Wedding Photography Podcast | How To Become A Successful, Full-time Wedding Photographer | Wedding Photography Tips

With the internet at our fingertips, you really can Google any information you need and get answers straight away. Perhaps you type into a search engine “how to book wedding photography clients” and it will come up with millions of free articles offering tips or even courses and programs with the answers you’re after. So if everything you need is already out there, why are you still struggling as a wedding photographer? In my opinion, it’s because the information that’s out there is lacking three things: A proven step-by-step approach on how to complete tasks and achieve tangible results. Accountability to ensure you get the work done. A network of like-minded people who are just as committed to achieving success as you are. That’s why in this day and age, you’re not going to cut it as a wedding photographer if you’re just sourcing your information online. You need a coach who’s gone through it all before and can offer you advice, hold you accountable and connect you with others who are in exactly the same

“Be someone or do something worth talking about in wedding photography” - this is my take on Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote. In a day and age when there are so many photographers out there and the market is completely saturated, it can be difficult to stand out. It used to be easy to just have the best gear and be a great wedding photographer to get clients. But today, you need to do much more. The truth is, people really care about how you make them feel and what benefits you’ll bring to them. So in this podcast episode, I want to focus on finding ways you can make a difference, bring value to others and do something that’s memorable in other people’s minds. If you’re just starting out as a second photographer, are you dependable and reliable? Or if you’re running your own wedding photography business, what are you doing that’s making a difference in the lives of your clients, other wedding photography vendors….even other wedding photographers? We’ll chat about what you can do outside of the box to make yo

When you first start out in wedding photography, you’re probably just soaking it all in and wanting to learn as much as possible. But there comes a point where you have to start taking action and put in the time required to get things done that will lead to bookings. In doing so, you have to start saying “no” to lots of other things in your life and focus that energy on growing your business. It might sound like a harsh reality, but saying “no” as a wedding photographer to other things in your life is what it takes to be successful. It might be saying “no” to socializing and watching TV or maybe it’s saying “no” to social media (aside from business needs). Perhaps there are hobbies or interests in your life that you need to scale back to give yourself time to focus on your business. In this podcast episode, we’ll chat about the importance of prioritizing things in your life and figuring out what you can say “no” to. If you try and do everything, it just won’t work and the success of your wedding photography b

Something I hear time and time again from reading industry-related articles and chatting with colleagues is that wedding photography is dead. The market has become completely saturated with so many wedding photographer entering the market and they’re driving the prices down, making it hard for existing (and new) photographers to make a living. Once you’ve paid for your operational and education expenses, as well as gear and marketing, you’re left with little to show for it. So is wedding photography dead? While I agree that times are challenging and prices are being driven down with more competition, I don’t agree that you can’t make a healthy living in the industry. In this podcast episode, I’ll debunk some of the most common, related complaints I’ve been hearing through social media discussions and direct from colleagues, such as their struggles with only getting budget clientele leads to not getting any leads at all, despite spending thousands on advertising. One of the most interesting perspectives is tha

Chances are you have a timeline that you’re working towards and a goal for achieving success in wedding photography. Perhaps it’s when you start booking X amount of weddings a year or have the financial security that you can quit your conventional job. But the truth is, that window of success isn’t open as long as you might think it is and if you haven’t gotten to where you want to be in three years, it’s probably already closed. This might sound like tough love but it’s based on my experience of chatting and coaching dozens of wedding photographers over the years. If you’re doing the same things over and over again, without making any inroads or gaining traction in your business, then you need to re-evaluate things. Perhaps you’ve had the mindset that you’ve got years to get to where you want to be and are just doing the bare minimum when it comes to working on your business. If this is the case, then you’re going to get left behind. Remember, not only are you competing against your own timeline but hundreds

We’ve all heard the phrase about getting someone to “know, like and trust you” and this definitely rings true as a wedding photographer. In this podcast episode, I’ll break down why each of these elements is important to your success in booking wedding photography clients and introduce you to a couple more steps that are essential in the process. Wedding photography clients will probably “know” about you through your marketing or word of mouth from family and friends. Then they’ll decide if they “like” your work, style, and branding by browsing your website, as well as get an idea if your personality suits them. But rather than skipping from this step directly to having “trust”, they need to “remember” you, after they’ve been distracted by whatever else is going on in their lives. You need to be fascinating or outstanding enough that you stick in their mind until the time comes that they actually “need/want” a wedding photographer. Hopefully, by this stage, you’ve done enough to earn their “trust”, whether it

When you first start out in wedding photography, you’re probably excited and inspired about what lies ahead. But as soon as you start running into challenges, these feelings can quickly transition into nerves and fears about the reality of being a wedding photographer. Perhaps you’re afraid that despite all the hard work and investment in equipment, people won’t love your photographs and family or friends won’t want to recommend you. Maybe you’re worried that clients will arrange a meeting but then decide they don’t trust you or simply don’t like you enough to book. Your fears as a wedding photographer might be that you’ll do a terrible job on a couple’s special day and your reputation will be completely ruined. After more than a decade working as a wedding photographer, I can tell you that these fears never go away, so it’s important to understand that they’re completely normal. In this podcast episode, we’ll chat about how you can channel them into something positive and motivating while pushing yourself to

After working in this industry for more than 10 years, it’s become apparent that (more often than not), we attract wedding photography clients that reflect who we are. Perhaps it’s in their personalities, beliefs or values, and this could translate into a good or bad thing for your business. If you’re getting your ideal clientele, then great - keep doing what you’re doing! Obviously, you have a clear idea of who you are as an individual and are authentic in how you present yourself to wedding photography clients. However, if you’re constantly getting inquiries from clients asking for a discount or those who are micromanaging you throughout the day, then it might be time to take a good, hard look in the mirror. In this podcast episode, we’ll chat about why people want to do business with people who are similar to them and how this makes clients feel comfortable. Maybe you’ve noticed that your clients are just as reserved or outgoing as you are. Or perhaps you feel that your clients don’t trust you. Does this r

Often you’ll hear wedding photographers saying they got X number of leads last month or a wedding photography directory claims they’ll get you a certain number of leads if you advertise with them. But it’s important to understand that not all leads are equal and there is a big difference between quality leads and those that are just wasting your time. So what exactly is a quality wedding photography lead? In this podcast episode, we’ll discuss their criteria so you know how to go about getting them. Does your photography attract the kind of clientele you want and result in leads for weddings at venues you want to shoot at (and in your preferred style)? I’ll also share with you some of my tips for getting quality wedding photography leads, including the need to be in multiple places, having a solid website and responding to queries in a prompt manner. I truly believe that once you’ve got the lead, you’re more than halfway to securing the booking.

It might sound like a harsh reality check but there are some things you just have to do if you want to become a successful wedding photographer. And if you’re not willing…then don’t bother! It’s better to save your time and money, rather than go down a path that’s doomed to failure. In this podcast episode, I’ll share with you 10 things that you need to do if you want to see traction in your business. We’ll start with things like stop complaining about not getting enough leads or having enough time available, as well as stop making excuses about why you haven’t seen the success you want. It’s also essential that you have a game plan with realistic goals that you’re going to stick to and that you surround yourself with like-minded people who are just as committed as you are to help keep you motivated. This year is all about simplifying your road to success as a wedding photographer and taking a no-nonsense approach. So whether you’re just starting out in the industry or you’ve been at it a while and aren’t see

As the New Year celebrations die down and people are back at work, it’s time to look ourselves in the mirror and ask some tough questions. This is not about “Am I going to go full-time or part-time in wedding photography?” but “Am I EVER going to make it in wedding photography at all?” When you’re just getting started in wedding photography, there’s always a high level of excitement as you get things off the ground. But fast-forward six months and many of us hit a brick wall, with no traction and no portfolio to show for our efforts. So perhaps you head to YouTube or a conference to get inspired, or maybe you invest some money, hoping it will lead to a few bookings or even just the opportunity to second shoot. In this episode, I want to tell you that you’re not alone and I completely understand that feeling. I’ve been there and there are even moments now when I feel I’m not getting results for the hard working I’m putting in. But rather than stumbling along in the dark, I want us to look ourselves in the mirr

It’s all too often that I hear my students or community of wedding photographers saying they feel overwhelmed by the amount of educational content that is out there. As a result, we’re often incredibly inefficient in the way we use that content or are doing things in the wrong order, resulting in us not progressing in our business at all. So I want to make things really simple - there are only two things you really need to do to be successful in your wedding photography business. 1. Book weddings. 2. Shoot weddings competently, creatively, and comprehensively. The hardest part is the first step - getting some to hire and pay you to shoot their wedding. But if you do book a wedding and capture it beautifully, then you’ll have amazing photos to market your business and probably get great testimonials and reviews, which will help to increase your reputation and lead to you booking more weddings in the future. So whatever you’ve been doing up until now, stop! Sit down and make a list of everything you’ve been spe

For the first podcast episode of 2019, I want to share with you the biggest change that has taken place in my life over the last few months and that’s returning to work as a full-time engineer. Don’t worry, I’ll still be running my business as a full-time wedding photographer and providing educational content to the SIWP community. But you might be wondering why I made the decision and how I’m going to make it all work. I’ll share with you my career history working as an engineer before I transitioned to becoming a full-time wedding photographer back in 2009. While I love being a wedding photographer, recently I’ve been craving a new challenge and wanted to diversify my career to see just what I was really capable of. So, can I do both? I want to be living proof that it is possible and share with you how I’ve made it work so far. I’ll chat about some of the things I really like about my new lifestyle, as well as those that I don’t, such as the long commute and having to use a PC again after all these years on

Long-time listeners will remember some of the wedding photography goals I set out for 2018 and in this podcast episode, I want to recap those and share with you my resolutions for 2019. From eating healthier and losing weight to photographing at least 35 weddings and grossing more than $150,000 in my business, I’ll share with you how well I did in meeting these goals and where I fell short. We’ll also chat about the reasons why I didn’t meet some of them, which was because I was busy doing other things. These included starting my sister wedding photography company, Aevitas Studios, and running my first-ever, month-long wedding photography workshop. But looking towards the future, I’ll share with you what my goals are for next year, including taking on fewer weddings as I grow Aevitas Studios and running a new wedding photography coaching program. I’ll also touch on a big change that is going to take place in my life as I start a completely new job.

As business owners, we all know that there can be some real costs associated that we have to take into consideration from day to day, but in this episode, we’re flipping things around and talking about the real costs of NOT running a successful wedding photography business. Yes, you read that right. There are actual costs incurred when your wedding photography business isn’t as successful as you want it to be. We want you to get some really clear insight as to why it is important to pursue your goals and achieve the success that you want, so we’re breaking it down for you with the following four main costs that are incurred when your wedding photography business isn’t profitable. When you’re NOT booking weddings, you’re not making income. We all know that no or low income can have a huge impact on several different areas of your life. If you don’t make some changes, booked weddings aren’t going to magically appear in your schedule. How much is NOT booking weddings costing you? $5k? $10k? How would that income

“Tis the season!  In the wedding industry, the months of December through February are known as the “Proposal Season,” and that means it’s time to build leads and book weddings. Preparing your business for this season would have ideally happened a few months ago, but in this podcast episode, we are going to cover a few ways to increase your odds for making the most of the season no matter how prepared you are today. Word of mouth is always the best way to grow any business, and wedding photography businesses are no different. Word of mouth goes deeper than just your network of friends and family - there are preferred vendors, reviews, and of course social media, as well. These can all generate valuable wedding photography leads to your business. Making your first impression will often happen through your website or social media, so in this episode, we’ll also talk about effective marketing strategies to get the most out of your online presence with blogging, online advertisements and more. It is always helpfu

Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered quite a lot of content about "How To Photograph A Wedding", including the getting ready moments, portrait sessions and shooting both the ceremony and reception. In this episode, we are going to backtrack just a little bit and travel back into the basics, where I will share with you the one most important thing that you can take away from this podcast series to guarantee your success. First of all, a really important aspect of learning How to Photograph a Wedding is getting to know your gear inside out - not only understanding the fundamentals of photography but being comfortable shooting using your equipment in manual mode (and not trying to figure it out on the day of the wedding). If you find yourself overwhelmed with the pressure of shooting a wedding, it’s helpful to remember to just take a deep breath and go back to the basics of what you know, rather than trying to do anything out-of-the-ordinary. The most important aspect of running a wedding photography business

Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered quite a lot of content about How To Photograph A Wedding, including the getting ready moments, portrait sessions, and shooting both the ceremony and reception. So in the final episode of this five-part series, I wanted to share a few final tips and advice on what to do next. We’ll chat about the importance of knowing your gear inside out - not only understanding the fundamentals of photography but being comfortable shooting in manual mode (and not trying to figure it out on the day of the wedding). If you do get overwhelmed with the pressure of shooting a wedding, just take a deep breath and go back to the basics of what you know, rather than trying to do anything out-of-the-ordinary. Going forward, there’s always room to improve as a wedding photographer, so be constructively critical about your photography skills and determine which aspects you need to work on. That being said, change doesn’t happen overnight and it’s important to not constantly be comparing yourself t

Although you might not be under as much pressure as you are when capturing getting ready moments and portraits, photographing the wedding ceremony and reception comes with its own set of challenges. In the fourth episode of this five-part podcast series “How To Photograph A Wedding”, we’ll focus on tips for shooting ceremonies and receptions. The good news is that you don’t have to offer much guidance to your couples or work under the time pressure of capturing getting ready moments. But that being said, you also can’t do-over photos if you don’t get them quite right, with just one chance to come away with a beautiful portfolio of images. We’ll chat about some of the challenges of photographing wedding ceremonies and receptions, including the restrictions on shooting angles, harsh or low lighting conditions, and small spaces. Perhaps the schedule is already running late and you don’t feel comfortable asking the couple if they want you to stay and do overtime. Or maybe you’re feeling uncertain about what’s goi

Capturing couple, bridal party, and family formals portraits can be one of the most rewarding parts of a wedding day. Not only is it your time to shine as a wedding photographer, but these are the photos that you will use to showcase and market your business, as well as the ones most likely to be printed and hung on your couples’ walls. But it can also be one of the most challenging parts of the day - perhaps the schedule is running late, you’re faced with bad lighting or you’ve just run out of ideas for couple poses. Add to that people not responding to your directions and you’ve got a lot to juggle in a short space of time. In this third episode in my five-part series “How to Photograph a Wedding”, we’ll chat about how to approach couple, bridal party, and family formals portraits. I’ll share with you some of my top tips for overcoming the challenges often faced so you come away with beautiful photos and build your reputation at the same time. From giving your couple wedding day tips and asking them to fill