WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Whether it's a good or bad economy one thing is for certain, there will always be weddings and work for freelance photographers. Word-of-mouth advertising works well no matter what product or service you are selling. But it works especially well if you are a photographer in the wedding pictures business. When a bride is pleased with the quality of your work, she will pay as much as $1,000 for your time, talent, album for each of the parent couple, wall photos, and her album. But it is her album that everyone she ever knew, or will ever know, will be invited to look at. Most of the work will come through referrals from brides who were happy with your work. You should also promote your business, however, by showing samples of your work to florists, bridal shops, boutiques, and caterers who normally have a lot of wedding business. Just tell them you would be happy to send business their way, if they will do the same. Always sign a contract with the bride so there are no misunderstandings. Specify which photos will be taken, and of whom. Always include a "Release Paragraph" which states that you are not responsible for the loss of photographs resulting from camera malfunction, accidents in development, or film lost in the mail. You may also want to include a "Model Release" which will give you the right to use any photo as samples for advertising purposes.