Wedding photography in Sydney is a booming industry, with thousands of artists sharing their services online. Taking pictures of a couple’s marriage ceremony can be fun and rewarding work, but it can also be stressful. It’s important to determine whether the job is right for you before diving in.
This article will explore what you need to know before getting involved in the industry and how to do so.
Consider whether the job is a good fit for you
Like all jobs, some suit certain people more than others. Doing wedding photography in Sydney requires a certain disposition – being friendly, warm and positive is generally considered to be pretty important. Getting married can be an overwhelming experience and the bride and groom don’t want to deal with a negative or grumpy camera-person. Being able to look happy, confident and outgoing is going to inspire your clients to feel the same (and look it in pictures!).
Good people and communication skills, issue resolution and the ability to work well under pressure are all important for doing wedding photography in Sydney. It also involves working long hours – from preparation to shooting the event and then backing up, editing and uploading pictures. Each client involves around 18-30 hours of work in total. You may also miss out on your weekends, as this is when most people hold their marriage ceremony.
Get educated and network
It’s not enough to simply own a nice camera – you need to be able to master it. Wedding photography in Sydney is high-pressure; you’re expected to take snaps in rapidly changing environments to a very high standard, which means you need to be able to change the settings on your camera quickly and with ease – and make the pictures look amazing.
Most professional artists have taken a college or university course in the field, so studying can be a good place to start. Alternatively, there are many resources available online that you can learn from. Attending in-person workshops in your local area can also be a great place to learn skills and network. Networking is a great way to meet other artists that you can work with and learn from.
Volunteer
Once you’ve met some other artists, offering to second-shoot for them at a marriage ceremony is a great way to gain experience shooting wedding photography in Sydney. Avoid going straight in and shooting a marriage ceremony on your own for the first time – you don’t want to make a mess of someone’s special day by giving them potentially terrible shots. Volunteering with a more experienced artist can help you understand what shooting a marriage ceremony is like and what’s involved, provide you with content for your portfolio, and teach you how to deal with any issues that crop up.
Reach out
Once you’ve got a bit of experience and feel confident that you can shoot a marriage ceremony on your own, it’s time to look for work! Engaged friends and acquaintances are a great place to start as you know them, which can help you feel at ease. Make sure you have a nice website or online portfolio that they can look at for samples of your wedding photography in Sydney work.
Submit your work
Sending your work to marriage blogs and magazines for submission can be a great way to get extra publicity and get your name out there (when you get published!). Being published by a reputable blog or magazine is a great way to build your brand’s reputation as a great provider of wedding photography in Sydney.