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              how to become a professional wedding photographer fstoppers dvd tutorial
              January 7, 2013
              Lee Morris

              The Fstoppers Wedding DVD Is Now Available

              After 3 years of planning and 2 years of filming and editing, our newest tutorial: How To Become A Professional Commercial Wedding Photographer is now available. Our goal was to create the most complete and informative video on wedding photography and we believe we have done it with this 14 hours digital download. The world is filled with people trying to turn their passion for photography into a career and I believe that wedding photography is the easiest way to start making money with your camera.

              This is the reason Fstoppers.com exists

              dvd cover weddings The Fstoppers Wedding DVD Is Now Available
              When Patrick and I came up with the idea for Fstoppers we wanted the site to be a hub for all genres of photography. We knew that wedding photography wasn’t the most exciting genre so we started to film videos on fashion, extreme sports, headshots, portraits, cars etc. While we were filming all of these videos we began to plan out our series on wedding photography because at the time, there wasn’t a single respectful video on wedding photography that we could find online.  Our goal from the very beginning was to create the most useful and complete video on wedding photography available. After we had come up with about 30 mini chapters, we started filming this wedding video chapter by chapter. Some of these chapters we actually filmed and edited over 3 times because we weren’t happy with the finished product or we had to add to them years later as technology had changed. In December of 2012 we finally finished and were shocked to find that we were left with over 14 hours of tightly edited content.

               

              Our goal

              At the beginning of my career it was so frustrating trying to learn everything from scratch on my own. The information in books or on Youtube videos was a complete joke; it was either completely outdated or worthless generic information. The only way I “made it” as quickly as I did was by assisting other very talented photographers in my area. I learned all that I could from them but I still had to figure the majority of it out on my own. I didn’t know how to legally start a business or pay my taxes, so I had to pay a CPA hundreds of dollars to explain it to me. I didn’t know if magazine ads were valuable in my area so I took a $3000 loss to learn my lesson. Nobody in town had ever made a photobooth so over a 6 year period I created and perfected my own. When I met Patrick a few years into my career I told him everything that had taken me years to learn and within 1 year he went from not owning a camera to being a full time wedding photographer. Our goal was to make this tutorial that 3 year head-start that I gave Patrick. We wanted to cover every aspect of wedding photography, including the most important aspect, business.

               

              What does it cover

              As I said above this digital download is broken down into 8 chapters that house 27 chapters that equal over 14 hours of content. A basic over view of each chapter can be seen below.

              Chapter 1
              Intro - What is “Commercial Wedding Photography” - Mandatory Gear - The Importance of Assisting - Composition, Exposure, White Balance

              Chapter 2
              Advertising - Bridal Portraits: Lighting 101 - Pricing

              Chapter 3
              Meeting With Potential Clients -The Engagement Session  - Designing Your Website - Music - Slideshows - The Importance of Video 

              Chapter 4
              On Camera Flash - Getting Ready and Details - The Ceremony - Fusion 

              Chapter 5
              Formals and Groups - Interview with Pye Jirsa 

              Chapter 6
              Four Ways to Light a Reception - The Cake - The Rings - The Departure - Taxes, Write-offs, and Accounting

              Chapter 7
              Interview with Cliff Mautner

              Chapter 8
              Post Processing - Creating a Photobooth - Photo / Video Slideshow, SmugMug.com - Delivering Your Final Product - Final Words

               

              Who’s it for

              We have designed this tutorial for photographers that already have a good understanding of their gear. We do not go over the basics in this video so don’t expect to learn about standard camera settings here. Before you buy this you will need to learn all about cameras, lenses, shutter speed, ISO, aperture, and white balance.  We will quickly jump into the basics of single, off camera lighting and then move quickly into  more complex lighting scenarios. Our goal was to make this video helpful for those who have never shot a single wedding and those who are already professional wedding photographers who are looking to take their businesses to the next level. We even added over 4 hours of interviews with photographers that are far more successful than we are so no matter how good you are, there will be more to learn.

               

              Money back guarantee 

              This isn’t your standard fun workshop on lighting or how to use your camera. This tutorial is meant to make you money, way more money than the $300 we are asking for it. Luckily you don’t have to take our word for it. We will give anyone their money back if they are unhappy with this tutorial for any reason. If you are on the fence about wedding photography we challenge you to buy it and watch it anyway. If after watching it you still don’t want to shoot weddings, let us know and we will still give you a full refund. Due to advertising costs and affiliate programs, our money back guarantee must be applied to sales made within 30 days of the original invoice date.

               

              We don’t want to stray away from offering high quality content for free on Fstoppers and so over the next year we will be releasing parts from many of the shooting sections for free here on Fstoppers. The business portions of this tutorial were designed for professional photographers and the majority of them will never be released. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Give it a try and you may find out that wedding photography may be your quickest route to becoming a full time photographer.

               

               

              wedding dvd buy it now button The Fstoppers Wedding DVD Is Now Available

               

               

               

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              Newer Comments →
              • http://www.facebook.com/trentchau Trent Chau

                The idea that you guys were able to put together your dream in a cohesive package is awesome itself, I hope this does well for you guys.

              • http://www.facebook.com/tguillaro Tony Guillaro

                Cant wait to watch it, Who needs sleep anyways.. 

              • Wyatt Michalek

                Looking good fellas. Best of luck.

              • http://www.facebook.com/bryanlanning Bryan Hollister Lanning

                “BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”

                My reaction when I saw the price.

              • http://twitter.com/OfficialDan Dan Howard

                wow…. $300…. $99 maybe but I’d rather spend $300 on kit.

              • Mark Micallef

                Do you talk about medical insurance options for you and your family?

              • http://www.facebook.com/ryan.chelf.3 Ryan Chelf

                To anyone complaining about the price: It’s 14 hours of HD video, and information you can’t find anywhere else. I will be purchasing this in one week, and I can’t wait to learn all they have to offer in this INCREDIBLE deal.
                 

              • http://profile.yahoo.com/QQGNWDXUV4MKCIXFB4EP72CZLY bizlar2002

                Let’s do this!  I’m off from work tomorrow, it will give me something to do.  Hope it helps with some of my anxieties of doing weddings.

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                Thanks Ryan, obviously this tutorial isn’t for everyone. If you are a hobbyist of course you shouldn’t waste $300 on a photography video. If you want to make a living at this, $300 is nothing. You will make it back plus some on your first job. 

              • http://www.facebook.com/VanityForcePhotography Mike Jimenez

                Wonderful promo-video; sincere and convincing.  Best of luck on the main video series.  I hope it does well for you guys.  I, personally, owe a lot to you and Pat for the success of my wedding photography business.  Again, best of luck to both of you!

                Mike

              • http://twitter.com/JeremyCupp Jeremy Cupp

                Great work on the trailer. I’ve been looking into producing some quality video like that. I will for sure consider purchasing this in the future.

              • http://www.facebook.com/VanityForcePhotography Mike Jimenez

                Oh, and I’ll be purchasing next week, as well, Lee and Pat.  I’m more than certain it’s worth the money.

              • http://www.facebook.com/harrison.longhurst Harrison Longhurst

                Epic, I’m definitely getting this tonight.  Looks well worth it!

              • Matthew Kozovski

                Pricing – While some may be put off on the price, you just need to remind yourself that this is a 14hr production. There is a ton of information in here. While some of it may be introductory to many, it really is a comprehensive package that tries to hit every mark. If anyone was to take a workshop (2 days at 8hrs per day) they would easily pay more than this. 

              • http://zsuttonphoto.com/ Zach Sutton Photography

                Congrats on putting it together!

              • http://www.facebook.com/ryan.chelf.3 Ryan Chelf

                 I really look up to you guys, and it’s great to see the hard work you all have put in this download. I plan on going to the Academy of Art in San Fran this fall and after 2 years of school plan on being a wedding photographer. I can’t wait to purchase, what looks to be, the best value any wedding photographer can pick up. Keep up the good work guys!

              • http://www.foggodyssey.com/ foggodyssey

                Ryan, I am trying to go to AoA in SF to this coming fall (that or the Art Institute in Chicago).  Would love to talk more with you on it.  I’ve had some questions but so far non of their consulars have been much help on answering them.  Maybe you know more, anyways, hit me up on my website (www.foggOdyssey.com) on my contact page if you’d like to talk more.

              • http://www.facebook.com/people/Yang-Gao/759205172 Yang Gao

                Congratulations guys!

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1270568973 Daniel Sullivan

                Personally I think we have all been spoiled by Fstoppers. Think of how much free information they provide to us every day with their site, and I am extremely grateful for it.
                 
                Compare the DVD price to a photography degree or a training seminar. It would be $300 just for the ticket to fly to the course. Lee and Patrick’s’ DVD is so much more value because it is proven in the field knowledge. It’s what they do every day (when they’re not wake boarding, at a party, or just having fun.) Sounds like they’re ahead of the normal 9-5 people with quality of life and the best thing is that their willing to teach it how they do it!

                 If your interested in weddings then this is the DVD, if you already in the business then you should still get it. It allows you to expand on your existent skill set and not fall into a rut.

              • MarcBM

                Lee, I have NO DOUBT this is worth $300.  It’s actually probably worth a lot more… but have you considered breaking it into payments?  I know with paypal, you can set it to 3 payments (or any amount of payments).  I think that may help some people rationalize the purchase.

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                We tried to think of a way to break it up into cheaper smaller portions but we couldn’t make it work. All of the sections lead on to the next. 

                People spend tens of thousands of dollars going to college to get a degree they don’t even use. IF professional photography is a goal for someone, saving up $300 shouldn’t be a big deal. It is risk free too; if they don’t like it we will refund them. What college would do that? 

              • MarcBM

                Preaching to the choir, brother…haha.  I am going to buy it without any hesitation.  Just figured that you guys probably get a lot of “new” guys who may have to make hard choices with their cash.  I can tell anyone reading from personal experience that information like this is absolutely the right way to INVEST in your career, even if it’s not in an easy payment option.  In my “other life” I run a sports website & charge for premium access to information.  I was able to set up a subscription via paypal that automatically charges 3 payments… one each month.  Just making sure you knew it was available.

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                Oh, no I didn’t realize that was available. We will look into it. Thanks!

              • MarcBM

                I had the same reaction when I saw your photo gallery….. I’m actually thinking of buying this FOR you…

              • Mike_Kelley

                Newsflash: Gear doesn’t make you a better photographer, educating yourself makes you a better photographer

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                I really hate when stuff turns nasty like this… but that made me laugh out loud :)

              • http://www.facebook.com/ernestnleah Leah Copeland

                Maybe I missed it, will this come in an actual DVD or be emailed to the purchaser?

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                at this point it is only a digital download

              • Jainash Prakash

                apply water to the burnt areas

              • Jainash Prakash

                how big is the DL?

              • http://www.rlmorris.com Lee Morris

                about 16gb

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1166192987 Mhellan Narciso

                i want to become a wedding photographer to your country and to work with you:D can i? :D

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1111718679 Sebastian Pietrzak

                Is there a chance for more precise outline ? Thanks!

              • http://twitter.com/abhijat Abhijat Saraswat

                I’m quite interested in this, but how relevant is this to those outside of the US (especially the marketing, business and sales aspects)? 

              • http://profile.yahoo.com/H3N2AAX42CFI5VF26MKMDYYKOE Nicholas

                Congratulations on such an ambitious project. 

              • http://www.facebook.com/greg.nuspel Greg Nuspel

                Looks very interesting. I must say your production quality looks very good nothing I hate more than to come across a how to video and the sound sucks, the video is off and the host appears to be making it up on the spot because there is no script. Looks like you guys nailed the production.

              • Chris Manchester

                I love this as an idea for payment. I want to start watching this video, but have to build up the money before I can. Paying month by month would make it much easier. And I could start watching straight away. :)

              • http://www.facebook.com/hartmut.junge Hartmut Junge

                Does look very useful. What are the shipping costs to Germany?

              • Cole Nickell

                Lee, thanks for putting this together! You think this would be helpful to me as a wedding cinematographer?

              • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1491861002 Alex Leon

                I’ve been waiting for this for so long… pitty i’m still up to my knees in debt :(

              • http://www.facebook.com/archeebald Jan ‘Archee’ Bloch

                Brilliant, I was waiting for this for years. So happy guys you put this together. I remember when you were talking about actually putting video on P. H. work I was like ok but no everyone is into head shots though everyone loves to make money with photography even if just to cover their equipment and experiment with better stuff. I’m grateful for all the connections made guys, seriously, imagine that 20-30 years ago someone would like to teach someone else about their business and all that in just in click of a mouse.  Those that bought PH videos from Fstoppers agreed it was the best investment in very, very long time and I’m sure this is another example. Lucky those who won the contest for the DVD but for everyone else, if you are into this and really hesitated for years and even said Oh I hate to shoot weddings just because you had absolutely no idea what to do and how to shoot weddings, get this video.

                Thank you Lee for pushing this to have it done, 3 years is a long time.

                Archee

              • http://www.jerritpruyn.com Jerrit Pruyn

                it is for download

              • http://twitter.com/EttVenter Ett Venter

                BOOM. No amount of lenses/lights will make you any better. Knowing how to light a room at a wedding will.

              • http://www.facebook.com/archeebald Jan ‘Archee’ Bloch

                 Before Lee answers this I give you example from different industry. I’m a fashion photographer, not just shooting ads, portfolios and studio shots, I do tons of fashion shows. The one thing I always want is to have a video guy side by side. We bought have to go through similar things, though knowing the equipment and what does what. You do have certain advantage as the video is capturing constantly but there are times that no matter how great the shot is, video just tells it better and vice versa.  So imagine you hook up with someone who shoots weddings while you film them. You both know each other and both respect each other,  so there is no ego going around who gets what and you both work as one team. No photographer jumping into your footage or your tripod in his photos. So to your question, will this work for you. Absolutely, the concept is the same, especially the marketing part. .

              • wayneleone

                To me, the FStoppers brand says “truth and honesty of effort”. I already learned 2 new things from the promo video alone so goodness knows what else I’ll pick up. $300 is not cheap, but neither is 3 years of knowledge and experience. Plus, you managed to interview one of my heroes, Cliff Mautner!

                Best of luck with this guys.

              • http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall

                What do you mean a more precise outline?  Those are the chapters, we talk a lot within those chapters

              • wayneleone

                 in for a penny, in for a pound :)

              • http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall

                I think it is relevant to all markets.  We are very up front that each market is slightly different but most of the themes are universal

              • http://www.patrickhallphotography.com Patrick Hall

                It’s a digital download, there is no extra costs

              • wayneleone

                 good question – I’m based in Ireland.

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