What does it take to photograph a wedding? Part 5

My Secret Weapon © Anthony R Socci

Could this be the fifth and final chapter in the saga where the fledgling eagle gets pushed out of the nest to float high above the rocky terrain of amateur photographers way below? Could this be the part where I reveal my “surprise ending” as promised in Part 1? Could this be the “final episode” where we find out whether Betty Jo got pregnant by Billy Bob who is really his stepmother’s first husband’s second cousin’s third son? Ah, but I digress.

As for my secret weapon; you’re looking at her in color, in the accompanying photograph. Karla is setting up the next group photo at a recent wedding and we reverse our roles as photographer/assistant. This keeps our approach fresh as each of us sees a new possibility for a creative image. Karla Somers is not only a talented photographer/writer/graphic artist in her own rite, but together as a team we’ve created a distinctive brand of wedding photography that sets us apart from the other photographers. 

Meanwhile, back at the eagle's nest, I did not quit my day job that paid me twice monthly whether I earned it or not. Instead, I chose the crawl-before-you-walk-before-you-run method. I placed a small, half-inch reader ad in our local weekly shopper. Note that this advertisement contained a tag line that kept my readers so interested that it even elicited fan mail. One such letter stated, “I’m not in the market for a wedding photographer, but I like reading your ads.” Guess who this person thought of when she got married?

The point here is to be someone who stands out in the crowd of advertisers. When is the last time you read an entertaining one line sales pitch? I know it’s not easy coming up with something new every week, but unless you try, you’ll never get noticed in the avalanche of advertising. The only thing constant in my micro-mini-billboard was my contact information. The rest was either interesting or just plain fun.

A word or two about business cards. Boring! Egotistical! Where’s the nearest waste basket? Why is the person’s (your) name or business name the largest item on the card? Shouldn’t that be the telephone number, website or email address so the reader won’t have to use a magnifying glass to find out how to contact you?

What about a photograph depicting a wedding or even your own photo on the front of the card? Did you know that you can be egotistical and a good salesperson at the same time? Did you know that people tend to keep photographs even if they don’t know the person or people in the photograph? “Are ya following me, camera guy?” What’s on your business card?

When the income from my side business of photography equalled my teaching income, I jumped claws first, wings spread, from my nest of security. We were planning on building a new house when I made this leap of faith and I’ll never forget the look on my ex’s face when I got home that day, or the words with which she greeted me, “Are you a professional photographer?” to which I replied, “Yes!” “Then I guess we can’t build the new house,” she stated with disappointment. “Think of it this way; I’ve simply changed jobs. If we can’t afford the new house we’ll sell it.” We built the new home/studio in an upscale neighborhood and my photography business made all the payments.

I don’t tell you this to brag, instead my intention is to give you hope in acquiring your dream. It’s possible and you can do it! 

Comments? Suggestions? socciphoto@yahoo.com