Great post. I appreciate your candor. I've been asked to do 3 weddings. I turned each down. Despite the pay, i could not put myself through the stress of getting someone's most important day of their life perfect. I'm satisfied with the stress-free lunches I earn.
Love this! I don't shoot weddings, but I once had a brand change the aesthetic they wanted *after* the photos were edited and delivered, despite the fact they'd signed off on a treatment pre-shoot. It was bonkers. I now have an "aesthetics clause" in my contract acknowledging that the client is familiar with my editing style and agrees to accept that style in the finished images.
You are excellent at seriously and critically detailing the realities of balancing art and client requirements with empathy for both. This is the type of post people who are serious about wanting to work in creative careers should read so that they understand that they will have challenges and have to stand up for themselves, but also understand that there is some behavior you can't get away with and many of them involve trying to hide shortcuts.
Great article. I'm not a professional photographer, but in my view wedding photography is a service industry and, within reason and unreasonable clients excepted, the client's wishes should be paramount.
I’m a total amateur who has zero interest in doing paid work but somewhat curious about how professional photographers make it or do it in the real world. I just discovered your Substack via another photographer (Perfect Light). What I appreciate most about your writing in addition to its effectiveness is your candor about working as a pro including handling situations you have encountered and evaluation of your failures and successes. The son of a local photographer (now deceased) from whom I once took a workshop and met recently invited me to his college graduation party and asked if I would take pictures there for him. Gratis of course which was fine with me because I’m always interested in a new kind of photo opp and like doing candids of people enjoying themselves (who doesn’t?) After reading your account of being a wedding photographer I’m wondering what I got myself into even though I told him I have little experience with that kind of situation. It’s coming up this weekend so I guess I shall see! Hopefully some of your lessons learned will serve me too.
Another great post! In the NY Times piece, John Dolan is extensively quoted; he is a justifiably well-known wedding photographer who often produces blurred, out-of-focus black-and-white images that are just fantastic. He also makes formal portraits in color, and in fact recently shot the Biden's granddaughters wedding at the White House, to further validate your comment about how good wedding photographers need a deep toolbox of technical and aesthetic chops. He's got a great Insta. I've shot 7 weddings, all for free, all for friends, and remain friends with them all. It's a really hard gig to do well, and like any business, people skills and understanding the culture of the client is paramount.
So interesting. I can understand both sides. But honestly some of the photo editing looked so lazy -- like the portrait shot where the bride's teeth look orange. I mean, come on.
Thank you for sharing your experiences as a wedding photographer. I appreciate how you compared and contrasted the wants of customers and editors.
This was my favorite line, “slathering lackluster photos in sepia-tinged art sauce.”
Thank you, Jeremy!
Great post. I appreciate your candor. I've been asked to do 3 weddings. I turned each down. Despite the pay, i could not put myself through the stress of getting someone's most important day of their life perfect. I'm satisfied with the stress-free lunches I earn.
Love this! I don't shoot weddings, but I once had a brand change the aesthetic they wanted *after* the photos were edited and delivered, despite the fact they'd signed off on a treatment pre-shoot. It was bonkers. I now have an "aesthetics clause" in my contract acknowledging that the client is familiar with my editing style and agrees to accept that style in the finished images.
You are excellent at seriously and critically detailing the realities of balancing art and client requirements with empathy for both. This is the type of post people who are serious about wanting to work in creative careers should read so that they understand that they will have challenges and have to stand up for themselves, but also understand that there is some behavior you can't get away with and many of them involve trying to hide shortcuts.
Thank you!
Great article. I'm not a professional photographer, but in my view wedding photography is a service industry and, within reason and unreasonable clients excepted, the client's wishes should be paramount.
This is great. I've never really shot weddings, and it strikes me as quite difficult. My hat's off to wedding photographers.
I’m a total amateur who has zero interest in doing paid work but somewhat curious about how professional photographers make it or do it in the real world. I just discovered your Substack via another photographer (Perfect Light). What I appreciate most about your writing in addition to its effectiveness is your candor about working as a pro including handling situations you have encountered and evaluation of your failures and successes. The son of a local photographer (now deceased) from whom I once took a workshop and met recently invited me to his college graduation party and asked if I would take pictures there for him. Gratis of course which was fine with me because I’m always interested in a new kind of photo opp and like doing candids of people enjoying themselves (who doesn’t?) After reading your account of being a wedding photographer I’m wondering what I got myself into even though I told him I have little experience with that kind of situation. It’s coming up this weekend so I guess I shall see! Hopefully some of your lessons learned will serve me too.
Good luck!
Thanks!
Another great post! In the NY Times piece, John Dolan is extensively quoted; he is a justifiably well-known wedding photographer who often produces blurred, out-of-focus black-and-white images that are just fantastic. He also makes formal portraits in color, and in fact recently shot the Biden's granddaughters wedding at the White House, to further validate your comment about how good wedding photographers need a deep toolbox of technical and aesthetic chops. He's got a great Insta. I've shot 7 weddings, all for free, all for friends, and remain friends with them all. It's a really hard gig to do well, and like any business, people skills and understanding the culture of the client is paramount.
Just checked him out, he is able to turn art sauce into stories. Good stuff.
Fascinating. Thank you.
So interesting. I can understand both sides. But honestly some of the photo editing looked so lazy -- like the portrait shot where the bride's teeth look orange. I mean, come on.
Love seeing your past wedding work included with your essay. Thank you for sharing.