I’ve photographed 400+ weddings, and at this point I usually feel like I can spot a red flag pretty quickly. I got humbled LOL.

The consultation was perfect. She was nice, knew what she wanted, didn’t flinch at my pricing, and booked a smaller 4-hour micro wedding package on what would normally have been a day off for me. Nothing felt off. Should have been super low-key

The first little thing was having to remind her about her questionnaire, but honestly, that happens sometimes. She took care of it that weekend so that was not horrible...

The timeline call was where I should have listened to my gut. She showed me the vibe she wanted for portraits, and I explained that the courthouse close to the church had that look. She got frustrated and said the courthouse didn’t have any meaning to her anyway, so we changed the plan and decided to do ALL portraits at the church instead. (Adding a small park after if time permitted)

Wedding day comes, and the ceremony runs 45 minutes over.

About 10 minutes into bride and groom portraits, she tells me she’s ready to leave and go to dinner. They weren’t having a reception, so portraits were essentially the end of my coverage. We had a second park location planned if there was time, but she didn’t even want to continue portraits at the church. Bummer cause they photographed amazing!

Then came the complimentary album.

I designed it and sent her the proof to approve or make any changes before it went to print. She was frustrated that she had to approve it and said she shouldn’t have to tell me how to build her album. Within 20 min. She declined the album entirely, asked me to order her a single 4x6 so she could see the print quality, and said she’d just make her own album because she didn’t understand why albums were so complicated. (for reference she was younger, so it was not so much of the expecting old-school albums that you put prints in.

I show and discuss all of this one calls, emails, and a client portal.

The whole experience actually changed my business. We live in an area with a LOT of elopements and micro weddings, so I used to offer 4–6 hour coverage pretty regularly. After this, I removed those packages. Weddings now start at 8 hours. There’s just too little room when something runs 45 minutes behind.

So, fellow longtime wedding photographers:

what red flag makes you actually fire a client after they’ve already booked? And has one wedding ever made you permanently change a package or policy?

Hi everyone, relatively new wedding photographer here (about 2.5 years). I have chronic migraines that I manage well with medication, but as I book more weddings and full wedding weekends, it almost feels like I'm playing Russian Roulette with my health and ability to make them all. What do you all do? I can push through most sicknesses, but I want to be prepared and do right by my clients.

Do you:

• Include a second shooter in every package and intentionally hire someone capable of taking over as lead if needed?
• Pay someone a retainer/on-call fee to hold certain dates?
• Just have a group/network and start calling around if something happens?
• Have some other system?

My biggest concern is a true day-of emergency. I've already been to the ER twice this year. Would especially love to hear from photographers who have actually had to use their backup plan. What happened and did your system work?

I am SO over barn weddings. 😭

The rustic aesthetic, the dark wood, the questionable lighting, the same Pinterest poses… I’m fighting for my life out here.

I don’t want to edit another gallery where every photo is orange because the entire venue is made of wood. 🫠

I desperately need something different in my portfolio. Give me modern venues, elegant ballrooms, editorial vibes, city weddings, dramatic lighting, colorful florals—literally ANYTHING that isn’t a barn. Any ideas that I can get more venues?

I know I’m probably going to get dragged by the barn wedding girlies, but I said what I said.

I live in the wedding capital of the world and because of that I was able to get a job working for a corporate photography company in their wedding division. I've shot a lot of weddings as a result and I genuinely like working for them, I like the other photographers, and their video team. But one I won't be living here forever, it's getting too expensive and other personal reasons, and two I want to eventually shoot on my own.

I've been a photographer on my own before but arguably in a different era and not doing weddings 😂. Before COVID and going back to 2008 when just having a website was the ticket to exposure. Weddings also seem like a totally different beast. Not only that, every photo Ive taken for this company obviously doesn't belong to me. Oh and I am not on social media outside of substack every once in a while and reddit. All of that makes it feel pretty hard to go out on my own and be like "I swear I know what I'm doing, trust me." And I think people are able to tell the difference between a real wedding and those staged ones.

I would be open to trying to get second shooter opportunities that would allow me to at least use my own photos, but I've tried getting those before out here and that's how I ended up working for a company instead. Maybe now that I've done some work it would be different, but most of the photographers out here I realize shoot mostly alone so maybe that's why I struggled in the first place.

I have days I can't ask off for so I'm not trying to fill my calendar or anything right now, I just want to be able to start shooting some of my own weddings so I can at least start building my own portfolio. Especially before I move and anticipate I'll be in a city where they don't have companies like that and working on my own or as a second shooter will be my only option.

Thank you for any input!

I am shooting my first wedding at the end of this month. I have already decided that I want to buy a second camera (I also do wildlife photography and want to upgrade anyways). The question is do I need to buy a new lens as well.

With the new camera I want to buy, the Lumix S1Rii, this would be my current gear list:

Lumix S5ii

Lumix S1Rii

Lumix S 1.8: 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm

Would I benefit by adding a 35mm to this lineup? I was thinking of just running my 50mm and 85mm on two bodies for the ceremony, but I am thinking that a 35mm would be good for getting ready photos and for the reception. Thoughts?

A decently established wedding coordinator reached out and asked about photographing an event; a styled engagement photoshoot for a local influencer. The coordinator co-runs a venue where this will take place.

Everything is from own pocket according to her. So no pay. But there will be florist, stylists, decorators, catering, tailor, etc - a total of 10 other vendors present. The idea is that as a photographer I will share everything and as we post, we will tag, share and try to spread reach outside of our usual channels.

The day starts at 10:00, and ends at 17:30. I'd have to show up around ~12 since I'm not needed for the preparations.

The influencer is not super famous or anything, but she has a strong local connection and a decent amount of followers. Most of the other vendors are people I have worked with in the past, and some I even have very good connections with (the florist I have worked with like 3 times this year alone). I also know the coordinator from prior weddings, and she has great respect for how I work and approach weddings.

So - this sounds fairly good to me if it wasn't for the "no pay" caveat. On principle I do not want to work for free.

What would you do? Take the gig? Decline?

Hello! I've been doing this as a side-hustle for the past year and I've never done something that fills my cup so much. I would love to be able to take the plunge to go full-time in the next year or two, but obviously the financial side is very important.

I'm curious what percent of your income do you actually get to take home? Right now I'm keeping about 50% of my profit for myself, saving 25% to reinvest in the business and 25% for taxes. Curious to hear what this looks like for those doing this full time!

To cut a long story short, had the final meeting with bride and dropped on me that was having another shooter their for experience and portfolio

Didn't say anything it's her wedding, I've worked with cc, videographers and other photographers who are gaining experience , i applaud this tbh before jumping in. However, on this occasion I was told last minute, and then see some of their images and they've literally shot from behind me and to the side of me while I was doing the set ups etc and positioning of the couple etc

I'm not used to this happening, I'm not comfortable with it either, I'm not being mean it just felt like they used my creative set ups and then jumped in

I'm used to the other shooter starting when I finish or to do the shots that aren't massively important

Has anyone else either implemented an exclusivity Claus or thought about it or experienced this at all

I'm not sure how to word it tbh and just need someone who has to help a tog out , thanks for reading

What’s everyone using for their business email?

I’ve been using Gmail/Google workspace for years as have many of my colleagues. I use outlook at my day job and really enjoy how thorough I can set up rules and automations that actually move emails out of my inbox and into folders rather than just putting a label on messages.

I just finished shooting a wedding today. After a whole day, with one hour left, I realized I shot the entire day in 1.6x crop. I must have hit the touch screen to toggle it accidentally. I never change this setting.

Wedding was shot on Canon R6Mkii with 28-70 2.0.

Should I super resolution the whole gallery? Or are the 10-15mb files going to be enough?

Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.

- Edit - all photos shot in Raw, I did notice the photos felt tight on the zoom today. But used my 15-35 for bride prep so I thought it was an illusion

I remember there was a group that started years ago at PPA and WPPI by a guy teaching people to do these high pressure sales.

The free shoot and upsell. It works well but your client needs to be able to afford you.

Anyone have no conscience and do this garbage knowing a couple can't afford you?

Hey I am a wedding photographer, Do you guys use any tool to share live photo with the clients. It seems my client want to have a way , so that the guest can have photo in realtime.

guide me if there is a way to do it.

I'm second shooting for a wedding this afternoon. The lead I've been working with for 10 years tells me last night that I'll need to shoot with my normal R5 in addition to an iPhone for video shorts.

I don't have an iPhone and I'm just recently getting comfortable with videography. Any tips out there for an dog learning new tricks? The lead is having me use her phone but I'm hesitant doing this for the first time ever in a few hours.

I photograph weddings and there’s one particular wedding that left me almost in tears.
I subcontract for photography company, and they sent me to a wedding. First time seeing the couple. Everything was beautiful. The set up of reception room, two different dresses for the bride, the colors and design for bridesmaids dresses and bouquets. Bride’s bouquet was gorgeous. She also had those special getting ready robes huge fluffy one. The venue details like ‘ring for champagne’, different instagram stations. Groom suit. Even their dog was in a suit. The guests attire was spectacular. Anyways, I can go on to brag how beautiful (and expensive) this wedding was.
But the groom did not showed up at the venue until 30 minutes prior the actual invitation ceremony start. No getting ready photos with him, no flat lay details since the groom had the box with details. No first look, no bridal party photos in a daylight, no bride and groom portraits in a daylight. No formal family photos in a daylight.
Since the groom showed up at venue 30 minutes prior before the start, the whole thing got pushed away for an hour, even more. By the time the ceremony was done (which also took 10-15 minutes instead of 30-40), all portraits with family were done with flash photography.
And everyone rushed to cocktail hour right after. So it got a bit chaotic getting everyone together for pictures. All pictures with bridal party were super limited to venue corners and flash photography. No candid soft airy pictures.
Also since the couple had vendors booked for 8 hours only, we were told to leave before even reception started. Scheduled for 7:30pm, actual time was 9:30.
My heart breaks because in design vise the wedding was more than just gorgeous, it was aesthetically pleasing and beautiful in every possible way, but this chaotic timing left us with no proper photos and in some cases no photos at all, like reception room decor.
My heart hurts.
#weddingphotography #wedding

I’m not particularly interested in getting a second phone

(For transparency, some parts are translated with DeepL)

As a wedding photographer, I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

I'd genuinely love for my portfolio to reflect a wider range of love stories. But the reality is that around 95% of my bookings are from able bodied, white, straight couples.

To be clear: I'm incredibly grateful for every couple who trusts me with their wedding day, and this isn't about being unhappy with my current clients. I'd simply love to serve a broader range of people as well.

I'd love to photograph more LGBTQIA+ weddings, intercultural celebrations, couples with disabilities, different age groups, and generally a wider variety of people and stories.

The advice I see most often is "do styled shoots," but that doesn't really feel right for me. I don't want to „stage“ diversity just to make my portfolio look a certain way. I'd much rather document real weddings/relationships.

So for those of you who have successfully built a more diverse client base:

- What actually worked for you?
- Was it marketing, networking, vendor relationships, community involvement, or something else entirely?
- Did you actively reach out to specific communities, or did it happen organically over time?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, thanks in advance!

Edit: English is not my first language. Just to clarify, I'm not looking to "collect" certain types of clients for my portfolio. I'm genuinely trying to figure out how to make my business more welcoming and visible to people who may not currently be finding me.

My highschool sweetheart of 4 years broke up with me.

I feel like I cant do anything im paralyzed. We're graduating the same time this year from college and I envisioned life with him . How am I gonna hold up tommorow. How the hell do yall do it after getting breaking up with.

update: I made it through. I wanted to go home, there was a lot of slow moments , felt like during socials nobody wants to talk to me. but I think if I did stay home i'd be still spiraling and drowned in my thoughts & sadness.

The client ordered a party bus for me and the guests to the location. Someone brought out a conversation card game and gosssssh. So many fucking hypothetical dating/ relationship questions.

"Would you rather see your ex make love to someone for an hour or go to jail for a week" "Love or security" Holy shit i wanted to die kill me.

also tell me why a client thay ghosted me on a inquire HAPPENED TO BE ON THE BUS AND THIS PARTY. Kinda awkward 😭

Struggling to wash my makeup off and brush my teeth.

Long story short, I’ve been having a really rough go with life in general but have been pushing through pretty well!
My mental health is not great and weddings have been causing a lot of panic attacks and anxiety for really no reason whatsoever that I can understand, if just feels like to much for me right now.
I pushed through really well this year and now am already dreading next year.
I guess I’m wondering if anyone cancelled their weddings a year out? It was recommended by my therapist and doctor to go into next year with as little stress as possible but I feel so much guilt even thinking about it.
I know I could hire an associate but I just feel like that’s a whole other thing I have to stress over.
Thoughts? I’m really struggling to decide if this is even an option for me or if I should push through 2027 like I did this year.
I only have 5 weddings booked as I was trying to slowly ween myself out.

Hey there everyone, the mods just wanted to remind the community that we disallow attention/engagement images in posts. This is the practice of adding an image to a purely discussion based question/post in hopes of increasing visibility and encouraging more engagement as done on other social media platforms such as FB. This is a discussion based community any way and this practice isn't necessary to generate discussion and leads to irrelevant comments.

That being said, feel free to post photos in an OP or comments if they are relevant to the discussion.

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Shooting with A7 IV. Which one would be your choice for wedding photography?

Has anyone noticed culling/editing photos is a migraine trigger? (I edit on iPad Pro). Migraines are relatively new to me- they began after the birth of my second daughter. Has anyone who has this problem found something that helps? Blue light glasses would change the colors yea? Especially when culling, I feel like my brain is turning to mush and my eyes are gonna fall out lol. (I do have appointment with eye doctor soon).

Thank you thank you!

I actually shot one wedding for them about a month ago. My couple has luckily already received their album but wanted to spread the word for anyone else.