Elevating Your Wedding Photography Business

There are some obviously defining steps that every photographer must take to be successful. The number one tried and true method of achieving profitability within your business is consistency, and every popular photographer will agree, but what does that mean? Let’s take a closer look.

How do I create a business that has a steady inflow of clientele? Consistency— but consistency of what and how much? Many individuals will often mention posting or interacting with other media accounts, but I believe those are boosting factors, we should be looking at fundamental necessities and aspects that will attract business far before you start promoting yourself.

I am certain you have heard of the idea of branding yourself to one particular niche or type of work. This is an incredibly effective method to catering towards other accounts of that liking, and if you can receive support from each of those accounts, that will only boost your engagement stats more! While, many photographers will continually provide that advice, representing yourself to offer those services can be difficult. For example, I live in Saskatchewan (Canada), and nearly the entire population lives in the plains, how can I represent myself as an elopement wedding photographer in an area that simply is not adventurous or exciting?

There are several components that will help you achieve your desired audience and clientele. The first is how you utilize yourself, and that can mean almost anything, but let us narrow that idea down to content creation. I have seen countless photographers struggle on the consistency of posting content for their niche: How do I succeed when my circumstances do not offer steady clientele to build my business? Utilize yourself. You control your own story. I would begin with self-timer shots of yourself and writing meaningful, inspiring captions to show you truly are living your adventure. All of the photos provided in this article have been shot by self-timer. One of the greatest aspects of photography is that you do not have to be limited to your business to create the type of work that suggests how passionate you are. This is one of the few methods that does not require any client, equipment (other than your camera), or specific area. The content will sell itself naturally by appearing to be an adventure and you will be able to cull much more posting material. Of course, you should be throwing as much relevant (i.e. elopement) material as you can, but this will help you be more consistent when shooting content is not easy.

The second component to consistency is how attractive your media page appears. The rule is simple, the more stunning the photography, the more likely you are to continue booking valuable clients— and those results will only come with practice. The truth behind the matter is that any of your skills will come with dedication and practice. However, one of the most common similarities in successful pages is style, and consistent style generally begins with colour. The subject will tell the story, meaning, and emotion behind your shot, but the colour palette will tell your clients that you are established and stable. If you are currently following a photographer that changes the colours of their media every few posts, you can only wonder what product you will be offered when you want to book with them. There is a lack of balance, which spells inconsistency, and that is a dangerous road when you are investing thousands of dollars into the business, therefore why would you want to present yourself that way? I have used editing software such as Adobe Lightroom for ages. I believe the best way to progress in your eye for colour and editing style is to re-edit all your old photos, and repeat that process several times till you find your style— use profiles to find your base edit and adjust the colours from there! I won’t give you the one, all-working, fully usable preset. There isn’t one. The best inspiration and motivation comes discovering your own path and finding your success.

These rules of thumb can change your business for the better. Every photographer starts without their long-running list of clientele and that is only the beginning of your story. The quicker you are able to make great habits out of producing meaningful content using yourself and truly practicing with the tools you have invested in, the quicker you will be able to produce all the wonderful images that appear in your explore feed. For the future, focus on utilizing yourself (and others who are willing: i.e. significant other) in any which way possible, and focus on dialling in your best and most consistent editing style. Be the adventure you want to attract, there is only potential awaiting you.