 BetterPhoto Member |
How To Start Your Own Business? I have done pictures for years, lots of weddings, senior pictures for family and friends and of course my own kids. I would like to bust into the business but am a little scared to do so. I haven't had any type of training and don't know anything about f stop and metering and lighting and such. I did a $25,000 wedding just two weeks ago and the pictures are just amazing and they are oh so happy. In fact there were two other photographers there doing pictures it was such a big event, and they were stealing my shots that I set up and even told me afterwards I should consider the business. I only have a digital camera (Sony Mavica 300) and a drop-in film camera (Canon EOS lX7 Lite). Can it be done with those and can I find a send-off lab to do that kind of film? Can I learn it all out of a book or do I need to take some classes first? If anyone has any helpful advise or suggestions I would more than grateful. Thanks so much.
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Tony Sweet |
Hi Heather! It sounds like you're off to a pretty good start here! I would suggest to get a business sense to take a class at one of the PPA affiliate schools: http://ppa.com. Better yet, take classes from Bryan Peterson, Jim Zuckerman, and Vik Orenstein, given online here at Betterphoto.com, to hone your business, creative, and people photography skills. It sounds like you've had great, positive experiences so far, but please know that the mark of a professional in any business is "consistency." In other words, to always produce great imagery and to have an acute business sense. But, equally as important, people need to like you and feel safe and secure placing their trust and $$$ with you. Good luck!
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Michael McCullough |
You need the right tools to do any job properly,you are IMHO lacking in your choices of tools!!!!!
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Tony Sweet |
Michaell makes a point. You will definitely need to upgrade to pro level digital and possibly film cameras to compete on the professional level. Good luck!
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Wing Wong |
To chime in a bit: Typically, you will want to use Medium Format film for wedding photography as you will get better quality enlargements later. Nothing wrong with 35mm and/or digital, but enlargment can become or pose a problem. If you do decide to stick with digital, you may be interested in two pieces of software: NeatImage(www.neatimage.com): Basically does an analysis of the picture and removes the noise and/or grain from the picture. Effectiveness depends on the picture being worked on, but is quite nice. Genuine Fractals(www.lizardtech.com): Uses fractals to encode your image and allows you to blow it up beyond what would be reasonable later. Note that how effective this tool is depends on how much information you had to start off with. Some people have said it is about or more effective than 1px resample steps up to the desired size. I found that it can provide enlargements with less resulting "blurring". If you are going digital, you will want something that outputs at least 6Megapixels(Canon Digital Rebel, Fuji S2 Pro, and the Nikon D70 come to mind. All three are in the $999 price range.) Good luck!
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Laurie Bocca |
How big can a 35mm 100 speed negative be enlarged without compromising the quality of the photograph? I am shooting my very first wedding in about 3 months and I want to make sure I do the best job possible. Also what speed film have you used photographing past weddings? Thanks for your time and responses.
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Michael McCullough |
100 speed film can be enlarged alot almost as large as you want to go!!!but Kodak gold is a grainy 100 speed film,personally I would use Fuji NPC 160 in good light situations or with flash, and Kodak Portra UC 400 where less light is available,it has the grain of a 160 film as well as pumped colour and really good for skin tones,if I only had one choice though it would be the Fuji NPC 160 I think this is a really great film for this type of application!!!!!!
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Laurie Bocca |
Thanks for the insite and advice I am taking every help and tip that I can get my hands on. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and expertice in the field to a new comer like me. THANKS,
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
a good blow up comes from a good picture. 100 speed can be made into a 20x30 with no problem. I have several, made from fuji 100.
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Gregg Vieregge |
If you were paid $25,000 to shoot a wedding it sounds like your on the top already. We should be getting advise from you! WOW!
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Laurie Bocca |
I wish!!!!! but I think he ment that the wedding cost 25,000 if he didn't mean that then I am moving to his city and state. lol
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