A Wedding Photographers Lesson

How do you convince people you have never met, to let you shoot photos or video on the one day that most people say, "It was such a blur, the day just flew!"?

 How do we stick out? How do we get noticed? What can we do to make sure we leave a lasting impression on the patrons at this overwhelming trade show?

These are the questions many people have pondered over the last little bit leading up to the bridal show. Or at least I thought they were. I visited, not as a vendor, or a potential client, I was kinda in between. One thing I noticed, is the lack of "wow" and creativity that a lot of the studios have. I know that its not that easy to stand out when every one of your models is wearing a black suit and white dress, but the display can be better and most important, the attitude can be better.

We are supposed to be a creative breed, and I'm not saying that the work being presented was bad, or that all the booths were boring, there were some fantastic presentations, and a lot of great work, but there were a lot of uninspired booths. And I truly believe that this relates to poor client relations.

When I was taking a stab at becoming a full time musician, the advice I got most was "You get what you put into it" and I believe that runs true to all aspects of life. Going that extra mile really makes you stick out, and will give you a return down the road. I asked the couple above to step out during the reception because I saw a few photos I wanted to take and they were up to it. It was a little more work than most people would do at a reception, most photographers sit around until the DJ says something is going to happen, or the bride wants family shots. In the end, they upgraded to an extra large book so the cover photo would be larger and to accommodate the extra photos that they wanted.

So my question is, how do I sell my self? Its not just the final artwork that matters. It is one of the most important aspects of attracting clients, but going that extra mile will result in better art, and easier bookings down the line. Imagine becoming so well known, that the bridal shows become irrelevant!