When I woke up this morning and saw the outdoor temperature of 5 degrees, I certainly thought to myself "is winter over yet"... As I drove into my day job this morning I looked around and thought, yes the snow is beautiful, but I cannot wait for it to melt away...
Trying to schedule engagement photos is pretty tough this time of the year. The weather is hit or miss and most clients want outdoor photos - which seem to have more character than many indoor locations.
As with anything, it only takes time - and patience... Soon wedding photography season will be starting and we will have those nice warm days again!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The GWC & Wedding Photography
Okay... First - a GWC is a Guy/Gal with Camera... This is a term that pros use to refer to amateurs aspiring to be professionals or acting as professionals and consuming potential clients.
So what? Most photographers started out with a camera in hand and a desire to take brilliant, wonderful, inspirational, memorable,.... photographs. Some of us got into it as a career alternative and a way to make a few extra bucks doing what we loved... You gotta start somewhere.
What I warn though is that in the digital age the GWC group has grown exponentially in size. I would venture to say that the attraction to providing 'professional' photography services has grown tenfold in the past 3 to 4 years with the onset of digital SLR cameras - especially with the entry price getting lower each day.
What this means for photographers... It means that good or great photographers has an opportunity to lose customers. It also means that good or great photographers (seasoned professionals) has the opportunity to showcase why they are better than the GWC crowd. The GWC has always been a threat, but has also provided the opportunity for the seasoned pro to show them up.
What the rise in the GWC crowd means to wedding photography or portrait photography clients... It means buyer beware in a huge way... For a couple thousand dollars, a person can literally buy the goods to take great photos... Create a simple or snazzy website on MySpace or another free webservice offering and bingo - one can be in business within a week(end).
There is nothing wrong with starting out and doing a few weddings or portraits to get your feet wet and learn! We all had to start there. What is happening though, is the GWC crowd is getting very bold. They are jumping in over their heads - some swim, many drown! But the worst part is... They take clients down with them along with precious memories of their special day! It is almost irresponsible business practice...
My opinion on the subject is... Yea, it stinks! But as photographers, we should educate potential clients looking to save a buck that these people exist and that if they are looking to spend less than the going rate for good photography services, then they might fall into a situation where they might regret. The worst part is there are clients out there that might pay $1000 or more for the services of a GWC that may have done 5 or 6 weddings and feels they are now worth more money!
The investment - yes, investment... Photography goes beyond what it costs to get the work done... These are images that document the day or time in your life... It is like taking your car to a guy who owns wrenches to get major repairs completed. I can buy all of the wrenches and tools in the world... heck I might even know what the particular tool will/can do... But that doesn't mean that I am seasoned enough to replace your transmission! Even if you are looking for a good value in your investment, you might still look for a professional mechanic that charges rates you can afford. The mechanic's shop might not offer the perks, but a professional, experienced mechanic will fix your car correctly...
The best advice I offer to the pro photographers - see what the GWC are offering out there and figure out how you can show value in your services. Continually make sure what you offer is worth what you are charging - if not, discover the opportunities for improvement and go on... It isn't difficult for a true pro - old school or new - to show up the GWC.
The best advice I can offer to the client - do your homework. See if the photographer has references... Are they really showing you 'their' work or some borrowed work. Learn a little more about the process of how they make your images 'great'. Don't sign up without asking a ton of questions... Shop around... Don't go to the first person you find on Craig's list that meets your financial criteria and deliverables criteria... Make sure they have some experience under their belt - several years at least...
If you are willing to take the risk on a newcomer there is nothing wrong with that - I would presume that your expectations won't be too high. Some people don't find photographs as important as others. They just want the bare bones - and that is okay, everyone has their priorities...
Hopefully clients and pro photographers alike make the choices necessary to deal with what technology might dish out!
So what? Most photographers started out with a camera in hand and a desire to take brilliant, wonderful, inspirational, memorable,.... photographs. Some of us got into it as a career alternative and a way to make a few extra bucks doing what we loved... You gotta start somewhere.
What I warn though is that in the digital age the GWC group has grown exponentially in size. I would venture to say that the attraction to providing 'professional' photography services has grown tenfold in the past 3 to 4 years with the onset of digital SLR cameras - especially with the entry price getting lower each day.
What this means for photographers... It means that good or great photographers has an opportunity to lose customers. It also means that good or great photographers (seasoned professionals) has the opportunity to showcase why they are better than the GWC crowd. The GWC has always been a threat, but has also provided the opportunity for the seasoned pro to show them up.
What the rise in the GWC crowd means to wedding photography or portrait photography clients... It means buyer beware in a huge way... For a couple thousand dollars, a person can literally buy the goods to take great photos... Create a simple or snazzy website on MySpace or another free webservice offering and bingo - one can be in business within a week(end).
There is nothing wrong with starting out and doing a few weddings or portraits to get your feet wet and learn! We all had to start there. What is happening though, is the GWC crowd is getting very bold. They are jumping in over their heads - some swim, many drown! But the worst part is... They take clients down with them along with precious memories of their special day! It is almost irresponsible business practice...
My opinion on the subject is... Yea, it stinks! But as photographers, we should educate potential clients looking to save a buck that these people exist and that if they are looking to spend less than the going rate for good photography services, then they might fall into a situation where they might regret. The worst part is there are clients out there that might pay $1000 or more for the services of a GWC that may have done 5 or 6 weddings and feels they are now worth more money!
The investment - yes, investment... Photography goes beyond what it costs to get the work done... These are images that document the day or time in your life... It is like taking your car to a guy who owns wrenches to get major repairs completed. I can buy all of the wrenches and tools in the world... heck I might even know what the particular tool will/can do... But that doesn't mean that I am seasoned enough to replace your transmission! Even if you are looking for a good value in your investment, you might still look for a professional mechanic that charges rates you can afford. The mechanic's shop might not offer the perks, but a professional, experienced mechanic will fix your car correctly...
The best advice I offer to the pro photographers - see what the GWC are offering out there and figure out how you can show value in your services. Continually make sure what you offer is worth what you are charging - if not, discover the opportunities for improvement and go on... It isn't difficult for a true pro - old school or new - to show up the GWC.
The best advice I can offer to the client - do your homework. See if the photographer has references... Are they really showing you 'their' work or some borrowed work. Learn a little more about the process of how they make your images 'great'. Don't sign up without asking a ton of questions... Shop around... Don't go to the first person you find on Craig's list that meets your financial criteria and deliverables criteria... Make sure they have some experience under their belt - several years at least...
If you are willing to take the risk on a newcomer there is nothing wrong with that - I would presume that your expectations won't be too high. Some people don't find photographs as important as others. They just want the bare bones - and that is okay, everyone has their priorities...
Hopefully clients and pro photographers alike make the choices necessary to deal with what technology might dish out!
Welcome to the new blog!
Welcome to the new PhG blog. We have discontinued the old blog and moved on to something a little more higher tech.
We hope that you enjoy viewing our posts!
Enjoy!
We hope that you enjoy viewing our posts!
Enjoy!
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