Is portraiture and wedding photography the most common type?

rayonline_nz · Dec 20, 2020

Related to industry but feel free to move this. As someone who takes photography as a hobby you sometimes get asked by people (friends and family) if you shoot weddings and the suggestion that I (we the group here) should shoot weddings to make money, hahah. I have also seen those who have normal jobs like IT jobs etc ..and they went into full time shooting portraiture. Is portraiture and weddings what most professional photographers do?

Been told by my uncle to do weddings. Even my 20yr old uni friend tells me to also and it's a waste not to make money on it hahah. He even told me to photograph someone else's wedding the earning potential is more than photographing anything like a rubbish truck and try to sell it as a fine art print. His words. I am more into a hobby of landscapes. Many tell me many of my photos are the same, just blue skies and mountains and hills and water and maybe a red sky, hahah. Well that's a non photographers point of view!

Cheers.

foc · Dec 21, 2020

Wedding photography is not something you just start shooting, just because you have a "good camera" or because you make "nice photos".
There is a lot involved, and photography is probable 15-20% of it.
If you are interested in shooting weddings then I would suggest you assist an experienced wedding photographer and learn the ropes.
And there are lots of ropes to learn.
(I shot weddings professionally for 35 years)

Nitroplait · Dec 21, 2020

Wedding photography would be the sure way for me to hate my hobby.

radiant · Dec 21, 2020

I shot one wedding for money and that was enough for me. Client was super happy about results (thank god) and I was happy it was over

I've done other commercial jobs too but I'm not enjoying those at all. So much stress and customers aren't always nice. A great way to ruin something important part of life (photography as hobby).

guangong · Dec 21, 2020

Wedding photography is a business. Not necessary to enjoy photography to run a business.
As far as your own photography is concerned, an artist should always be in the process of continued development. There are two obvious explanations regarding your friends criticism of your landscapes: your friends are not capable of viewing your pictures’ qualities, or they are expressing genuine shortcomings in your work. You can ignore the former, but if the latter, take advantage of their comments and explore ways to cultivate your art further. Every great artist is never completely satisfied with their own work.
By the way, buying a new camera is not the way to improve your photography. It’s all in the mind.

Tel · Dec 21, 2020

I've had several friends who did weddings.These days the ways to make money are to shoot video and to get really good at photoshop. You need to spend (literally) days in some cases PS-ing out turkey necks, double chins and loose flesh in other places. And they usually expect a video of the ceremony and all of the pre- and post-ceremony goings on. It's labor-intensive and not very profitable, I am (reliably) told. A former student of mine is actually a specialist in turkey-neck removal.

radiant · Dec 21, 2020

Tel said:
spend (literally) days in some cases PS-ing out turkey necks, double chins and loose flesh in other places. And they usually expect a video of the ceremony and all of the pre- and post-ceremony goings on.

I've heard about this crazyness. And I've heard the competition is tough and money is really tight.

My wedding gig was just before wedding photography exploded. When I did my gig it was enough just shoot like crazy jumping all around and then making CD of best photos. I think it was 2006 .. It seems like the wedding day today is an act that is performed just to capture "awesome" footage from all angles and dimensions which you watch miserably afterwards.

Sirius Glass · Dec 21, 2020

I have shot weddings. I can either photograph a wedding or attend and enjoy the wedding. One cannot do both simultaneously.

Vaughn · Dec 21, 2020

I have photographed a few weddings -- for friends and such. For one I just handed them the exposed film. Now I have learned to say a firm "No.", but sometimes offer to make a portrait.

My nephew and new husband -- at least I got the photo to them while they were still together...its an on/off thing at the moment. 5x7 platinum/palladium print

Pieter12 · Dec 21, 2020

I would rather jump off a cliff than shoot weddings. On the other hand, today people spend more on wedding photography than many used to spend on the whole reception. I attended a wedding a few years ago where there were at least four photographers, one with a Rollei TLR in addition to her DSLR plus a videographer or two.

MattKing · Dec 21, 2020

I use to do a fair amount of film based wedding photography on a part time basis.
I enjoyed it, but it was very demanding, and depended a lot on working with a good professional lab.
It really requires a young person's energy.
A huge percentage of your time is spent marketing and working with customers. A small percentage of your time is spent photographing.
In the current environment, I expect that there would need to be a lot more time spent on the computer, doing the work that the lab used to do for me at little or no extra charge.

jim10219 · Dec 21, 2020

I shot a couple of weddings a few years ago. I did the math. I would make more money per hour working at a fast food restaurant, and the fast food joint has health insurance. So I quit doing weddings. Also, it didn't hurt that the last gig had a guest from hell who was drunk kept trying to sabotage our work. Apparently, she was the bride's aunt and offered to shoot the wedding for free, but the bride didn't trust her, so she hired us. She took offense to that, so she kept jumping in front of us during the big moments, trying to ruin our shots. Then another guest tried to steal an equipment bag. And on top of all of that, it was 104 degrees (outdoor wedding) with mosquitos and ticks everywhere.

MattKing · Dec 21, 2020

jim10219 said:
I shot a couple of weddings a few years ago. I did the math. I would make more money per hour working at a fast food restaurant, and the fast food joint has health insurance. So I quit doing weddings. Also, it didn't hurt that the last gig had a guest from hell who was drunk kept trying to sabotage our work. Apparently, she was the bride's aunt and offered to shoot the wedding for free, but the bride didn't trust her, so she hired us. She took offense to that, so she kept jumping in front of us during the big moments, trying to ruin our shots. Then another guest tried to steal an equipment bag. And on top of all of that, it was 104 degrees (outdoor wedding) with mosquitos and ticks everywhere.

Is the couple still together?

Rob Skeoch · Dec 21, 2020

I think what ruins photography for many people is they feel they should try and make money from it. Why not enjoy the hobby and leave it like that.
If you enjoyed collecting stamps, it's unlikely that you would want to work at the post office.

Pieter12 · Dec 21, 2020

Rob Skeoch said:
I think what ruins photography for many people is they feel they should try and make money from it. Why not enjoy the hobby and leave it like that.
If you enjoyed collecting stamps, it's unlikely that you would want to work at the post office.

No, but you might want to sell your collection at some point. Besides, your angle is pretty nonsensical I don't to work for a camera store, either.

Rob Skeoch · Dec 21, 2020

To answer the original question, most photographs are just snap shots and have no commercial value. Weddings is likely the entry point for making some money at photography. Portraits are different, there are two types of portraits, editorial and personal. You might be able to make a few bucks doing personal portrait work for people while "editorial portraits" is more of a business and requires different skills. Think of it this way, your neighbour might give you a $100 bucks to shoot a family portrait, but that's a long ways from "Time Magazine" asking you to shoot the cover.

Pieter12 · Dec 21, 2020

So much of photography is about personality. An excellent table-top photographer may be careful and slow and probably would make a poor sports photographer. If you photograph landscapes, weddings might not be worth pursuing--stock images might be a better fit. And on the whole, unless you are the flavor of the month or well-known, there isn't a lot of money to e made today either in stock or assignment photography.

removed account4 · Dec 21, 2020

rayonline_nz said:
Related to industry but feel free to move this. As someone who takes photography as a hobby you sometimes get asked by people (friends and family) if you shoot weddings and the suggestion that I (we the group here) should shoot weddings to make money, hahah. I have also seen those who have normal jobs like IT jobs etc ..and they went into full time shooting portraiture. Is portraiture and weddings what most professional photographers do?

Been told by my uncle to do weddings. Even my 20yr old uni friend tells me to also and it's a waste not to make money on it hahah. He even told me to photograph someone else's wedding the earning potential is more than photographing anything like a rubbish truck and try to sell it as a fine art print. His words. I am more into a hobby of landscapes. Many tell me many of my photos are the same, just blue skies and mountains and hills and water and maybe a red sky, hahah. Well that's a non photographers point of view!

Cheers.

hey
if you have friends who are getting married why not take photographs and give them prints. see what its like without the pressure of doing it for a living. stick to what you enjoy and turn the squelch up on people that just go on and on and on about what they think you should be doing. do what you want to be doing, nothing wrong with that. but. .. that said. if you shoot your friends wedding and have a gnack for it you might enjoy doing that too. life is a landscape .. the difference is sometimes the human environment can't be photographed again if you miss the sunset..

jvo · Dec 22, 2020

trite but true.... do what you love the money will follow!

Pieter12 · Dec 22, 2020

jvo said:
trite but true.... do what you love the money will follow!

Tell that to all the failed, talented photographers, artists and musicians out there.

radiant · Dec 22, 2020

Pieter12 said:
Tell that to all the failed, talented photographers, artists and musicians out there.

Have they loved what they do, really? jvo said "do what you love" ..

It is not about success, it is about the love to what you do. You don't have to be successful in that.

My childhood hobby turned into my profession. I didn't want to do it for money, but because I loved it so much. And I still love it. There were times when I cursed myself for "spoiling" my dear hobby when turning into profession, but today I don't regret it at all. I can do what I love and get paid for it. And I still do it at my free time, too. I think it is true "love". I would obsession

Pieter12 · Dec 22, 2020

vedostuu said:
Have they loved what they do, really? jvo said "do what you love" ..

It is not about success, it is about the love to what you do. You don't have to be successful in that.

My childhood hobby turned into my profession. I didn't want to do it for money, but because I loved it so much. And I still love it. There were times when I cursed myself for "spoiling" my dear hobby when turning into profession, but today I don't regret it at all. I can do what I love and get paid for it. And I still do it at my free time, too. I think it is true "love". I would obsession

I doubt many artists, musicians, etc don't love what they do. It's the "money will follow" part that doesn't really apply that often in the real world.

Vaughn · Dec 22, 2020

jvo said:
trite but true.... do what you love the money will follow!

I agree...but what many realize is that the money does not have to come from the art, or hobby, or whatever one wishes to call one's passion, in order to be 'successful'.

Sirius Glass · Dec 22, 2020

jvo said:
trite but true.... do what you love the money will follow!

Pieter12 said:
Tell that to all the failed, talented photographers, artists and musicians out there.

+1

vedostuu said:
Have they loved what they do, really? jvo said "do what you love" ..

It is not about success, it is about the love to what you do. You don't have to be successful in that.

My childhood hobby turned into my profession. I didn't want to do it for money, but because I loved it so much. And I still love it. There were times when I cursed myself for "spoiling" my dear hobby when turning into profession, but today I don't regret it at all. I can do what I love and get paid for it. And I still do it at my free time, too. I think it is true "love". I would obsession

+1

Pieter12 said:
I doubt many artists, musicians, etc don't love what they do. It's the "money will follow" part that doesn't really apply that often in the real world.

+1

Vaughn said:
I agree...but what many realize is that the money does not have to come from the art, or hobby, or whatever one wishes to call one's passion, in order to be 'successful'.

+1

radiant · Dec 23, 2020

Pieter12 said:
I doubt many artists, musicians, etc don't love what they do. It's the "money will follow" part that doesn't really apply that often in the real world.

I agree that that is a bit boldly said. I would guess it has meant something else before. Like welfare / happiness / well-being.

If you truly truly love what you do, money might not be important at all.

Is portraiture and wedding photography the most common type?

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Is portraiture and wedding photography the most common type?

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