Features? Benefits? Nah, THIS is the best way to sell photography

[Read Time < 6 Minutes]

I've never been much for hunting...although I completely get why it's an attractive sport.

You're peeking around corners, looking for the right angle, waiting, waiting, waiting and THEN your prey shows itself...Bang, or in our case, CLICK!

Photographing weddings is not simply showing up, gathering groups, click, click, and on to the next staged event.

I suppose for some, it might be, and that's unfortunate. It also explains why many photographers can't handle the gig for very long.

But you're different. You're a hunter. You may not wear a photographer's vest and look like a boujee "enthusiast" (don't get me started on photo vests), but you're doing what a wedding photographer SHOULD be doing for their couple – you're preserving the day.

Every new venue or even every new room you walk into is an opportunity to capture a moment that will define the day.

"Whoa, that's big talk there, Mr. Photographer!"

Yeah, it is...and it's true. Whether or not you're going to embrace that truth or not will determine how long you're going to be successful in your wedding photography career (Yeah, I went there.)

I wasn't born with an affinity for journalistic integrity and photographic purity. Far from it!

The more photos I took of ordinary things, the more I became bored with taking still images of still things.

I didn't like birds or wildlife enough to go stalking them for a living, but the first time I attended a wedding with a camera, everything changed.

As I was looking at the fruits of my labor after the wedding, I saw moments that were gone forever – perfectly preserved in this 4x6 proof print.

Laughter, tears, quick glances, long, loving stares and joy in the eyes of a couple.

Each one of these photos held so much in a micro-moment in time...and I owned them.

By simply pressing my finger on a button at just the right time, I froze a priceless event in history.

And the very best part was that I could now share this moment with someone who would cherish it more than I would – and they would cherish it so much, in fact, that they would pay me money for it!

And you just thought you were taking pictures!

You've heard the tropes:

Every picture tells a story.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

These may be good for ad copy, and they may be true for some people, but for the wedding photographer, I want you to look at these differently:

Every picture tells someone's story.

A picture is worth a thousand words AND a hundred emotions.

This is the power you have with your camera and this is what makes your role at a wedding THE MOST IMPORTANT at a wedding (sure, the chocolate fountain is important too, but you get the point).

Selling Differently

When you meet with your couple before the wedding, it might feel like a sales opportunity.

For some people, sales is as attractive as dental work, so this part will certainly help.

Whether or not you like the "pitch process" part of the wedding meeting, let me suggest a way to look at it differently – in a storytelling way.

You're probably familiar with the Features vs Benefits part of selling. Features are what you have to say about your product (bells, whistles, etc), whereas Benefits are HOW these features will create a positive outcome for the buyer (this bell improves my life because...).

For a wedding photographer, a feature might be you owning the latest and greatest camera gear, and you might spin that as a benefit to your bride because her photos will be extra sharp and colorful because of your gear (please don't use this on a bride.)

I'll let you in on a little secret – Brides don't care about gear.

I pitched brides during the transition from film to digital and had to repeatedly answer the question, "Do you use film or digital?"

Initially, digital got a bad rap – not because it was bad but because photographers didn't know how to make it look good...or like film.

We all know how that story ended, and we know that in the big picture, brides don't care what made their picture.

But they DO care how it was made, and the best way to translate the "how" is by telling them the story behind your photo.

Now we're talking about your portfolio or what you show your brides when you meet with them.

When I started out, I didn't have hundreds of photos to show off. I had ten 17x11 prints mounted on matboards.

On each board was a 5x7 photo with a lot of white space around it. It looked like something you'd see in a gallery.

I presented each photo and told the story behind it, exactly like I did in last week's photo breakdown issue with the story behind the photo Dignity.

These photos were one of my favorite photos, and I love telling these stories because it did two things:

The first thing it did was describe my process – the way I seek out moments rather than waiting for something to happen. Brides knew I took this seriously, and they could see artistry in my work even if I didn't think of it as art.

The second thing this story did was draw the bride into each photo and make her feel like these moments were her moments.

Don't forget, most brides are rookies at this wedding thing, so the more you can make them feel the wedding, the stronger connection you'll have with them.

Each photo was a story told from my vantage point. Some talked more about the process, ALL described the emotion around the scenes.

I'll admit, it wasn't easy telling these stories over and over. Not because it was repetitive but because these were REAL moments in people's lives, and I often got a little emotional when describing them.

This was not my intention, nor was it ever faked.

That's the power of storytelling. Combine it with a powerful image, and the emotion is tough to hold back.

I lived that moment, and now the bride and her mom did too.

Selling your wedding services should not be difficult if you're passionate about your work and how you create it. It certainly shouldn't take hundreds of photos to convince a bride you know what you're doing either.

Even after shooting 500 weddings, I still pitch my brides with a dozen individual photos. Each photo is a memorable moment with a unique story behind each one.

It might not seem polished enough for some photographers, but for me and those who want to connect with their brides, this is honest and puts the bride front and center into my world and into the photos that define the day.

Selling with storytelling and into the photographer's mind (and heart) is one of the little parts of the "inner game of wedding photography." THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.

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Questions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]