Being a wedding photographer is not just about pointing your camera to someone or something and shooting. Though there are a lot of people today who are into taking pictures with a DSLR camera, it does not make them good photographers. Photography is not something very complicated, but it is a skill that you have to master if you really want to upgrade yourself from a hobbyist to a professional photographer.
To be a professional wedding photographer, you have to learn many things. As mentioned before, this is not just a simple act of taking pictures, but about capturing people’s lives and emotions. Below is a list of things you have to learn in order to be a good photographer:
1. Know Your Tools
Knowing your camera well and its set up is a must. Though different types of camera have different ways to be set up, the basics are the same. You don’t want to enter into something big like wedding photography without the basic knowledge, like aperture, shutter speed and the ISO. These three are in fact the pillars of photography. Knowing how to play with these will lead you to a better capture. It is also important for you to know how to manipulate your gadget during still and moving shots. In a wedding, you cannot say repeat or stop if you are not able to get a good capture of an episode. It is good that you know how to capture spontaneous happenings by learning your settings and tools.
2. Get a License
In order to be a professional photographer, you have to get the necessary trainings and skills. If you are serious about making photography a career, you don’t want to settle as a newbie. As you want to be expert in the field, getting a license is a big step.
3. Build a Website
We are in an era of modern technology where people can know anything they want through the Internet. So, you should have a website to showcase your work and your qualification as a wedding photographer.
4. Start Networking
It is always helpful to know professionals involved in the sector you work in. You can advertise your craft by having a network of people who can help you in this regard. Be a part of any online group. It can help you not only in advertising, but also in gaining knowledge and skills from the experts.
5. Negotiation Skills
As a newbie, you need to have marketing skills to convince people that you can give them what they want maintain the same quality of the known photographers. It is hard to build yourself at first, but once you get their trust and provide them a high quality output, people will start preferring your service. But first, you have to build your reputation and you need a good marketing strategy to do so.
Finally, it is very rewarding to be a wedding photographer. But in order to be successful in this endeavor, you must be willing to give what it takes to be better all the time.
