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Just a quick reminder for those new to this newsletter.

INSIDE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY is about the inner game of weddings.

I don’t talk cameras or tech because there are way smarter people who care more about gear than I do.

I talk about the things that I wanted to know when I started out.

I focus more on the things that take a new photographer who wants to build a business shooting weddings deeper into the special nuances of wedding photography.

It’s the stuff that wedding photographers WANT to talk about with each other but are afraid to.

Wedding photographers are typically a bit cagey about their process.

It’s common thinking that talking too much to “the competition” about how they shoot and what they know will reveal the recipe to their secret sauce, and they’ll lose business because of it.

I’ve been blessed to have shot all the weddings a photographer could ever wish to shoot, and now I want to help others experience what it’s like to call themselves a Professional Wedding Photographer.

I’m covering the touchy topics and asking the quarrelsome questions I wanted answers to when I started out.

Most of the time, I could not get a good answer because photographers are notoriously territorial and never want some young hustler upstaging them. I get it.

I had a LOT of questions early on, and I didn’t mind upstaging my elders.

Today, I’m setting the stage for the new hustlers and uncovering the content they need to know before they even ask.

Today’s question: How Many Wedding Photos Should I Deliver To My Couple?

The short answer to this often asked question is not exactly the fan-favorite response,

“It depends” (I know...sorry)

There are just too many variables for a flat numeric response. You have to consider:

• How many hours are you shooting?

• How much variety is there within the “scenes?”

• Is there a reception?

• Is there dancing and drinking (this matters a lot)

• Do you like to shoot a lot or a little?

You can shoot for 10 hours and get 500 great photos.

You can also shoot for 5 hours and 500 great photos.

Here’s my take on this question (ie, the longer REAL version).

When you’re looking through all the photos you’ve shot after a wedding, you’re in the “culling” process.

I call this called Editing.

This should be the only time you decide on a photo’s viability.

To put it another way, that is a bit less creative and more blunt, this should be done once and never again.

When you’re editing down all the photos you took, you’re making an important decision.

You’re choosing whether the photo stays and becomes part of the photographic history of your couple’s wedding day OR it goes and becomes deleted data, never to be seen again... that’s it.

Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.

When I edit, I use a program that lets me color-code the photos one by one.

My color scheme is Green for Yes, Red for No and Hot Pink for a duplicate to edit with a Green.

I cover this whole process in full detail in my Wedding and Event Photo Processing Blueprint - Link at the bottom

From there, I move the Processing part in Lightroom.

Don’t make your life difficult.

Yes or No, and when it’s No, stick to that decision.

“But how do I choose what stays and what goes?” Excellent question, I have an excellent answer.

When you’re editing or culling, consider these factors:

• Is this a great shot or not? If you love it, keep it.

• Would someone else find this shot special? Be compassionate but ruthless on this one. If no one would care, dump it. You’ll find many of your artsy detail shots fall into this category, so try asking this follow-up,

• Does this photo advance the story of the wedding day? Now, you can keep some of your art because it serves a purpose.

• Is it redundant? If someone would love to see this person or this moment, you’re keeping it, BUT if you have multiple shots of the same person or moment, choose 2 to 4 of the best and dump the rest. No one wants to wade through 10 average shots of the same thing when there are clearly three that stand above the rest. Again, be ruthless. Keep the best angle, the best lighting, or the best expression, and dump the rest.

• Is the person in the photo memorable? This is a bit of a downer, but think of it this way - If someone in one of your shots died suddenly and this was the last photo of them, would someone be grateful you shot this?

This has happened quite often over the years, and getting this call is horrible.

What you DO NOT want to say is, “Yeah, I did shoot them but I think I tossed it because I didn’t like the shot.”

Of course, you would never say this, but if you did toss a shot unnecessarily, you’d have to live with that (This is also why I keep the Discards for each wedding for a few weeks after the wedding. You never know)

Everyone is important, but not every photo you take is important.

Try to make everyone look good, and the editing part goes a lot smoother.

In the end, you should have the best moments with all the best people, plus a great collection of guests and details to round everything out.

My goal is always to show the photos to someone who wasn’t there (usually my wife), and if she “felt” like she was there, I did my job.

Now for the caveat, because I’ve looked at a LOT of other photographers’ weddings (both keepers and discards).

DON’T ever think you can give your couple too many shots because you can’t.

If you’re following the guidelines above, your shots are either awesome to everyone or special to someone.

NOTE: When you’re shooting an extra special person (Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, etc), make sure you get a few extra snaps of them so you know you’ll have a good one.

That’s pretty much wedding SOP (standard operating procedure).

And to answer your next question - If they’ve been invited to the wedding, they’re special enough to get a photo of them, so you don’t have to make that hard decision.

That’s one reason I like to try to capture everyone having a good time at least once.

So, I know what I just said sounded a bit conflicting.

Be ruthless when you edit, but keep anything special, and btw, everyone is special.

Yes, it is conflicting, but it’s also a dance.

A significant part of your craft is preserving this day and everyone in it, but it’s ALSO picturing this wedding through the eyes of your couple and their family.

If you’ve ever been part of a wedding, you’ll know it goes by very fast.

What happens before the wedding is easily forgotten (Read last week’s issue if you want more on that).

Once the reception gets into gear, the prep and the ceremony seem further and further away.

This is why you’re here, right?

You’ll get better at “seeing the moments” the more you shoot.

If you’re just starting out, err on the side of keeping more than you might like and creating a Photographer’s Favorites folder that highlights your very best (lighting, angle, expression) moments. This part comes at the end, when you’re categorizing things.

Like any creative endeavor, as you get better at shooting and preserving moments, you’ll also get better at trimming out the things that get in the way of telling a great story.

And that does bring up a really great point I just thought of...The Wedding Book!

This album, as most like to call it, is your best of the best collection of images.

If your couple loves the image and it’s integral to the story, it’ll go in here.

Now you don’t have to sweat giving them a few too many (just not a few hundred:)

Read more on Wedding Books here

So, at the end of the day, the loaded question of How Many Wedding Photos Should I Deliver To My Couple? comes down to you.

I’ve talked with former brides I didn’t have the opportunity to work with and heard their stories.

I’ve heard how this person or that person wasn’t photographed and how unhappy they were because of it.

This is a tough one to hear because, yes, the photographer hired should’ve tried to get everyone, BUT, the bride should’ve also mentioned the special people, AND yes, the photographer should’ve asked if there were special people to focus on.

Now you see a bit more of how this entire process is a dance.

Communication is essential to making everyone happy.

So, if you were to pin me down and force me to answer, How Many Wedding Photos Should I Deliver To My Couple? I’d tell you, “As many as you need to tell the story of the day, including all the details and all the people that make this story complete…now please get off of me!”

What I HIGHLY encourage you NOT to say is, “I deliver 500 photos,” which I’ve seen a LOT of photographers do as a marketing line to impress potential brides.

You don’t know how many photos you’ll shoot.

You don’t know how long you’ll be there.

You don’t know IF there will even be enough good things to shoot to fill your 500-image quota.

What happens if you only have 450 shots that should be in your gallery? Will you add in 50 that should be in the trash?

And what happens if you have 600 great shots? Will you trash them because that’s what you said you’d deliver, and you don’t want to offend your other clients?

Of course, more time typically yields more photos, and different weddings yield more opportunities to take more photos, but the creative process of retelling the story of this wedding day with photos is about your ability to preserve the day as it happens.

Again, it’s up to you.

Serve your couple.

Serve their families.

Serve their guests.

Be a good storyteller and tell the best story you can.

How many photos you deliver to your couple is one part of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 5 Minutes]

For the wedding photographer, the day typically starts with the hair and makeup for the female members of the bridal party.

This is one of my favorite parts because it’s completely unscripted, often very emotional and highly creative.

The BTS (behind the scenes) specifically of the bridal party is much more elaborate than a group of dudes putting on their suits and shoes and heading to the ceremony.

Of course, there’s a little more to it, but not much.

For the ladies, this backstage gathering is an event within itself.

Often taking place at a home or hotel room, The Prep, as I call it, is a time-honored ritual of getting ready for the wedding.

All the bridesmaids, moms, aunts and cousins gather together to get their hair and makeup professionally applied, put on their special dresses (that they will probably only wear once) and then crescendo to the bride putting on her wedding dress.

This pregame can last anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on how many professionals are helping with the process.

In the big picture of the day, many think this prep holds little value. Sure, it’s just the “girls getting ready,” and while that seems like a small thing, as I tell my brides in our initial meeting, “This is part of the day that is immediately forgotten once the ceremony starts.”

The girls gathered together, drinking mimosas in their monogrammed silk robes, laughing, talking, singing, dancing, and bonding to celebrate the greatest day in the life of their friend, sister, or daughter is not insignificant, and it should not be forgotten, in my opinion.

That’s the power of your wedding photos.

For those who aren’t in the room where the pregame is held, it might not sound like anything “happens”...but you know differently.

This is where, for a short time, everything important happens - and you have a camera.

When Mom cries as she zips up her daughter’s dress

When the bridesmaids give a hilariously heartfelt toast to the last member of their college friend group to get married

When the bride’s grandmother presents her with a family heirloom for her “something borrowed”

When the bride got an uncomfortable amount of tule wadded up under her wedding dress and the maid of honor had to go “down under” to free it

Yes, these all happened and these are small yet powerfully meaningful moments that disappear when the ceremony starts.

Once the bride starts down the aisle, everything that happened before quickly becomes a distant memory.

And this is the heart of your mission - preserving those forgotten moments.

“But Chris, is this really that important?”

You might not consider yourself a storyteller, but don’t forget, your eyes are the only ones NOT emotionally invested in this day.

You might not feel like one, but you and your camera are there to observe and preserve, and once you click that shutter, the storytelling begins...and the fun begins.

When you first meet with your bride, you get to hear about all her plans and aspirations for the day.

When the prep starts on the wedding day, the plans are in motion, and it’s game on.

2-6 hours of hair and makeup might seem like a long time, but put yourself in the mind of the bride.

She’s about to say the two most powerful words she’ll ever say to another person and seal it with a life commitment.

Do you think she wants to look good? Yup!

Do you think she might be a bit nervous? Yup again!

This is what makes your photos of this backstage so impactful!

Only a select few people get to be there in person for this time, but with your photos, you get to capture and preserve the emotions - the calm before the awesome craziness of a wedding reception.

This is the quiet final chapter of the bride-to-be surrounded by the most important people in her life.

This is also the place where about 40% of the wedding day details are found.

And this is why the preparation photos matter.

This is your wedding gift to the happy couple.

You get to look, SEE, and bring all of these wonderful details back to the bride.

And as a bonus, you can give the groom an answer to his burning question, “Why in the world did it take six hours to get ready?!”

The ceremony is the heart of your couple’s wedding day story, the reception is the climax, but the prep is where it all begins.

This is the prologue to the day. Where characters are revealed and where you build that initial connection in the story.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. This might sound a little too romantic for the role of a wedding photographer.

I assure you, there’s nothing “too” about it.

It is that good.

The importance of shooting the bride’s BTS is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time > 7 Minutes]

When you’re starting as a wedding photographer, one of the most powerful things you have is your time and attention.

You may not have experience. You may not have a huge portfolio, but you do have your time and attention, and you should offer that in abundance.

Of course, when you’re super famous and have a full calendar, you should still offer your time and attention in abundance (you’re a pro, after all, and that’s what pros do).

BUT when you’re still building up to super-photographer-stardom, the initial meeting with your client can be a tremendous break for your burgeoning business.

When you’re meeting with your client for the first time, this is your first and BEST opportunity to make a connection.

Maybe it’ll end with a wedding on the “the books,” or maybe it’ll end with you deciding, “This isn’t a good fit.” That’s what you’re there to find out.

Here are 6.5 things you can use to make this meeting as valuable as possible.

1. Start With Listening

As much as you’d love to whip out those photos and start talking about how shiny and fast your camera is, remember the classic business axiom,

It’s NOT about you!

Ask questions to learn more about the people sitting in front of you.

Pro Tip: What you learn can be used in how you craft what you’ll say when it’s time to talk.

• “Tell me about your wedding.” (This is always my first question, btw)

• “Have you had any challenges with the planning?” (This sets you up to help fix them)

• “How did you and Mr. Perfect meet?” (Always brings a smile, and it sets a nice tone for the rest of the meeting)

Brides LOVE talking about their day, so wind ‘em up, put on your ears and take it all in. Your job here is to listen, learn and show genuine interest.

You can take notes if you want, but I prefer mental notes you can call on later. “You mentioned wanting to find ___. Have you tried ___?”

Remember, you’re quite possibly the most objective and valuable resource she can have, so don’t be afraid to help if you can.

2. Set a Good Vibe

You’re not selling her a new car, so don’t act like it. Get her excited about her wedding day by talking about weddings. Everyone knows this is a sales meeting, but the less you sell, and the more you storytell, the better your connection will be.

3. Show...with Stories

OK, there’ll be a point when you can pull out your books, prints or tablet and show off your work.

My best recommendation is to add the stories behind the photos.

Put your bride right into those moments. Describe what happened before and what happened after. How did THIS moment develop?

This is especially helpful if you’re new and don’t have a ton of photos to show.

When I was starting, I had eight photos in my portfolio, yes, eight...and one of them was really out of focus!

But each one had the full story behind it - Why I shot it, what the couple was doing to lead up to it, and how I “intentionally” shot that one completely out of focus...and why it was awesome.

Everyone loves a good story, so tell one! Hopefully, you have more than eight photos, but if not, I can confidently tell you that it CAN be done!

4. Communicate Your Process

I try to weave this into each photo - talking about what I like to do and how that achieves the results I’m going for. It’s not technical, it’s narrative.

When you describe the method behind your madness, brides will see your creative brilliance and appreciate it.

When they hear the passion in your process, they’ll be drawn to it and want that for their wedding.

The ultimate goal is to make them feel like you’re someone they can trust with their day.

5. Be Confident With Your Rates

I don’t know who likes to talk about money, but prepare yourself, because you’ll have to... and it will be fine.

Be confident and firm.

Don’t forget, you’re offering an extremely valuable service to your bride, her groom, her family and her friends…and it’s worth every penny.

Talk benefits, not features.

I prefer to turn this into a conversation.

Ask what they’ll need, and then build a package or find one that fits into your existing packages.

• What time is the ceremony? (This sets the timeline)

• Would you like shots of getting your hair and makeup done? (After you’ve shown all these amazing shots, do you think she’ll say no?)

• What time were you thinking about leaving at the end of the night? (Showing a cool farewell shot helps make sure you’re there for the duration)

These are all leading questions that help build your wedding coverage. There’s no such thing as a three-hour wedding day, but there might only be a budget for three hours.

Start with what’s really going to happen, build up the story (with your photos), and then let the bride decide what she wants.

Hint: The bride wants EVERYTHING, so try to make it happen for her and build accordingly.

6. Always End With Gratitude

Whether they book you or not, wedding photography is a relationship business, and you are a wedding professional.

Be grateful for this time and this opportunity to chat about something you’re passionate about.

Your friends are already tired of hearing you wax poetic about taking photos, so cherish this time with a captive audience.

And remember, you might be too expensive for them today, but one of their bridesmaids will be able to afford you tomorrow.

Be their guide. Be their resource, and be the person who sees the wedding day as clearly as they do.

You do that, and you’ll create more than just a happy bride - you’ll create a fan for life.

6.5 My Personal Approach (it’s worth a .5 at least)

I try to spend at least half the meeting discussing something other than wedding photography.

It is, after all, pretty self-explanatory, so I try to have some fun.

The other half, I try to dedicate to the education of my style and approach

• How I photograph differently

• How I care for the bride and groom and their families,

• How I’m different from other photographers (in broad, general terms).

I certainly don’t call photographers out by name, but the bride needs to hear that photographers do things differently and act differently.

I’m a creative person with strong empathy and a strong protective instinct. That’s not the norm with other creative, artistic types.

I talk about the differences in how I see, how I act and how I shoot.

I also use things the bride mentioned and weave those “mental notes” into the conversation.

That’s how to demonstrate you were listening like a pro and not just reciting a rehearsed script.

This is your chance to show your personality.

This is your chance to joke with them, be serious with them, be emotional with them and SHOW them how you see their wedding day.

Describe your work in such detail that they’ll picture their wedding day unfolding right there, and make it so attractive that they couldn’t see anyone else shooting their wedding.

This is how you draw them in.

This kind of storytelling will give them insight into your personality.

It will also demonstrate your care, your attention, and, more importantly, your heart.

That’s really what it’s all about.

Of course, they’re hiring you for your technical skills, but your technical skills are not the most important thing…plus that’s boring.

I’ve seen brilliant photographers who are terrible at connecting with people.

Imagine a photographer who is bad with crowds - surround them with 300-400 people, add in some loud music, alcohol and dancing, and you’re going to see some spectacular-ly bad photos.

That’s the wrong person in the wrong place.

A great wedding photographer cares about people.

They care about moments.

They care about their clients and use their photography skills to preserve this day for them.

Someone like this thrives in crowds of people.

Show your client that at her wedding, you are the right person in the right place.

This will make your meeting and your connection the start of something amazing!

Creating a successful initial client meeting is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 5 Minutes]

The moment I walked into the house, I thought only one thing, “I’ve got to shoot this!”

For this wedding, the “prep” or “pregame,” as I call it, took place at the bride’s house.

This is my favorite place for the prep because it’s personal.

As I’ve mentioned, a wedding day is made up of a bunch of small, hand-selected personal touches that, when combined together, create a wedding day perfectly customized to the bride.

Every wedding is unique and special, and when the pregame takes place at the bride’s home, the specialness levels up significantly.

When I walked into the bride’s home, the first thing I saw was a large, very beautiful grand staircase leading up to the second floor.

For photographers, a staircase is like a frame that not only adds architectural interest to the photo but also creates natural leading lines that highlight the subject.

Remember Jack Dawson watching Rose walk down the staircase on the Titanic? Now THAT’s a staircase shot!

So, I arrive, and the bride invites me upstairs, where everyone is getting hair and makeup done.

Everything progresses nicely, but as I pass from one room to another, getting shots of each girl in some stage of preparation, it keeps calling me, “Hey, don’t cha want to get a shot of me!”

Yes, in my story, the staircase talks and it’s inviting me, no, taunting me to get a photo.

The problem is that everything is happening upstairs, and the bride does NOT want a bridal photo on the staircase.

But it’s my problem, so I get back to work.

After the hair and makeup are finished, the bridesmaids head to one room to get their dresses on while the bride and her mom head to the master bedroom to get her wedding dress on.

As I passed by the staircase, I gave a little whisper, “Don’t worry, I got you.”

The bride is now in her dress, and I step out of the bedroom to see the girls walking down the staircase and beginning to assemble at the base of the stairs for the big reveal...and an added surprise.

I popped back into the room and got a couple more shots of the bride as she walked out into the hall toward the staircase.

“I’ll be there in a sec - why don’t you head down?” I told her and turned back toward the bedroom.

Then, as soon as the bride made it a few steps past me, I turned around just as she hit the first step of the staircase. “I told you I’d be back,” I said in my mind and snapped off three or four shots of the bride’s descent down the stairs.

I used the curve of the two rails to lead the eye perfectly to the bride as she gave her elegant dress a slight tug, moving down each step.

This was the shot I had planned.

Now, for you, the polite yet pedantic art critic, you might be looking at this photo and poo-pooing the (over)use of grain and contrast. You might not like the muted colors either, and that’s totally fair. The photo is 20 years old, and my artistic tastes have matured since then.

As I mentioned 53 words ago, this was a shot that I planned. But there is more to the story…something cool.

I’m not an artist, but sometimes I pretend to be one, and this was one of those days.

Wedding photographers are inspired by a LOT of brilliant photographers who often go to tremendous lengths to get an amazing photo. We all want that feeling that we created something incredible.

I wanted this shot. I found the opportunity, and I took it. It’s a REAL photo of a REAL moment, so my journalistic integrity remains intact.

But as a journalistic wedding photographer, this wasn’t the end of the story.

After I snapped off the three or four shots, I rushed around the banister behind the bride to get the shot of the bridesmaids looking up at her.

In front of them, however, was the surprise...Dad...seeing his little girl for the first time in her wedding dress.

I pressed my finger as quickly as possible, getting as many shots as I could of Dad, his expression and the bridesmaids and their expressions, gently out of focus behind him.

And that’s really the part of the story that makes this photo so special for me.

This moment wasn’t about me. It was about the bride.

When I see this photo, I remember all these pieces coming together with a little planning, a little luck and an itchy trigger finger.

For the bride, this is the moment when she put on her wedding dress and headed down the stairs of her childhood home to marry the man of her dreams.

For Dad, this is the moment when his little girl becomes a woman right before his eyes.

Did I romanticize that too much?

As I mentioned in my last Photo Breakdown a few months ago (Issue #20, if you’re keeping score at home), this isn’t the first time I’ve told this story.

A significant part of my selling process is telling the stories behind the moments.

Perhaps I do this because I’m not a very good salesperson, but for me, THE MOMENTS are what the wedding is all about, and they sell my work better than anything I can say.

This particular moment is extremely special to me because I know how special it was for the bride and her dad. It’s a moment you can’t put a price on.

I don’t think a bride is simply renting a photographer for her wedding day – she’s hiring a visual scribe to preserve the essence of her wedding day in photos (now THAT’s romanticizing!)

Unless you’re content with simply selling your services, take this opportunity as an artist or storyteller to SHOW your passion to your prospective bride through your work.

I can tell with great certainty that it makes the selling process a heckuva lot more fun for you, and even if the bride doesn’t hire you, she’ll never be able to say you’re not passionate about what you do.

Selling with photos and stories is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

Everyone wants to do their best and inevitably, what’s “best” for one vendor isn’t going to be the “best” for another.

This is where conflict arises.

It’s doesn’t happen at a large scale often but little instances add up and can make things challenging if you don’t know how to deal with them.

Today’s questions comes from and it’s an important one.

Thanks Kinga for asking!

Thanks for watching!

If you have a question you’d like answered in an Inside Wedding Photography “Live” or weekly issue of the newsletter, pop it below in the comments.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time - 7 Minutes]

If you’re a sibling or have been a member of any team of any kind, you know what competition feels like.

Competition within the family has an even greater dynamic.

On a wedding day, there are several highly qualified, extremely talented wedding professionals, all doing their best to serve one client...a client you share.

Everyone wants to feel special and loved for the work they do, and they are all contending for the approval of the same client (now you get the sibling reference).

I admit I’m unaware of any serious competitive rifts between the cater and the cake decorator, or the florist and the DJ, but I am keenly aware of the rift between the Wedding Photographer and the Wedding Coordinator (NOT the designer, though sometimes they do both).

Some might say it’s less of a competition and more of a power play, but “tomayto” - “tomahto” it’s still real.

BUT can this professional rivalry somehow benefit you both?

I think it can...if you know how to approach it.

Let’s back up for a sec and ask the obvious question: Why Are You (Sometimes) at Odds anyway? You play totally different roles on a wedding day.

Perhaps we should define things for those who may not have experienced this before.

Wedding photographers and wedding coordinators have vastly different duties, granted, but both want the same thing - a flawless wedding day for their client (their shared client).

But I’ll be honest, it is easy to feel like we’re working against each other instead of with each other. How, you may ask?

The short answer is that both have significant control and sway over the bride regarding the day’s events, and this control can get competitive.

You want examples? OK, to help keep score at home, I’ll make “YOU,” the photographer and assign “THEY” as the coordinator.

When these worlds collide, there’s clear potential for tension.

You both think your job is the most important...and you’re both right, but in different ways.

How do we find common ground?

Let’s hit a few of the larger pain points that nag us both and see how to solve them.

The Timeline Tug-of-War

The Problem: You want enough time for the perfect shots - coordinators just want to keep everything on time.

The Fix: Get together early. Ask for their timeline and communicate your major needs before the wedding week. You know what your bride wants, and they know what their bride wants. Since you both have the same bride, figure out a timeline you can both play with so you both deliver for your bride.

The Vanishing Act

The Problem: You’re doing what you do best, moving around and getting great shots (sometimes inside and sometimes outside), but suddenly, the schedule changes, and you’re not where the coordinator wants you to be at that moment.

The Fix: Until the party moves into All Dancing Mode for the rest of the night, check in with the coordinator now and again. Just a simple “Hey, I’m popping outside to get a sunset shot, anything coming?” shows you care about them, and it earns you major respect. It might seem like you’re checking in with Mom, but it’s not that bad, and it beats having them text you all night.

The Ceremony Slink

The Problem: You want to get a unique shot during the ceremony, but the coordinator doesn’t approve of our movements.

The Fix: This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you really feel the tension. Here’s something else you can chat about BEFORE the wedding to avoid any surprises for anyone. You’re trying to get this photo for your bride, after all. This applies to the Church Lady (yes, they are real) as well, since they are the coordinator and representative for the church.

Family Formal Funny Business

The Problem: Family formals can take forever, especially when family members wander away, or there are surprise “special requests.”

The Fix: Share the shot list with the coordinator in advance so they can help keep things on time. They talk with the bride and mom more than you do, so they can help avoid unforeseen delays before they happen. Remember, they want the formals to wrap up just as fast as you do.

Like it or lump it, the ONLY one in charge at a wedding is the bride and/or mom.

When you try to trump this truth, any power play can easily backfire.

You think you’re in charge because, well... you’re The Wedding Photographer, and The Coordinator thinks they’re in charge because they coordinate everything. This is far too common, but when the struggle for supreme authority goes too far, no one wins.

Your bride certainly does NOT want to see her hired guns pointed at one another, and it’s just a bad look for the family and guests to see, especially when your actions can affect a successful outcome of the day.

Don’t ever forget that your potential referrals are always watching you.

While there’s no magic potion for calming an overly controlling coordinator, there are some clever tactics you can try to cool things off.

Ask for their opinion

This one goes way back to How to Win Friends and Influence People, but it’s still as powerful today as ever.

Coordinators are creative people, but after a day of telling everyone to go there and do that, they might feel more bossy than brilliant.

Get them on your side by asking if they know a cool place to take the couple or discuss the farewell with them. BE NICE!

Anything that shows you care about what they think about will break down any unnecessary barriers your bravado (or bravada) may have built.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

It’s tough to be on the wrong page when you BOTH wrote the planning guide for this wedding, but if you fail to work at it, it can still happen.

Another big part of communicating is giving each other a heads-up for anything unexpected.

Your access allows you to hear things that may come in handy for your coordinator at some point during the day. Sharing any tips or nuggets of caution might prevent something bad from happening, and just might keep a wedding day from turning ugly and making you both look bad.

You and the coordinator are two people who can control and fix things. You gain nothing by hoarding information or by taking all the glory.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, and that’s really what all of this competitive cooperation comes down to - TEAMWORK.

This one day might seem like a big deal, but the odds are pretty good you’ll see each other again, so building a relationship is essential.

You want to build a good rapport so you’ll have someone looking out for you today AND looking out for you tomorrow, when another bride is looking for a wedding photographer and asks their coordinator friend for a referral.

You don’t have to be besties, but creating a solid professional respect is a MUST.

Remember: YOU own the Secret Weapon

Oh, did I forget to mention that while you’re serving your bride by taking amazing photos of the details and decor (something the coordinator probably had a hand in), you’re also creating a much needed portfolio for the coordinator?

Yuuuup!

YOUR photos help other vendors gain future business, and by showing some professional respect, a little grace (because we all need it), and free photos to the coordinator, you’ll gain more respect than you could ever pay for (now we’re talking Power Play).

I know it’s easy for me to say because I don’t have a coordinator breathing down my neck at the moment, but your professionalism doesn’t come all at once - it’s built little by little.

Each action (or reaction) either adds or subtracts another brick to the tower of your reputation. Build it as high and as strong as you can, and soon others will add bricks for you.

Successfully dealing with the wedding coordinators is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography” and THIS is what I write about each week.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

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If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

You know how to shoot everything.

You’re considering shooting weddings.

Why not just jump into it and put your skills to work?

That’s a legitimate question and I have a few good reasons we cover today in this short Q&A.

Thanks for watching!

If you have a question you’d like answered in an Inside Wedding Photography “Live” or weekly issue of the newsletter, pop it below in the comments.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something to help.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

As an add-on to my weekly newsletter Posts, I’ll be going live each week to answer your questions about wedding photography, business or marketing.

My goal is to help take the scary part out of weddings and help you build a business of your own as a full or part-time wedding professional.

Pop your questions in the comments and I’ll answer them in future “Lives”

Talk soon!

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

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[Read Time - 6 minutes]

You’ve probably felt it. I certainly have - That almost debilitating feeling that you don’t belong, that your skills aren’t good enough, or that someone will figure out you’re just “faking it.”

Welcome to the not-so-exclusive club of Imposter Syndrome.

The good news? You’re not alone.

The better news? You CAN overcome it and become the successful wedding photographer you know in your heart you can be.

First, let’s be really honest with each other - Wedding photography is no small gig.

You’re capturing arguably the most important day of a couple’s life. The pressure is real, and so is the self-doubt.

But here’s the thing, you can do this.

No, it won’t be easy, and no, it won’t happen overnight, but with the right mindset and some intentional, repeated action, you’ll go from “Why would anyone hire me?” to “When’s my next wedding?”

Let’s look at a practical five-step formula to overcome imposter syndrome and unlock your true potential as a professional wedding photographer.

Step #1 - Own Your Why

Here’s the truth - wedding photography is as much about your heart and mind as it is about your camera.

Why do you want to be a wedding photographer?

If your answer is, “Because I want to make quick money,” I don’t think you’ll last very long, and you’ll never be truly happy.

If your answer is a bit deeper, like, “I love visual storytelling” or “I want to preserve this day for my couples,” you’re onto something powerful...and meaningful.

Imposter syndrome often thrives when we lose sight of our purpose. When doubt creeps in (usually during slower times), go back to your WHY.

Simon Sinek nailed it when he said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Your clients aren’t just hiring you to take photos.

They’re trusting you to document their wedding day with photos. Let that purpose sink in deep and fuel your confidence.

If you’re confident with your camera skills, the rest happens between your ears.

Feelings that we aren’t good enough also creep in we lose sight of our potential. That’s when it’s time to lean into your photography skills.

Step #2 - “Repetition is the Mother of Skill”

Tony Robbins wasn’t a photographer, but he did know something about building confidence.

Photography, like any creative skill, gets better with practice. The first time you shoot a wedding, it will be scary, and you might feel like you’re fumbling through the day. That’s natural.

Repetition is how you grow.

Think about this: the first time you drove a car, you probably checked your mirrors ten times before moving an inch. Now, you hardly even think twice about hopping behind the wheel.

The same goes for wedding photography.

The more you shoot, the more comfortable you’ll become with every aspect of the wedding day - the different “scenes,” the different groups of people you spend time with, navigating with your gear and, of course, preserving those one-of-a-kind emotional moments that happen oh so quickly and often unexpectedly.

Don’t be afraid to start small.

Offering to second-shoot for an experienced photographer is tremendously valuable as you start building your business.

Each opportunity to shoot improves your skill level, which in turn increases your confidence. (Check out Issue #15 for more about second-shooting)

Step #3 - Build a Highlight Reel

Imposter syndrome loves to tell you that you’re not good enough. One way to shut up that insidious voice is to keep a record of your wins. This is one of the fun parts of being a wedding photographer, btw.

Create a highlight reel, not just of your photos but of your proudest moments.

• That couple who cried when they first saw their wedding photos? Write it down.

• The time you perfectly captured the sunset kiss? Screenshot it.

• The glowing review from a client who said you made their day stress-free? Save it and share it in your marketing materials.

Whenever self-doubt sneaks in, revisit your highlight reel. It’s your proof that you’re making a difference and making work that matters.

Plus, this reel is a SUPER valuable piece of promotional material.

Create a slideshow of your best shots at the end of each year.

This is a great piece of content to share on social, and watching it builds your confidence in a huge way (I promise you on this one).

Step #4 - Reframe Failure as Feedback

Newsflash - you’re going to make mistakes.

You’ll probably make a few big ones. You might miss the First Kiss (been there). Your flash won’t fire on the big dip at the end of the First Dance (done that).

Guess what? That’s part of the process.

It’s an ugly part of the process, but a necessary one.

Every seasoned wedding photographer has war stories and impressive scars.

The difference between those who succeed and those who give up is how they view their mistakes.

Instead of thinking, “Man, I totally blew it! I shouldn’t be a photographer,” ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? What can I do differently to prevent this from happening again?”

Psychologists study Imposter Syndrome, and their research highlights the importance of seeing challenges as opportunities for growth, but you already know this. When you’re faced with setbacks, it’s easy to forget the basics, though.

The best photographers aren’t the ones who never fail. They’re the ones who learn and adapt.

Failure isn’t the end - it’s a stepping stone. You only fail when you stop trying.

Step #5 - Surround Yourself with the Right People

Imposter syndrome thrives in isolation. When you’re stuck in your own head, it’s easy to spiral downward.

Photographers typically work alone, and that’s not always the healthiest environment. That’s why community matters.

Find other photographers to hang with - people who “get” what you’re going through.

Join local or online photography groups. Follow mentors who inspire you. Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on, give honest feedback, and remind you of your potential.

Aside from the help they will give you, you’ll also be a positive influence on others. And it’s a handy way to keep an eye on your competition :)

Pro Tip: When listening to others and taking “constructive” advice, be selective about whose opinions you value. Photographers are wonderful, creative resources, but we’re also fiercely competitive.

As in any industry, jealous ones thrive on bringing others down. One of the byproducts of showing off your best work to others is building confidence and inspiration through comparison.

Building a successful business is a marathon. It’s not a sprint.

Let’s get one thing straight, overcoming imposter syndrome isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s a journey.

Even seasoned pro photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Joe McNally have admitted to feeling self-doubt. The difference is that they don’t let it stop them.

As a wedding photographer, your success won’t be defined by a single wedding. It will be shaped by your commitment to improving your craft as a photographer, your ability to connect with clients, and your determination to keep going even when it’s hard.

Take a deep breath. Take another one. The road ahead will be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. With each wedding you photograph, you’ll gain more confidence, more skill, and more belief in yourself.

Imposter syndrome isn’t a roadblock - it’s a part of the journey.

Your couples don’t need perfection. They need someone who cares about them, who shows up ready to serve, and who’s willing to put their photographic talent into this special day - doing it with heart and a passion for excellence.

Take one last breath…now get to work. You got this!

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome at the start of your wedding career is just one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography. THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time - 7 minutes]

Photographing a wedding is challenging enough.

Adding extra and unnecessary drama on top is especially challenging, and few things are more challenging than working with a genuine “Bridezilla.”

In Issue #18, I talked about what turns a perfectly lovely young bride into the legendary wedding creature known as Bridezilla. (Read that issue here).

Knowing how to deal with her is great, but the bigger question is,

“How do you screen her in advance and avoid that pressure altogether?”

Well, I have good news and bad news.

First, the bad news - Early in your wedding photography career, you’ll more than likely be unable to avoid Bridezilla.

This is unfortunate but also necessary for building a successful business. When you’re starting, it’s important to “get your reps in.”

You need to shoot weddings and get comfortable with all the personalities that come with weddings.

When you’re building your business, you don’t have the luxury of being choosy about the weddings you shoot or the brides you shoot when you’re getting your reps.

Of course, everyone wants that perfect bride - beautiful and kind, loving everything and everyone she comes in contact with - imagine Disney’s original ANIMATED Snow White only in a wedding dress.

Reality isn’t always that easy.

There are some brides who, for lack of a better way to put it, are a handful.

You know people who are demanding and difficult, right? Those people get married, too, and they’re not likely to become a different person on their wedding day, but they do deserve a good photographer for their wedding and early on, that photographer might be you.

Now, the good news. Once you feel like you’ve established yourself, shot a few weddings and are ready to make wedding photography a serious career, it’s time to start setting some boundaries for yourself and your business.

Priority #1 - Hire the people you like and will feel the most comfortable around.

I cannot emphasize how important this is.

Look at it this way - You do your best work when you’re comfortable, right? And if you’re not comfortable, you won’t do your best work. You don’t need to be reminded how important and stressful this day already is.

Would you want to spend the entire day hanging out with AND SERVING someone you didn’t like and didn’t feel comfortable with?

My answer is a resounding NOPE, and I hope yours is too.

This is why it’s so important to meet with your couple before booking them.

Yes, this meeting is about showing off your work, but it’s also about the bride getting to know what you’re like (you’re awesome), AND you getting to know what they’re like (this is what you’re going to find out).

Consider this a creative job interview, and you get to decide who you want to work for.

For starters, if you go into the wedding meeting with this mindset, you will feel massively empowered, which is great for your confidence and selling ability.

This meeting is your opportunity to ask questions and learn what’s important to the bride (Hint: if she doesn’t mention her soon-to-be husband at least once, that’s a red flag).

Of course, the bride cares about the details, but if you hear things like, “I want this to happen, and I want that to happen,” there might be unrealistic expectations (another red flag).

These expectations can set you up for failure.

This is a wedding day, after all, and with so many moving parts, it’s not uncommon for something to go wrong. If you sense this bride won’t be able to handle something going wrong, that’s another sizable red flag.

You want to look for a bride who cares about what this day means more than what it’s supposed to look like.

I know that may be a lot to ask, but your job is also to ask questions.

Ideally, you want a bride who cares about you, your creativity and preserving the great things that will happen throughout the day, not demanding specific things that could realistically be out of your control.

Rain is tough to control. Wind is impossible to control. The Sun is also challenging to control, but good photographers find ways to do it. However, when Mr. Sun decides it’s time to go home for the night and goes down, he’s not coming back up for a while.

There are things you CAN control, but it’ll take cooperation.

If your bride is willing to work with you to help make her wishes come true, then you have something you can build on. It’s your job to communicate with her and discover those little things. It’s a relationship (both business and personal), so treat it like one.

Talk to your bride, take this interview process seriously, and you’ll avoid challenging clients waving all those red flags.

Oh, and one more thing - This also goes for the Mother of the Bride. The bride could be super cool, but if the parents are going to vex you beyond your comfort level, don’t be afraid to make the hard choice.

This doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

And lastly, if you find yourself feeling like you’d be better off NOT working with a bride or a couple, it’s best to say it kindly and honestly.

I recommend taking a day to breathe in and out and think about the time you spent together. If you still feel like you’d prefer NOT to take their wedding, a simple call will do (I prefer to decline with a call rather than an email. It’s a classier move).

Here’s a script you can use.

“Thank you so much for meeting with me yesterday. Your wedding day sounds terrific, but I don’t think I’m the right photographer for you. I need to feel confident for me to do my best work, and given my photography style and what you’ve described for your day, I don’t think we’ll be a good fit.”

You should mention some of your concerns, but don’t be mean and don’t make it personal. Take a tip from Michael Corleone, “It’s not personal, it’s business.”

Keep it businesslike and explain why your style isn’t compatible with her needs.

This may take some practice, but you’ll find the right things to say, and then you can offer other photographers who might be a better fit (This is also a classy move).

I’ll say it again - Do not make this personal.

The bride-to-be is doing her best to create the best possible day for herself (she wants to hire you, after all). She’s not guaranteed to become Bridezilla, but some personalities come together like Lego, and others are like Lincoln Logs (they sort of fit, but not perfectly).

On the wedding day, you want to deliver your very best work, so yes, personalities that are aligned are good.

Be kind, be professional, and if she’s genuinely not going to bring out your best work, do what you feel is best.

But also be very careful who you refer this bride to. The last thing you want is to burn a bridge with a colleague.

But what can you do when you find your bride is actually a Closet Bridezilla? (Here’s an excerpt from Issue #18)

Yes, it does happen. You do your due diligence, and despite your best efforts, you find your lovely bride has a bit of a dark side. Don’t sweat it.

I can tell you that the best defense against a Bridezilla is a strong and syrupy-sweet offense. Don’t go overboard, and don’t “act” like you care if you really don’t, but try these.

• Be a great advocate for your bride.

• Be compassionate and reassuring. Tell the bride how well things are going.

• Go above and beyond and fix whatever is bugging her.

• Be the strong and steady one and always remind her, “No matter what, I’ll make sure the wedding doesn’t start without you” (you can borrow that line if you’d like :)

Believe it or not, this is a way to really gain massive points with Mom and the bridesmaids. By being the coolest head in the room and the most calming person possible.

Everyone sees the little things you do, especially the bridesmaids.

Being comfortable and doing your best work despite personality challenges is just one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 7 minutes]

This is one of the harder topics to write about because I know how important it is to an aspiring creative to turn their passion into a profession.

I know how easy it is to start a business.

I also know how easy it is to fail at growing a business.

I don’t know where you are in your journey, but I’ll assume you’re a good photographer who has already spent a good amount of money on cameras and is now considering how to make some with all this groovy gear.

I don’t want you to decide if you’re going to become a FULL-TIME wedding photographer at this point.

I do want you to ask yourself if you’re ready to turn your photography into a business and a serious form of income for yourself.

My guess is you’ve already crossed that bridge of possibility, and you’re curious how this might look for you.

Now there are several ways to start a small business, and depending on your state or country, you’ll likely do so in the most efficient way possible.

If you’re unsure, go to your local bank and chat with someone there. You can start with a DBA (Doing Business As) Account right away and take the first step. It’s important if you’re making money with your photography that you keep records, pay taxes and do things by the book.

You can run a DBA for a long time until you want to get really serious. Then you’ll have to visit your city and state government offices for the next steps.

The main point here is getting your head straight that THIS is your path, you’re prepared to go down it, AND you’re willing to commit to it, bumps, curves and all.

Starting is easy - Continuing is where it’s challenging. Let’s talk about the next steps.

I don’t know your situation, but let’s look at two common ones.

Scenario #1 - You’re working a job, though NOT as a photographer, and you want to get started in wedding photography. Congrats, this is a GOOD start.

My best advice to everyone interested in wedding photography is to work as a second shooter for a pro who shoots weddings every weekend.

This is THE BEST place to start, and will let you shoot weddings and see if you even LIKE weddings. Not everyone does, and that is just fine!

I talk about second shooting in more detail in Issue #15, and you can read it here.

As you build your skills and confidence shooting weddings and perhaps even other things, you can turn this into a nice side hustle.

The good news here is that everything you do to set up your business transfers easily to another area of photography, like Commercial, Portraits, Sports or Photojournalism.

Scenario #2 - You still have a day job but you’ve been a second shooter and loved it. Perhaps you even booked a small wedding or two of your own and loved that as well. You can see yourself as a professional wedding photographer.

This is a special place to be, and it’s also a dangerous place because you have some money now, a little street cred and a passion that’s pretty hot.

You have a legit side hustle going, and you’re probably thinking, “When is it time to make this a business?” Another way that’s probably close to the mark is, “When can I quit my day job and make THIS my full-time gig?”

This is a very good question and a big one.

Someone smart once told me that the best time to quit your “day job” and make your side hustle your new full-time job is when the day job gets in the way of your growing side hustle. This is good, but there is a bit more to this sage advice.

Of course, this will take some time. Your day job is where your money is (assuming you’re working, of course) and you can’t exactly just take that big step all Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-style.

Your side hustle is where your heart is. I get that, but I also get that you need more than passion to pay the bills. And before you start spending that extra income you got coming in, I want you to do something hard - Save your money.

Let’s back up just a bit before you poo-poo my money advice.

I’m sure you’ve done a little research and found you need a few more things before you can shoot weddings full-time...namely, backup gear.

That means you’ll have to spend a little more money, but you’re determined to pay for this with your earnings, right? Right?

Start slow and, if you can, I recommend borrowing gear as needed until you can shoot enough weddings to justify buying the bare essentials: two cameras, two lenses, two flashes, and plenty of batteries and cards.

Once you have the essential gear, your backup gear and everything you need to shoot wherever and whenever, NOW you’re in a place to start considering making this your top job.

Are you ready to pull the trigger?

Hold on there, cowboy! Remember the saving part? NOW you’re ready to save.

Since we’ve already established you’re working, and money is coming in, when you shoot a wedding, put that money away.

Shoot another wedding and put that money away too. During this first year or two of growth, you’re building your skills (photography and marketing), you’re building your relationships, and you’re building your confidence to do this for a living.

What you also need to build is a little nest egg of savings to get you started.

Have you ever borrowed money for something?

It’s not fun. You have the money, but you still have to pay that money back, and you won’t be free unless you do.

What I’m suggesting is a plan of saving that creates a Personal Pad of Pecuniary Protection (a really fancy phrase for a safety net that I’m now calling your PPPP).

While you’re working your day job and building your side hustle, you’re putting yourself in a position where you can fund The Big Launch.

My recommended PPPP is one year of income and a steady stream of bookings for the next year.

You need a backup savings account equal to your full-time income, and you have enough weddings committed to start a new year to pay all bills.

Once you’ve run the numbers and have a comfortable number of weddings “on the books,” you’ll be able see how much you’re projecting to make this year.

“But wait, Chris, this means I’m working practically two jobs! I’ll be really busy!”

Yes, you are and will be, my friend, but you’re building something for yourself and hopefully doing something you love (Remember that part about seeing if you even LIKE weddings?)

You’ll work VERY hard, but once you fill your PPPP, you get to make the decision you’ve been waiting for... dreaming of, dare I say.

And if you’ve built your PPPP properly, you can sleep easily knowing you have plenty of backup savings to help you build your business the right way.

Look, I’m not a professional money manager. I’m also admittedly a bit overly cautious about making life-altering decisions like this.

When I told my wife I wanted to quit my day job, the security and the insurance, it wasn’t easy.

We had two kids, and I was good at my job. But I had a vision, and I made a plan that made sense and made her comfortable. That’s all that mattered.

You can do this.

You can do it slowly or quickly, but the important thing is to decide TO DO IT and commit to doing whatever you need to make it happen.

With the right mindset, preparation and execution, you can design the work and life you’ve always dreamed of.

Preparing yourself to “take the leap” is just one of the little parts of the inner game of wedding photography. THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also share valuable tips and tales in Notes all week.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting and haven’t quite figured out how to handle the hundreds, or even thousands, of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week, and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use today. Don’t spend weeks processing and miss out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time > 4 Minutes]

This is a somewhat peculiar and personal segment to cover in a newsletter about wedding photography, but it’s definitely an “inside issue and I’m pretty sure you’ll never see or read about this from another photography magazine or blog.

The mystery topic…Taking care of your feet.

I was just over six years into my professional wedding photography career. I was shooting every weekend, and at the end of each night, I was miserable.

When I woke in the morning after a wedding, my legs, back, feet and hips were in tremendous pain, and I could barely walk.

This was not good.

My career was just taking off, but after each wedding, I felt like an octogenarian. Something had to change, and soon.

On one memorably debilitating Sunday afternoon, I was watching the movie Forrest Gump, with my feet up, of course.

When Forrest and Bubba landed in Vietnam, the first person they met was their commanding officer, Lieutenant Dan Taylor. He had two standing orders for every member of his platoon:

“One, take good care of your feet, and two, try not to do anything stupid.”

This is surprisingly good advice, and if it was good enough for soldiers in combat, I decided it was good enough for wedding photographers.

I started with the shoes. You’ll be happy to know I decided NOT to go down the road of horrible-looking orthopedic shoes.

I have some pride and at least a small amount of fashion sense, after all.

My shoes did need an upgrade, however, and I bought some good ones.

I’ll let you decide what “good” means to you, but I’d suggest something in the $100-$300 range. They need to be quality leather shoes with a good build and great support (no fashion slippers! I don’t care how cool or expensive they are)

I could hardly believe what a difference a high-quality pair of shoes can make!

I noticed the difference the very next weekend. My legs were still plenty fatigued at the end of the night, but at least I could walk the next morning with only a small amount of pain.

The next step (no pun intended) - my socks. Lieutenant Dan’s advice finally hit home.

Full disclosure: I’m not a fancy sock guy. I know it’s trendy for some people to wear brightly-colored socks and appear all edgy in their dark pants, but that’s not me.

I’m moving a LOT on the wedding day, so I needed socks that would stay up all day and not look like mini legwarmers every 20 minutes (shout out to those who remember the 80s).

I went with the looong black dress socks that honestly look like they came out of the 80s. Those suckers came up to just below my knee, and thanks to the industrial-strength elastic band, they stayed up no matter how active I was. But then I added my own personal touch...

Athletic socks underneath the dress socks. Don’t laugh, they worked.

I went with golf-style ankle socks so my ankles didn’t look like I was nine months pregnant.

Were they difficult to put on, you bet! Did they give me a cushiony support that kept me moving all day?

You betcha!

And not only did I feel great at the end of the night, but when I woke the next morning, I felt like I hadn’t worked at all, despite having worked a 12-hour wedding just 7 hours earlier.

Look, I know this sounds stupid, but good shoes and socks changed everything for me.

I wouldn’t have made it to over 25 years of shooting weddings without this odd wardrobe change.

Oh, and it works really well for shorter gigs, too.

Now, on to Lieutenant Dan’s second order.

…OK, I’m still working on that one.

Taking care of your feet and extending the life of your wedding career is just one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography. THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also give valuable tips and tales all week as Notes.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time - 7 Minutes]

This is one issue that keeps good photographers from becoming great wedding photographers. It’s debated by many, but usually only between amateurs vs pros.

How much editing should you put into your photos?

This debate also came up in my recent conversation with a former wedding photographer-turned-Uber driver (I talked about him in Issue 28).

One thing he didn’t regret about being a former wedding photographer was the time he spent editing each photo from his wedding. For him, every photo was meticulously touched up to perfection.

I don’t agree with this mindset or this practice.

Early in my career, I attended the big Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) event in Las Vegas.

I was a new wedding shooter, and everything about the wedding business was new. I talked with everyone, and it probably sounded even greener than I really was, but I was learning, and that was the best part.

During one conversation with a veteran wedding photographer, I asked how long it took him to deliver the photos to the couple. “Most people take four weeks, but listen, it’s got to be within two weeks,” he said with authority. “But how is that possible?” I said incredulously. “I have hundreds of photos. I can’t edit them that fast.”

I’ll never forget that conversation because it not only changed my thinking, but it changed my business.

“Your bride doesn’t know the difference between a well-edited photo and perfectly edited photo,” was his prompt response.

If flies were buzzing in the convention center, my open mouth would have caught at least two when I heard that.

How could this be? This highly regarded professional wedding photographer does NOT edit every image they take to perfection before delivering them to their couple. I was floored.

You have to understand that this was early in the digital days. Things were not highly automated like they are now. The images that came out straight from the camera were good, but they were not great. You HAD TO work on them if they were to be ready for prime time.

“Are you now telling me ‘good’ is good enough?”

Yup, that’s what he was saying…and you know what? He was right.

Getting your photos to your couple faster is BETTER than getting them perfect. Remember The Glow?

Before you scream and call me a Photo Blasphemer, let me ask you this - Will your version of “perfect” be the same version of perfect as your couple? Probably not.

So, if your perfect is not really perfect, then WHEN should you strive for perfection?

Oh, pick me, pick me! I have an answer for that one!

Before I reveal my answer, let me hop on a chair like Hamilton and make this proclamation - Your style is YOUR style. What you deliver is a direct reflection of your unique approach to photography. Stand up for it. “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what will you fall for?” (OK, that last line was actually from Hamilton, but it works)

Your secret black-and-white recipe may be super groovy and admired by hundreds, but some folks simply won’t see what all the fuss is about.

Some may even (dare I say) hate it. And that’s just fine because photography is a form of artistic expression, and everyone likes what THEY like and hates what THEY hate.

So what should be perfect…Every. Single. Time?

Your group photos should be perfect. Your “Formals,” as I call them, should be perfect, Every. Single. Time.

The rest of the day is subjective. Sorry, but it’s true.

Your bride and groom hired you for your photographic style, your unique and artistic approach to preserving a wedding day with photos.

The edgy black and whites, the buttery soft complexion on the bridal photos - those things are cool.

The group shots aren’t exactly cool, but they are essential and admired by every member of the family who is in them, and even more so by those who weren’t.

Ever seen one of those ancestry commercials? Your group photos are a part of history. They are the official photos of record of the family members and the closest friends in attendance at your wedding. They’re what I like to call the “team photos,” and they may not be as sexy as the “game photos,” but to many, they are just as important (psst, check out more about how to shoot these in Issue #17).

And that’s why the group shots have to be perfect.

OK, fine, but I thought we were talking about editing. Don’t worry, we still are because while it’s not essential to perfectly edit every photo throughout the day, ALL the formals need to be edited perfectly. Your photo style should also shift toward the middle. Not too light, not too dark, everything should be just right.

Now, the big one.

Other than your bride and maybe the groom, people won’t appreciate the nuances of the game photos, but you want to know what kind of photo EVERYONE universally hates?

One where eyes are closed in a photo.

Can you hear them admiring your photo? “Oh, what a great group photo! That is such a perfect…wait, are my eyes closed in that one?”

Boom, moment blown. Photo fail. Sorry, thank you for playing. That one will certainly NOT make it in the album or be purchased.

I might sound a bit harsh about this, but I’m not, I promise.

I’ve heard the feedback in the days of film and I NEVER want to hear it again.

So what do you do?

When you shoot your group photos, take 3-5 of each group. Yes, they’re the same shot, but with ten or more people in a photo, the likelihood of someone blinking is rather high.

When you shoot a few, you’ll have at least one photo of everyone’s eyes open, even Mr. Blinky McBlinky in the back row.

When you’re editing your photos, if your favorite selection has a blinker, just edit their eyes with another photo using your favorite photo editing software (Do NOT use AI for this).

When you do this, your group photos, the official team photos for the wedding, have everyone looking good, properly posed, perfectly exposed, and all eyes open. Who won’t like these photos? (Besides that one person who never likes seeing themselves, but they don’t count).

Chris, this is pretty obvious, isn’t it? As a professional, isn’t this something everyone does?

I thought so. But I’ll never forget the day a fellow wedding photographer and I had lunch to chat about our businesses and trade war stories.

He pulled out a new wedding album he was about to deliver to his client. He was so proud of it. The book was beautiful. His work was inspiring, and…wait, there, in that group photo of the wedding party - one of the bridesmaids has her eyes closed!

Before I could even put my kindness filter on, I blurted out, “Her eyes are closed!” and his reply is WHY I’m writing this.

He replied blandly, “Yeah, that happens sometimes.”

Let me be so crystal clear that even Colonel Nathan R. Jessup will approve, this should NEVER happen at a time when digital editing is so easy and available!

Since that conversation, I have never assumed that something so basic, like making sure all the eyes in group photos are open, is something every photographer does.

Since then, I now compete against the careless by making my workflow a selling point for the couples I meet.

“Your group photos will be perfect because I know though they might not be the favorite part of the day, they are one of the most important parts of the day, and they should be perfect.”

That line woos the moms Every. Single. Time.

When I shifted my workflow toward delivering faster and making sure the BEST moments were perfect, my business grew.

Now I was able to deliver my weddings in one week (take that veteran wedding pro), make my brides extremely happy, and dedicate more time to perfecting all of the selections for their wedding books or special orders.

And the faster I got at editing, the better I got, which raised the bar even higher in my work with no more time invested. That never would’ve happened if I’d still been trying to make 750 perfect photos for each wedding.

This scenario is a great example of what I call the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also give valuable tips and tales all week as Notes.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you.

It’s a guide to help you process your wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time - 6 Minutes]

So, is it possible to be TOO prepared when shooting a wedding?

No.

Well, that was a short issue! I suppose I should elaborate a bit on WHY you can’t be too prepared.

I’ll give you three good reasons.

#1 It’s not over until it’s over. This is the same mentality when shooting baseball, football, or any sporting event. Until the buzzer sounds, the third out is made, or the clock runs out, the game is still on (and sometimes even after the game is over).

Let’s define our terms.

The “game” is the wedding day. If you’re shooting a wedding and the bride and groom are still there, the game is still on. Never pack up your gear until the game is over.

Now, a quick caveat - You’ve negotiated a set amount of time, and your time is up for the night.

You can leave AFTER you check in with the bride and groom, then the parents and have thanked them all. Once all parties KNOW you’re leaving the wedding, you can leave. Until you do this, the game or wedding is still on.

Who knows. They might want you to stay the rest of the night, they might want you to stay another hour for some group photos, or they might want something else. Don’t fret, this means they want to give you more money.

It’s your job to be prepared for this. Don’t be too hot to head out, and don’t ever make plans to meet up with friends after a wedding.

There are way too many variables at play, and your first concern is for your couple.

Being prepared means being ready for something to happen, ANYTHING. When you’re shooting a wedding, EXPECT someone to ask for something more...even at the moment you’re ready to clock out.

#2 Bad things happen to good people. I found this out a few times, unfortunately (and yes, I do consider myself a good person, in case you’re wondering).

This is the A-#1, Most Important, Super-Special reason for having backup gear. They are tools, and sometimes your tools break.

I’ve never met a bride I could walk up to and say, “Sooo, bad news, my camera broke. I’m sure this would’ve been fun, but I gotta go now. Thanks!” without expecting some significant pushback.

Nope, you gotta be prepared for the worst, and sometimes the worst thing is your tools break. Wipe the tear from your eye, grab your backup and keep going.

Having backup gear may seem obvious, but especially when you’re starting out, this is a valuable sales benefit to a bride on a budget.

I’ve heard more than a couple of stories about photographers who didn’t have enough backup gear and had to scramble. Don’t be that person. Be prepared and act like the professional you are. No one like to scramble.

#3 Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been. Wayne Gretzky isn’t considered the greatest hockey player ever because he has great reflexes. He knows the importance of preparation.

Like all sports, you need to anticipate what is going to happen next if you want to do your best right now. To do this, you keep your eyes open and be ready to point your camera in the direction where things are moving. It takes practice but you do this so you can get the shot when it actually happens. I’ll give you a great example.

It’s the first dance, and you have a pretty good idea the groom is going to perform a world-class dip at the end of the song. How do you know? Because you were prepared and asked the groom if he was planning anything special for the first dance (it’s quite the thing on TikTubigram if you’re into that social media thing).

He said he’s been practicing this epic dip with his bride-to-be for weeks and tonight will be the big reveal.

OK, now you’ve got a couple of nuggets to work with. There will probably be a dip, and it will either be as epic as they hope...or it’ll crash and burn. Both are important because even they flub, they’ll probably laugh and that makes for great photos too.

It’s time for the dance. The song is playing and nearing the end. How do you know? Because you’ve heard it before (you prepared and didn’t even know it!) OR You don’t know the song, and you ask the DJ how long it is (also a good way to be prepared).

Here comes the big moment...but something isn’t right.

Your keen sense of timing (like a Spidey-sense, only for wedding photographers) can sense that the pace of your newlyweds’ turns on the dance floor does not sync the the end of the song.

If the song ended where you are currently standing, you’ll be out of position to capture the big moment. (Hint: no one wants to see the dip from behind.)

If you’ve been simply “following the puck,” you’d be in the wrong position, and you’d miss the moment the couple has been preparing for for weeks.

So what would a prepared photographer do?

You watch the couple, you listen to the music, and you move, then move, and move again, positioning yourself for the perfect shot. You’re moving to get a front-row view of the big dip, and then, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, you nail the shot like a seasoned pro.

That’s what preparing is all about.

But wait, there’s more!

As a bonus preparation tip, try this.

Do a quick search and find out what’s in a Bridal Survival Pack or Bridal Emergency Kit, and add the most essential pieces to your camera bag.

“What?!!! keep a sewing kit in my camera bag?”

Yuuup! It’s sad but true. Not every bride gets one of those survival kits for her wedding day.

But YOUR bride gets a prepared photographer, and when a seam pops on her dress or something gets torn, and YOU are the only one with the supplies to fix it, all of a sudden, YOU look like a genius...because you are...a prepared genius!

Here’s a quick list of essential items you should have in your bag that won’t take up hardly any space at all.

• Crochet hook - For lacing up the button hooks on dresses (SUPER PRO)

• Heel pads - Some ladies don’t wear heels often and get blisters

• Band-aids - For you or them, whoever needs them first.

• Sewing kit - Next time you’re at a hotel, ask for one and pop it into your bag

• A quarter - For tightening or loosening screws

• An old penny - Brides are sentimental, and sometimes they forget theirs for their shoe

• Bobby pins and Safety Pins - Faster than sewing

• Double-sided, hypoallergenic adhesive for skin - Also known as “boob tape”

• Small scissors - I keep a small Leatherman multi-tool that also includes a knife

• Tide or Shout wipes - The to-go versions are perfect

All of this will fit nicely into one of the small flat pockets in your camera case. You won’t even know they’re there...until you hear that call, “Does anyone have some scissors?” And guess who will be the prepared one? (Hint: they’ll be the one that looks exactly like you)

If you’re still wondering why being prepared matters, let me leave you with this.

Brides talk. Bridesmaids talk. Wedding day stories become something like lore or an iconic anecdote and if one of these historic tales involves you, the wedding photographer, saving the day because of something you had in your wedding bag, that is what they call a story of legend…and bountiful referrals.

Being prepared for the unexpected is just one part of the “inner game of wedding photography.” THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance). I also give valuable tips and tales all week as Notes.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 6 Minutes]

I was reading a newsletter from a legendary copywriter this week.

He told a story about copywriting, but I couldn’t help but translate it to the world of wedding photography or any service-based business, for that matter.

His story is about a mentor of his who revealed a secret when he was struggling to build his business. Here’s a mildly edited version with the part about Copywriting replaced with Wedding Photography.

“I call it a ‘secret’ because it’s precisely that.

Most service providers truly don’t know or understand this simple fact.

And many of those who do know the secret ignore it, because it clashes with their view of the way the world should work.

But I’m not interested in the way the world should work. I’m interested in the way it does work.

And the way the world works ... at least when it comes to the way people buy services...is the harsh reality that this principle reveals.

Within a year of discovering this secret, sales of my Wedding Photography services more than doubled ... and within two years, were more than triple my first year’s earnings.

Here’s the secret he told me that day, decades ago:

‘It’s all well and good that you provide clients with quality service. But so do a lot of your competitors.’

‘The fact is this: those who make the most money selling their services in any field are not necessarily the best at their profession or craft...they are the best at MARKETING and SELLING their services to others.’

What this means is that it’s not enough to be good or even great at what you do.”

I learned this lesson when I started many years ago and I honestly didn’t know how powerful this was and how level the playing field became until I embraced it fully.

Photography is not unlike other creative endeavors. Painters, writers, musicians, and artists of every kind, in every medium, since the beginning of history, have competed for their share of recognition and fame in their creative space.

I can easily imagine Neanderthals fighting over who created the best cave drawings.

But the very moment art and artistry became revered, they also became valued and thusly, something to profit from. I think you understand the history lesson, so let’s talk about what this means to you.

You may be a brilliant photographer, or you may be amazingly average.

It does not matter.

What matters is how you position and market your wedding photography to your prospective brides (Note I said “your” and not every)

Now, for the photographic purists, this statement may sound blasphemous. “Of course, only best photographers command the best rates!” And to that, I say respectfully,

“Well, that depends on what you consider The Best.”

Have you ever seen a priceless painting that you hate? I have. I’ve also seen some terrible photography regarded as brilliant. So who’s right?

The person PAYING for the work is right.

You’ve heard the line, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? I agree, but I also think Value is in the eye of the buyer. That doesn’t sound as sexy though does it?

Folks much smarter than I am have repeatedly said,

People buy with emotion and justify their purchase with logic.

Value is a mixture of both emotion AND logic - ask anyone who pays six figures for a car why they paid that much, and you’ll see.

This is a very important thing to recognize when you are selling your work.

Another equally important thing is to ask yourself, “How can my wedding photography be positioned uniquely so I have no competition?”

It’s not an easy one to answer, but this is where YOUR positioning comes in.

OR you can not answer and take an easier path.

If your work is good and your prices are below the market average, you’ll book brides. Guaranteed.

I consider this to be the middle-of-the-road approach.

You may not get rich, and you may not make enough to become a full-time wedding photographer, but you’ll book brides and make some money.

You may call it a “side-hustle approach” if that makes you feel better, and that’s fine. Again, you won’t make a living, but you’ll make some money.

I get it, you’re modest.

You’ve accepted the reality that you’re not the best photographer (and you’ve never claimed to be.) You’re also not the most expensive photographer, so you will get clients who are (more than likely) shopping on price first and quality second.

They’re Value-Shopping and, as Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

If you want to make a living from your photography however, you must make some hard decisions.

You have to position your work and your services to match the lifestyle you want for your business.

From an economic perspective, I recommend starting with your COGS, factoring in your desired profit, and dividing by the number of weddings you want to shoot in a year. That’s basis business stuff, though.

For the bigger question, “How can my wedding photography be positioned uniquely so I have no competition?”

Remember that modified quote from above? The answer is in there.

The power of marketing…and marketing well will pull you apart from your competition, IF you have “the goods.”

Want to be a great photographer who commands top prices in your market?

You need to walk the walk (as in BE a great photographer) and talk the talk (as in POSITION your work as a premium product).

Your marketing will help you talk the talk, and how you position yourself will help you walk the walk.

Trust me, if you’re NOT, The Market will tell everyone, but if you’re good, there’s no reason you cannot be The Best for YOUR brides.

I know the purists hate to hear that. You’ve heard of “starving artists?” Those are the ones who refused to embrace marketing and positioning in the sales process.

That does NOT have to be you.

You CAN make a profit from your passion.

Feeling a bit forlorn right now because you love photography and hate the thought of all that sales & marketing stuff?

Try reading Start with Why by Simon Sinek. It’ll get you started on the right foot.

Want more? Keep reading this free newsletter and get targeted, educating and motivating information on how to master the inner game of weddings and become a professional wedding photographer.

Good information, combined with action, builds confidence every single time.

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 5 Minutes]

This issue is a bit different.

For those who enjoy my poetic waxing about dealing with drunks, bridezillas and making guys look cool at weddings...sorry.

We live in a digital world, and when I started shooting weddings, we did not, at least as far as photography went.

Film cameras, printed proofs, and wedding albums were the norm.

Now we have digital cameras, online photo galleries, and phones that shoot photos, video, and serve as a mobile showcase for favorites.

I don’t have any problem with technology and its advances, but there is one area of wedding photography that rises above tech and tenaciously touches tradition.

The Wedding Album

As I describe to my couples, “This is your best of the best collection of favorite images telling the story of your day. This is what you share with everyone who ask about your wedding day. This is what you show your kids, and if there’s a fire, this is what you’ll grab…after your kids are safe.”

I love these albums. I call them Wedding Books because they are books, and it sounds cooler than “wedding album.”

As a wedding photographer, there are some great reasons to add these to your collection of photo services when meeting with brides.

• Tremendous value to the couple

• Huge return for the parents (THEY get something)

• Easy to sell (though not everyone can afford it)

• A huge deal closer if used as an add-on

• Additional copies can be printed for venue samples (HUGE)

• Fantastic upsell potential (sell small and let them expand AFTER the wedding)

• Albums can be purchased long after the wedding for great residual income

• The couple chooses the photos, so you don’t have to, BUT…

• You can “gift” extra images to your couple and look like a hero

• Books can include rehearsal and wedding for the full wedding experience

• You can sell multiple volumes

• These are the best samples you can show at a meetings or wedding shows

• These are neither easy nor inexpensive to make (ie. business opportunity)

• Wedding Books are THE heirloom of the wedding day

This last one is the biggest because that’s how I like to sell this to my couples.

There’s no pressure to sell a Wedding Book.

Just show these books when you meet and let them picture their wedding without one. EVERY bride wants one, but not every couple can afford it. That’s OK, because in a year, this will make a fantastic first anniversary or Christmas gift.

Today’s books are different from the wedding album my wife and I own (and yes, it was definitely an “album” with white leather, gold metal page corners, gold letters that said “Our Wedding,” and all the photos were taped into square mats).

Today’s books are cool yet classic. Personalized and timeless with a look and feel that will be as amazing today as it will be in twenty years.*

You’re probably familiar with them, so I’ll show you one of my designs that is a classic example of a full wedding (prep / church / ceremony / reception / dancing / farewell) with each image as a two-page spread in a 10x10in Wedding Book

As the gurus like to say, “I don’t show these to impress you but to impress upon you” the importance of offering Wedding Books in your wedding business.

If you’re impressed, thanks. The bride and groom cherish their Wedding Book, and that’s what matters the most.

Believe it or not, many wedding photographers choose NOT to offer these, and that’s a mistake for them and and opportunity for you.

As I mentioned, these are not easy to make, nor are they cheap. The cost is high because the quality is high and the value is higher.

These need to be priced accordingly, and they will be treated accordingly.

As for the design process, it can be tedious because, if done correctly, the story has a flow that is completely personalized using the couple’s chosen photos. It’s not simply a drag and drop into boxes process.

Good news, many of the album companies offer design services with their production.

Better news, I love designing these, and I’d be happy to design yours for you.

* There are many amazing album companies using the latest technology to create books on archival paper and cover materials that will last for generations.

The design and style of your photography, however, will determine how “dated” these books will be.

Just a subtle heads-up if you’re considering stretching your digital design and creative retouching muscles.

The Wedding Books are one small part of the “inner game of wedding photography.”

THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’re a subscriber to INSIDE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY, thank you! If I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance)

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If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 6 Minutes]

They’re married!

For months, your couple has been planning this historic day, and it’s official!

The ceremony just ended, and we have newlyweds in the house. Now it’s time for what everyone has been waiting for...The Reception!

We have just one more requisite item on the agenda before we can lose the jacket, hit the bar and dance floor (usually in that order).

The First Dance

“The first dance is the traditional opening of a wedding reception where the newly married couple dances together alone for the first time as spouses. It serves as a symbolic expression of their unity and partnership as they begin their life together.” Thanks, Google AI.

For the wedding photographer, it’s something bigger...and no, I’m not being dramatic.

If you’ve ever looked through a couple’s wedding photos, this moment holds a featured place in the story of the day.

This is the transition point that takes us from BEFORE the wedding to AFTER the wedding. It lasts three and a half minutes, and it’s one of the most important parts of the day.

Quick Sidebar - Not every couple has a first dance at their wedding. Some don’t want to be the “center of attention” (this is my favorite laughable excuse), and others don’t like to dance at all. That’s fine.

We’ll stick to the more traditional couples who DO embrace this wedding day ritual.

For those who do eschew the customary dance, I will always ask them if they might consider dancing during a slow song with everyone else. These are great photos, and they really make the story of this day special, so if you can make it happen, it’ll be good for everyone.

Two Schools of Dance

Your couple will choose one of two types of dances for their first dance together - The Choreographed or The Freestyle.

The Choreographed dance has been rehearsed. The Freestyle probably has not.

The big thing to note here is FIND OUT WHICH ONE IS HAPPENING.

The Freestyle is easier because it’s just your couple swaying back and forth and turning slowly.

The Choreographed version is structured so you not only have to keep up with the many twists and twirls, but also focus on getting natural expressions.

Your couple has been practicing something new for weeks to be performed live in front of everyone. They’ll be nervous, and they’ll look like they’re trying to remember every step. YOU have to make them good, and that means finding that little smile or laugh between the mental gymnastics they’re going through.

IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter which version they decide on, ask the groom if there’s a big finish like a dip. You want to make sure you’re in the right position to get a great photo of it. (and it is a great photo!)

On with the show!

Now, there’s a lot of little pieces to this puzzle, so rather than dump the whole box out on ya, I’m going to bullet these out. Take the bullets you like, and load ‘em in your gun. Leave the rest... don’t forget the cannolis.

• You need to shoot a lot of photos during this dance - wide, medium, closeups

• Pretend this is the only time your couple will be this close like this all night long, and you need these photos

• Focus on faces! They might not look at each other, so be ready when they do.

• Move, move, move. Get lots of angles

• Look at your background - frame them nicely

• Vary your shot types.

WIDE SHOTS - Vertical

• Head to toe, so you see the full dress

• Be patient and get them turning. The back of the dress is just as important as the front (sometimes more)

• Go really wide and show off the cool ceiling or lights

WIDE SHOTS - Horizontal

• Position your couple on the far side of the frame so you can see the expressions of the parents and friends

• Move around - each five shift creates a whole new scene - move the couple on one side, then the other.

• This is a great shot for the wedding album.

MEDIUM SHOTS - Vertical

• Now you can pay attention to the expressions - as your couple turns, watch how they look at each other - this is the really good stuff.

• There’s some real magic between the wide and closeup shots, so again, be patient and shoot plenty.

MEDIUM SHOTS - Horizontal

• Here’s where you dance. Watch the couple, their expressions and focus on the parent and siblings in the background. You can see their expressions, and they are priceless.

• Keep moving! You can get the couple so many cool backgrounds (the band, groovy lights, friends)

CLOSEUP SHOTS - Vertical

• Use this to capture details of the dress (perhaps with the groom’s hands around her waist).

• Look for great expressions. This close framing is made for one face, so when you see it, shoot it!

CLOSEUP SHOTS - Horizontal

• In my opinion, this is where you’ll get some of your most intimate and memorable shots.

• Your couple locking eyes with each other, the bride’s newly ringed finger on the neck of her groom.

• Hand holding hand, the shoes, the hair, the dress details - So many details.

I know I mentioned this earlier, but let me reiterate - This dance happens fast. You’ve got to the end of the song to get as many great shots as possible - Wide, Medium and Closeups from every angle you can get to.

Do this right, and you’ll feel like you juggled a basket of kittens while playing the piano and doing a riverdance, but the results are going to be fantastic!

If you have a second shooter, give them the longer 70-200mm for this and tell them to get great expressions.

This will free you up to focus on wide and medium shots and to look for creative ways to use them in the wedding album.

Insider Advice

Talk to the band or DJ to find out what the first dance song is and how long it is.

If you’re familiar with it, you’ll know when it ends and can put yourself in a good position for the dip or big kiss (there’s always a big kiss).

You can also talk to the planner or coordinator at the reception and find out any details you don’t know.

Speaking of not knowing, when you chat with your bride at the beginning of the week before the wedding, this is a good time to ask questions about the reception.

• Is the B&G coming straight into The First Dance?

• Is The First Dance later, after dinner?

• Will there be any special singer for The First Dance?

All of these details will help you be prepared for the most intense and most rewarding 3.5 minutes of the day.

Final Tip

Have fun during this dance. You’re doing your own little dance with your moving and shooting and it is work, but it’s also fun. Everyone is watching the couple and they’re watching you so let the joy you’re experiencing show.

Photographing The First Dance is one small part of the “inner game of wedding photography.”

THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’re a subscriber to INSIDE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY, thank you! If I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance)

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time - 7 Minutes]

This is somewhat of a personal preference, and I fully understand if you don’t want to entertain this. I don’t fault anyone for being wrong :)

When you’re shooting the guys, your focus is to make ‘em look cool, period.

Why?

For starters, most guys really don’t want their photos taken anyway.

Maybe it’s just me and the 500+ weddings I’ve shot, but I have yet to see a group of groomsmen genuinely excited about getting photos of themselves.

But of course, you gotta take ‘em, so just know that the dudes are not going to be super stoked about this part of the wedding ritual.

How can you turn this into a good experience?

You guessed it, you make ‘em look cool.

That’s exactly right, you put the guys at ease and even enjoy this process by making them look cool during this part of the day.

How?

• Make them feel cool right off the bat

• Tell them how good they look (most guys feel uncomfortable wearing someone else’s “monkey suit,” so this helps)

• Have a game plan

• Try to avoid anything goofy or campy

• Make it fast

You’re probably not going to have a pre-wedding meeting with the groom, so I’d recommend having a strategy for guys in advance.

Your goal is to assemble the guys in a cool, casual way, perhaps even something fun in case they want to play (this is your game plan part).

If you’re pretty new to this, take a look at some men’s magazines...no, not THOSE men’s magazines! Something like GQ, Esquire or The Rake will work.

You’re looking for style and fashion, but specifically how the guys modeling the clothes are posed.

If they look cool, grab a screenshot. Now imagine getting something this cool for your group of guys, and you’re ready.

You might also troll some wedding sites and see what the interwebs have to offer.

Sometimes, though very rare, the groom might have something in mind. Perhaps a little throwback to the college or high school days. It’s not a bad idea to toss in a little, “Hey, [groom], did you have anything in mind for the shots with your guys, or should we just keep this quick and painless?”

Let them know they are important and they’ll respect the job you have to do.

They all understand…they may not love this part, but they understand.

So let’s take some photos!

When it comes to shooting all of them together, you have a couple of options - a formal lineup or a stylized posse. If you want to do both, cool! Both are fine, but you still have to make them look good.

The Lineup is an essential core shot that moms want. The Posse is great if you have a cool place to shoot and show off in the photos.

The Lineup

Don’t get fancy here. When it’s 103 degrees outside, and there’s nowhere nice to shoot indoors, this is a solid way to go. The key is to keep them close (no gaps).

I prefer to stagger them so they look nice and packed in, but they don’t feel like they’re stacked on top of each other (any gaps in this shot and they look like strangers).

Position them with a subtle angle, and everyone looks tidy and cohesive (”Tidy & cohesive,” Isn’t that what every guy likes to think of themselves?).

What you have here is your basic lineup of soldiers. Nothing more.

Hands are always a concern. What do the guys do with their hands?

You have four options (IMO).

1. The Dead Arms

2. The Fig Leaf

3. The Soldier

4. The Pockets.

To offer some verbal visualization, you have (1) hands hanging straight down, (2) hands in front overlapping below the belt, (3) hands behind their back, and lastly, (4) their hands in their pant pockets.

If your goal is to make ‘em look cool, you really only have one option - The Pockets

As a bonus, since the majority of rental suits don’t fit properly, putting those paws in the pockets covers up the overly long or overly short sleeves.

BTW, no one ever notices this unless you’re doing the Dead Arms, and everyone notices a poorly fitting jacket.

The Stylized Posse

Here you’re going to draw on your GQ poses for inspiration. Your dudes are going to be clustered up but not too close.

Each guy gets his own space and his own pose. You still don’t want any big gaps, so instead of side-by-side, they’ll still stagger but a bit looser this time.

The trick here is in the assembly process. Some are slightly up, and some are further back.

Of course, I don’t have to mention that the groom is the coolest of the bunch, so he gets prime positioning in the center and perhaps a bit closer up.

Don’t get too linear for this. Switch up the angles. Maybe you have something for a guy or two to lean on. Perhaps there’s a fence or something else. Think of this as an environmental portrait.

But what’s the key thing to focus on? That’s right!

Make the guys look cool!

And then, if you’re feeling brave, once you get that shot, you can put it into motion.

Have the guys start walking and talking to each other. If there’s a brother, a best man, or both, have the groom focus on those guys so you can see their faces.

If you do decide to go for the “walk and talk,” put that camera into motor drive and blaze away.

I don’t recommend doing this more than once. The first time will have genuine smiles as they play along, but if you repeat it, they’ll start to feel awkward, and it’ll show.

BONUS POSE: Bro Love

Since you’ve got them all together, bring ‘em in for a little Bro Love. Nothing weird, just a nice brotherly group up with arms on shoulders.

Quick note - unbutton the jackets for this one. When their arms go up, a buttoned jacket bunches up and looks weird and “weird” is not what we’re shooting for here.

I prefer to add this quickly right after The Lineup to loosen things up, even if I don’t do the stylized shot.

I’ll say something like, “OK, let’s give [groom] a little love,” and boom, the guys make it happen. If the group of guys has a tight bond, this could be a really special shot.

Occasionally, there’s some inappropriate groping behind their backs, which makes for some genuinely funny reactions.

This does NOT have to take long, and it shouldn’t.

The guys understand the need for these shots, but unless you’re really good at keeping them interested, I wouldn’t push any boundaries here. Cheesy is cheesy, and nothing brings back an uncomfortable moment quite like seeing the photos a week later and remembering HOW uncomfortable that moment really was.

And that’s the BTS of shooting the guys and making them look cool.

So now you’re probably asking, “Why do I need to go through all this trouble if the guys don’t care anyway?”

Fair question, and I got your equally fair answer, but first, a question for you.

Will the guys ever see these photos? The answer is, of course, YES, and when they do, they’ll say to themselves, “Dude, I look pretty cool!” and who do you think they’ll consider for their wedding?

Wait, almost forgot!

Posing the dudes using Paws in the Pocket™ method isn’t just for their group photos. Use this for the guys for all photos, even at the reception. And yes, this goes especially for the groom. Never, I repeat NEVER let the groom hold the flowers with the bride!

Your goal is to make them cool and that’s your biggest responsibility to the groom and groomsmen. A guy with his paws in his pocket can’t help but look cool!

Photographing the guys and making them look cool is one small part of the “inner game of wedding photography.

THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’re a subscriber to INSIDE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY, thank you! If I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance)

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint

[Read Time < 6 Minutes]

“The machines are coming for the high-wage, high-skill jobs as well.”

– Martin Ford, The Rise of the Robots

I was on a recent trip to California and had a very interesting chat with my Uber driver as we headed from the airport to my hotel.

After some brief intros, I discovered he was a former wedding photographer.

We were both about the same age and had shot about the same number of weddings, but there was one big difference between us - besides the obvious fact that I had camera gear next to me and he was driving the car to my hotel.

“Brides have just changed so much and all this AI is killing photography.”

Hmm, interesting. I probed.

I’ll call our former wedding photographer “Cameron,” just to give him a name.

Cam was clearly disgruntled, though he had accepted his current situation with a fair amount of grace.

He was a musician and artist, and now had the time to pursue these creative outlets more. He no longer had to worry about all those brides, those long hours shooting, those longer hours editing and making money doing what he loved.

While I understood his issues with the changing landscape of bridal expectations, it was the AI part that perked my ears.

I started in photography before digital cameras. I saw first-hand the massive impact they had on photographers and their businesses. Some died, some survived, and some thrived.

Don’t call me callous, but whether they died, survived, or thrived was the photographer’s choice.

It was a supply-and-demand situation at its core, and supply increased significantly with the introduction of digital cameras to the market. Many photographers couldn’t handle the “competition,” so they bowed out.

I understood this reaction. I didn’t agree with it, but I understood it. The photographers who saw the shift as a marketing opportunity, however, thrived.

This is what I see with the introduction of AI into wedding photography.

For Cameron, the future doesn’t look bright - it looks artificial and contrived. He sees a decline in the craft of photography and AI cutting into his business somehow. Cam is missing the opportunities.

AI will NEVER replace wedding photographers.

Some may see this as a bold statement. I do not.

There’s an opportunity here to make the photographer more valuable than ever…if you’re willing to embrace what may seem scary. I want you to see this for what it really is…a tool.

“AI is the dumbest, most willing, talented, confident, patient and available intern you’ll ever have.” – Me

This is exactly how I describe AI to the college students I teach. It may be ready and willing, but it knows nothing about your wants and especially the wants and desires of a bride and groom…and does not care (ie, it feels nothing).

Oh sure, it may “think” it knows because it can scan the entire internet and gather data from people’s words, but let’s be honest, no heart = no mind.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when you think of AI is ChatGPT, but there are plenty of other “learning models” out there. If you’re an average writer who aspires to nothing more than being an average writer, AI will probably be coming to take your job.

If you’re a wedding photographer, AI is coming to help make your life easier.

Here are 4 reasons AI will NEVER replace you as a wedding photographer.

1. AI, at the moment, has no physical presence.

This might change with the advent of robots, but for now, this reality makes it rather difficult to attend an actual wedding or reception. OK, let’s be serious though.

2. No one connects and communicates with your couple better than you.

Wedding photography is about building trust with couples and understanding their desires for this day. AI can’t FEEL, and it can’t replicate the essential human connection needed to make clients feel at ease.

Oh, and did someone mention relationships? Try building a long-term, personal relationship with your phone or laptop. It didn’t work for Joaquin Phoenix in the movie Her, and it won’t work for your couple. You build and earn trust - you don’t buy it or download it.

3. The moments you capture are real

Sure, a bride can AI generate a photo of herself and her handsome groom on the precipice of a sun-drenched vista in San Juan (I assume they have something like that there), but it won’t be real. It’ll be cool, but there won’t be any “Do you remember that moment” in that artificially generated image. YOU get to deliver moments that preserve a memory.

There are emotions in moments, and a wedding day is filled with a LOT of moments. Each moment is a little slice of THEIR story, and you get to help preserve that for them.

4. The wedding day IS the experience

Someone brilliant once said, “You don’t buy a wedding, you assemble it from a hundred small, personally selected pieces with your signature on them.”

Ask any bride, and she tell you everything about her day...in every small, meaningful detail.

Every wedding is uniquely personal, and your presence becomes a part of it. Just like family and friends, every person lends themselves to making this day one of a kind. AI simply cannot do that.

When the ring bearer trips and tosses the little pillow, when one of the groomsmen drinks a bit too much and shows everyone how good of a dancer he really is, or when the bride throws the groom the cutest little glance during the ceremony - THIS is what a wedding is about, and there’s 0% artificially generated content here.

Your photographic style, your special brand of guest interaction, and your legendary care and consideration for your couple and the family are all part of what makes this day special and 100% real.

Of course, this all sounds a bit ridiculous, but trust me, someone right now is trying to figure out how to build an AI camera bot to take photos at a wedding.

It’ll be all fun and games until someone who has downed one too many Gin Rickeys grabs the bot and tries to have some fun with it.

“OK, Chris, I get it, AI can’t replace me, but how can it help me?”

I’m glad you asked.

Here are 3 big ways AI can help you build your wedding photography business.

1. AI photo editing is surprisingly good and getting better

There are AI tools that can help with your editing and photo processing, allowing you to get your photos to your clients faster.

I mentioned back in Issue #12 the importance of The Glow. Getting your processing done faster will help you deliver the photos to your couple while they are still in The Glow, making you look like the hero you are. AI can help make that happen.

2. AI is a really good retoucher

Photobombing mishap? Poof, they’re gone. An unfortunate wrinkle in the maid of honor’s dress? Poof, it’s gone too.

There are many ways AI can streamline your retouching faster than you can. Why poo-poo this fantastic feature? Incorporate this into your system and get things done faster.

3. AI marketing is a real thing

Using AI for inspiration with marketing or creative idea generation is fun, for lack of a more colorful adjective, and surprisingly helpful if I’m being kind to my dumb intern.

I’ve also seen some new, more efficient AI CRM tools that will certainly become industry standards very soon.

The bottom line? AI isn’t your competition - it’s a tool to enhance your business.

Nothing will replace the craftsmanship, artistry, authenticity, love, and genuine human touch you provide to your clients.

Brides hire you because of YOU. Embrace your work and your special approach to photographing weddings, and you’ll never have to worry about the robots coming to take your job.

As long as you’re not a robot yourself or a stockholder in Skynet, the future looks bright.

Helping you fight off the robots of creativity is just one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography. THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

If you’d like to be notified each Sunday morning when a new issue is released, click that beautiful blue subscribe button (and thank you in advance)

Subscribe now

If you know someone who’d love this juicy insider information, click this equally beautiful and benevolent button here.

Share Inside Wedding Photography

If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.

It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.

Photo Processing Blueprint