographer of today. Don’t miss the last recommendation, because it is the key to make the difference!

 

Bridal couples are looking for the perfect wedding photographer for their big day and your mission is to show them what you have to offer.

First steps to becoming a top wedding photographer

At a wedding, even the smallest details mean a lot to the couple. That’s why, when choosing their wedding photographer, the bride and groom usually make an initial search taking into account certain key factors, for example:

• Location: unless you already have a photographer in mind who specialises in destination weddings, you are most likely to look for professionals who are close to where you live or in nearby areas.

• Style in photography: Nowadays, couples often have a clear idea of the type of photography they want to immortalise their wedding. Showing them in a precise and attractive way your style can be the key to stand out from other photographers.

• Coverage and services: another important criterion in their decision will be the services offered. Details such as whether you will attend with a second photographer, how long you will cover the event, or the packages you offer, are aspects that couples will value carefully.

• Personal connection: the chemistry between the photographer and the couple is also essential. If they connect with you from the beginning, the work during the wedding will be much more natural and fluid.

Couples know that once their big day is over, the only tangible thing they will keep of this great moment will be their own memories and wedding photographs. For this reason, it is essential that all these points are clear from the beginning so that they can fully trust you as their ideal wedding photographer.

However, before you get to this point, you need to be well trained, have the right team in place and have clearly defined objectives to achieve. Below, we will go into these aspects in depth to help you give the best of yourself in each link.

Find the perfect training to become a top wedding photographer

Whether you have been working as a wedding photographer for many years or you are just taking your first steps in this profession, constant training is crucial in order to be at the top of your game at weddings and not be left behind with respect to new trends. When it comes to expanding your knowledge, you will have at your disposal a huge number of courses, workshops and congresses, both online and in person, where important aspects such as lighting, how to get the bride and groom to pose in a more natural way, the latest trends in wedding photojournalism, how to run a photography business, etc. will be discussed.

In this kind of events, especially if they are face-to-face, besides learning a lot of new techniques, you will also have the opportunity to meet other colleagues, share experiences and create new friendships. This is very important in such a solitary profession. In addition to training, especially if you are just starting out, it is important that you practice and create a portfolio that you can showcase your work. At the beginning you can work as a second photographer, do weddings for friends and family, etc. And as you gain experience you will see how your technique improves, the important thing here is that after each wedding you analyse the photographs you have taken to see where you can improve.

Must-have items in a wedding photographer’s kit

When preparing the equipment to cover a wedding, it is very important that you take into account any kind of mishap that may arise on that day. Think that it is a unique event that cannot be repeated on another occasion because the photographer’s camera has broken down.

One of the keys to covering a wedding properly is planning, so in addition to carrying out a preliminary study of what will happen on the day, who will attend and the timing of each event, you also have to have both the human and technical team under control. These are some of the recommendations you can follow:

• Look for a second photographer with a similar style to yours ahead of time if you think you might need one.
• Contact a videographer if the couple wants a wedding video in addition to the photos.
• Have the contact of a reliable photographer in case you are unable to attend the  due to illness or any other force majeure.
• Make a list of all the material you are going to bring to the wedding and check it all the day before
• Always carry spare equipment such as: a second camera, batteries, extra memory cards, batteries, lenses, spare flash, etc.
• Leave a laptop with a charged battery in the car so that, at times when they can spare you, you can download some of the images.
• Etc.

In addition to this detailed planning, if you share it with your clients before the wedding, they will feel much more reassured and confident that they have chosen the best wedding photographer of the moment.

Set a series of goals that will drive your photography business forward

To be a great wedding photographer, it is important that you take into account a number of aspects, such as.

What kind of couples do you want to target, what is your brand identity going to be, what style of photography do you want to specialise in, what services and products are you going to offer your clients, how are you going to differentiate yourself from your peers, etc.?

So, before you start with this year’s new wedding campaign, it is important that you define what goals you want to achieve, for example, how many weddings you want to cover in a year. Also, if you stop to answer all the questions above, it will be much easier for you to shape your photography business.

5 tips to help you be this season’s best wedding photographer

 

Although this year’s wedding season has not yet started, the period after Christmas is the ideal time to start planning your wedding campaign, not only for the current year, but also for the following year. Many couples start planning more than a year in advance and this is the perfect time to capture their attention.

Before you start marketing your wedding photography services, it is crucial to have everything well defined and prepared. If you are starting from scratch, it is normal to feel that you have a long way to go, but with proper planning and an orderly approach, you will be able to build a solid and professional wedding photography business. And to help you in this process, we are going to share with you a series of tips and recommendations.

1# Develop a unique and personal style of wedding photography

Defining the style of wedding photography you want to specialise in, trying different approaches and adding your personal touch is  first step in creating your brand identity as a wedding photographer.

However, once you have completed this process, the work doesn’t end there. Nowadays, brides and grooms have a wide variety of styles to choose from when it comes to capturing their wedding memories: photojournalism, artistic photography, film style and even fashion or runway inspired approaches. Although couples may not always know the exact differences between these styles, they do have a very clear idea of the type of images they want for their big day . This will be one of the key aspects (along with location) that they will look for on the Internet when making their first selection of potential photographers for their wedding day.

If you are starting out in wedding photography, you can experiment with different styles and then decide which one represents you best, customising it with your own vision. Find your own way of experiencing weddings, highlight it and become one of the best photographers within that style.

2# Create products that attract the attention of bridal couples

Sometimes wedding photographers focus too much on the images they offer to their clients and neglect other aspects of the service they provide. In order to grow your photography business, it is essential that you develop a range of packages that appeal to your clients and are in line with what other professionals in the industry are offering.

Within these packages, you will need to decide what to include. Some options could be: digital photographs, prints of the photos, wedding album, albums for the parents, video presentation on the wedding day, pre-wedding or post-wedding reports, aerial photographs, wedding video, photo booth, reports abroad, etc. The possibilities are almost endless, so it is essential that you study your ideal client and offer them exactly the services that really interest them. For more demanding clients, it is also advisable that you give them the option to personalise their photographic reportage, allowing them to create a unique service.

As you can see, the options are many; the most important thing is that you identify which ones will really capture the attention of your customers and present them in a way that appeals to them.

3# Take advantage of the visibility of social media to raise awareness of your wedding photography

When it comes to promoting your wedding photography, social media plays a key role, as your personal brand is closely linked to everything you share online. This includes both your website and your social media posts. In addition, it is essential that you convey a consistent message across all your platforms. To achieve this, keep these things in mind when posting to your networks:

• Show your own style and offer quality images: quantity does not always equal quality. We recommend that you carefully select the photos from your social media that best represent your style and post them with a short explanatory text.

• Be careful how you express yourself in your professional communications: for these cases, try to maintain a uniform tone when addressing your clients, whether on your website, social networks, emails, price dossiers, contracts or even WhatsApp messages. Consistency in your communication style is key to building customer trust.

• Share valuable content for your customers: in addition to showcasing your best photos, you can share useful information for engaged couples, such as wedding-related events, awards you have received, tips for couples, etc.

4# Create a website worthy of top wedding photographers

 

If there is one thing the websites of the best wedding photographers have in common, it is that they convey emotions. To make your website more than just a business card with your contact details and the occasional wedding image, it is important that you take care of the content you publish on it. Both in your galleries and written information.

Because if you think about it carefully, your photography website is going to be your letter of introduction and if couples don’t find the information they need or you don’t connect with them, there is a good chance that they will never get in touch with you. That is why it is important that, before you start advertising your Christmas campaign, you have your photography website ready. Here are some of the steps you can take:

• Look for a design that suits your style of photography.
• Make your best wedding images the real stars and display them full screen on your website.
• Introduce yourself to partners, putting a face to you and knowing something about you will make them more confident in your work.
• Explain in detail how you like to work at weddings, what services you offer and answer any questions they may have.
• Make it clear how you can be contacted, where you are located and your working hours.
• Etc.

Once you have your website up and running, it will be much easier to advertise your work more effectively. In the following article you will find more tips on how to create a professional wedding photography website.

>> How to create a professional photography website in a simple way?

 

5# Offer a premium service to your customers with private galleries

Once the bride and groom have said “I do” to be the photographer who will cover their wedding day and you have covered the event, the job of surprising and offering a 100% professional service will not be over. A satisfied client is the best letter of recommendation they can give you and a powerful way to get new clients, so it is essential that you take care of them from start to finish.

Thanks to the private client galleries, you will be able to offer them, after the wedding, a premium service in which they will be able to view, directly from their homes and from any type of device, the photographs  their wedding day.

But this customer area service goes much further than just being a channel through which you can send your wedding photos, as you will be able to carry out a multitude of very interesting actions, such as, for example:

• Surprise your clients with a small selection of images a few days after the wedding.
• Send wedding images so that couples can comfortably make the selection of the photos that will go in the wedding album.
• Once you have the edited photos, you can send them to them via a selection gallery for them to download.
• And if you turn that gallery into a gallery with multiple options, engaged couples will be able to buy extra photos, use artificial intelligence to search for specific photos, etc.

These are just a few ideas but you can create many other galleries, for example: for guests to buy their photos, with special packs for couples, etc.

 

 Follow these tips and become the most sought-after wedding photographer for bridal couples

To be the wedding photographer that a couple wants to have at their wedding, it is important to do a good job but it is also essential that they manage to find you in their Internet searches. Therefore, having a professional photography website, adapted to your business, connected to the networks and with the possibility of creating all kinds of private galleries for your clients will be your best ally when it comes to making a living from wedding photography.

If you don’t have your photography business with us yet and would like to try out our business solutions, you can now use our products for 14 days free of charge and without any commitment fees.

 

 

This time we are going to share with you the interview of one of the best wedding photographers who has been relying on our business solutions for years, Alfonso Novo from Emovere Studios. A great friend and ambassador of Arcadina.

>> Alfonso Novo and Emovere Studios visit Arcadina

And to say goodbye for today, let’s ask a question. What kind of actions are you currently taking to promote your profession as a wedding photographer? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Arcadina goes with you

Fulfil your dreams and develop your professional career with us. We offer you to create a photography website for free for 14 days so that you can try our platform without any commitment of permanence.

Arcadina is much more than a website, it is business solutions for photographers.

If you have any queries, our Customer Service Team is always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We listen to you.