For those of you that don't know, I am a wedding photographer. I have been a wedding photographer for about 6 years now and believe it or not, I actually like it. Wedding photography has given me so much freedom in my life and has allowed me to start new projects like Fstoppers.com.
Patrick and I are going to begin creating behind the scenes videos that pertain to wedding photography in the near future and we plan to cover everything from starting a business from scratch to delivering the final product.
I didn't create the video below for Fstoppers; I actually created it for potential clients that may not have the opportunity to meet me in person before booking me. I realized that I only get a chance to meet about 50% of my clients before the day of their wedding. That's the downside with booking weddings outside of the state. I hope that you enjoy taking a closer look at what my life is currently like. More wedding videos will be posted soon.
Lee, this is exactly what I was waiting for from FStoppers! Can't wait to see more videos!
Excellent video. Sounds like some great stuff will be coming through in the next few months. Gotta love it.
I love the photo booth idea! Great stuff, thanks for making this site, I have learned a lot from it. Not just the photos but the video as well.
Hello Lee, I just wanted to thank you for creating this site, I have been following it for some time now and love seeing it evolve into a great source of inspiration. I am a portrait photographer that just started with weddings as well and I have to agree that it can be a scary, pressure filled task, however I also agree that what could be better than the excitement and energy of documenting such a beautiful day in someones life and having them share it with you like you are family. On a side note, your work is awesome, thanks for sharing it.
~Carlos
Wow! This spoke to me and thanks for posting. I think it's funny that we still have to somewhat "out" ourselves as wedding photographers. I've been experiencing this phenomenon for years. Despite having won international awards for my wedding work, and having a really successful wedding business (paganiphoto.com), I've always struggled with my identity as a photographer. When people ask what I shoot, I talk about all of the adventure travel stuff, and my experiences shooting a Gurung Matriarch in Nepal and mountaineering in Patagonia and sea kayaking in Vietnam BEFORE I mention that yes, when I'm at home, I shoot portraits, events, and....weddings. You're exactly right...as a wedding photographer, you basically get paid to attend a great, well-thought-out party, with people who really want you there...so much so that they picked you out of a crowd of other photographers and are willing to pay you well to be there. Sometimes those parties occur in interesting places like Jamaica, Cape Cod, or in a bayou swamp, etc. Good wedding photography requires you to be somewhat proficient in portraiture, architecture, food, action, etc. YOu really have to have great skills as a photographer to create beautiful wedding images. I think this video, and hopefully the videos that are on their way, will help to finally ease the stigma of "wedding photographer" and help the world see what great artists they can be.
I've just shot my first weddings a few weeks ago and instantly booked a workshop by some hotshot photographer here in The Netherlands. I seriously CAN NOT WAIT to see the promised videos Lee, thanks in advance! Love the photobooth idea by the way!
Great advice Lee!
Thanks for creating this site, it's really inspired me with some of my shoots and helped me to expand my skills.
What software setup did you use for the photo booths at your weddings?
I'm a professional photographer doing mostly editorial and commercial work. Two years ago when I got married I knew I would be picky about a photographer. There are plenty around here, but none I was excited about. I found Lee's portfolio online and knew I had found him. The (soon-to-be) wife agreed and Lee (with Patrick assisting) shot our wedding on St. Simons Island. The shots were incredibly good. We also got the photo booth and it was the hit of the wedding. Lee will do a top notch job for you.
Seriously?
I'm looking forward the opportunity to meet you and Patrick and shake your hands as a HUGE THANK YOU guys.
What amazing source of EVERYTHING you can find here. And for free?
Anybody out there knows how much cost the time of these guys?
Those are GIFTS ... priceless.
Again: THANK YOU!
Thanks so much everyone, especially Carlos, wow, very nice message.
@Mike, I don't use any software, I output directly from the camera.
Joe! thanks for the note as well. I remember your wedding like it was yesterday. I hope everything is going well with you. How is your photography business going?
Great video. I love the idea of doing wedding photography, but don't know any local photographers I admire and could second shoot for.
I'm also incredibly envious of your fstoppers opportunities, haha.
Love your work, love your website, love your videos!! Your videos are really pushing me and my shoots in so many different ways. Thank you!
Lee and Pat are just awesome for sharing all this, that's a fact!
That was actually really touching, Lee! I never stopped to think about doing weddings, but what you said is so true. This has to be one of my favorite videos so far. Not to mention the doors and connections you have had because of this website. I remember the first day it went live till now. Time flies. So proud to know you bud.
We can't thank you enough for creating this website, sharing so much with us. I'm looking forward seeing some BTS wedding shots.
Long life to fstoppers !
xoxo
Inspiring video! I check this site everyday in anticipation of a new BTS video.
Well done, congratulations and keep them coming.
This was an awesome video Lee!!! Very inspirational, and motivating. Love your work and love fstoppers... Keep it coming
Hi Lee,
I also really love fstoppers from the beginning! Almost everyday, I take a look at the site to see some new stuff. When you talking about photography, I want to take my camera and go out for a shoot! I have the same feeling when I hear Chase J.
Maybe, in the near future, I will post a BTS video of my sportsphotography.
Keep up the good work!
Best regards from Belgium,
Tom
This video is really outstanding lee. I also check this website everyday for new videos to check out. Can't thankyou enough for creating such an inspirational source of information, and such a great community building here already. I see BIG things happening for fstoppers in the future.
Luke
When I first started shooting weddings a couple years ago, I didn't like it very much. But after a few more (I'm primarily a photojournalist), I'm starting to like it more and more. It's an opportunity to capture a special moment (and you get paid pretty well).
I remember someone telling me once that wedding photography isn't photojournalistic. How? When I "cover" a wedding, I do so like I'm on a newspaper assignment. I shoot all the portraits sure, but I look for the in-between moments. I see it like it's a newspaper assignment where I have unlimited access to the subjects.
Lee, would you consider doing a BTS on your PhotoBooth concept? I'd love to see how it's done!
Keep up the awesome work by the way... this site is one of my all time favourites.
The photobooth is Brilliant! Also, Thanks so much for doing this it was so interesting seeing your first wedding photos! I'm behind your website 100%. I am here daily :D
Thanks,
-Nathan
This is the stuff that makes me come here: inspiration. You have made me look at my own photography in new ways and pushed me to develop and try mew techniques. Thanks!
Great stuff, but the foundation of it all is a good photographer to begin with, no amount of good personality or photo booth or whatever will replace good skills as a photographer which can be a mistake some newer folks might make.
Just amazing. MAKE MORE VIDEOS!! :)
I might disagree with you a bit Ireland. Of course Lee is an amazing photographer but selling your personality, at least in this field, might actually make you a more "successful" photographer than having the best images of anyone. I think you'd be surprised by some of the most famous/successful wedding photographers and their lack of technical skills. Marketing is probably the #1 most important element in this field...and Lee of course just knocked it out of the ball park with this video :)
I love the enthusiasm. It makes all the difference in the world in a wedding photographer.
Success VS image quality in the wedding photography business is an interesting debate and we will be focusing on this in a few upcoming videos.
Here's a question though. Why would anyone pay 50k or more for a sports car that can only hold 2 people? Yes the car is fast but the owner may never go over 90mph in it. Is that sports car really "better" than a Camry when you KNOW the Camry is more reliable and has a much better ratio resale value?
Why do people buy Rolex watches when there are other watches that are actually built better, tell time more accurately, and don't break as often?
Why do we still buy things that we know are relatively worthless?
Your site has been a great source of inspiration. Don't stop.
The argument that a poor photographer will make money is of course interesting and to a degree true in the sense that there are bad photographers making money but there are many more bad photographers here at least using their few chances to take really bad photographs.. disspointing the couple etc. I sadly am asked to fix more collections of wedding photographs than I am asked to take. This is what Im getting at, the wedding industry and many other sectors are being infiltrated by clueless weekend warriors who are the nicest of people etc. etc. , great marketing skills but couldnt use a point and shoot to save their lives. I cant imagine its any different there.
Lee,
Most People buy the expensive cars to flatter their ego, a very few buy it because they percieve quality in it e.g Craftsmanship. Pretty much the same as people who feel owning the latest nikon or canon is required to be a good photographer.
I disagree. Why would anyone buy something that was "worse quality" for "more money" to flatter their ego. Of course they perceive it as higher quality.
Hey, FStoppers!
Sorry for my English first...
It was very interesting you are talking about wedding photographers and photo-journalism.
Here in Russia most of weddings goes in "Photographer - is a God" style. If you will not in charge - all crowd will be just stand still and wait for something. It's not about all the weddings - but for the 90% for sure.
And its the way the creativity dies - when you are the main person on the wedding.
So im in jelous you can make photojournalism story )))
See ya!
Lee,
Im pretty sure it was you who said you always like to have the lastest gear. That sets you up for buying stuff that in reality is not a lot better , but is the most expensive. Does the latest Nikon really do much different than the last one in terms of how YOU use it or how most people use it.. I would wager absolutley not. Yet that is what the marketing departments want you to think .. and you will manage to tell yourself. FWIW i dont shoot Nikon or Canon
I may be confusing brands but I think people buy the sports car because it allows them show off their wealth and feel rich and good about themselves.. visions of grandour abound with a lot of self congratulation. If your suggestion is that people should buy the cheaper car because its better quality instead of the sports car.. then how are you managing to market yourself to the people who pay 20K or more for a wedding photograhper? I think some reading on Maslovs Heircarchy of needs would help you.
I do buy the new cameras when the come out. Sometimes it is because I like new toys but most of the time they are big jumps in technology. If I wanted to impress others I would have all D3s cameras. I could afford it but it would not be a good use of money because right now my D300s cameras work fine for weddings. I actually just sold my "better" D700 because it couldn't shoot video. I am excited for the D400 and D800 because hopefully they will have better high ISO performance and better video options (both of which I will use).
I am familiar with the hierarchy of needs and that is exactly my point. The reason we buy the things we buy are because of our perceived value of that object and not the true value in many cases. Marketing plays a bigger role in photography than most will ever realize. That was my only point, and I will create videos that expand on this in the near future.
My comments dissapeared but basically most people who spend a lot of money on high ticket items dont percieve only quality they percieve a way to feel good about themselves, feel rich and show others their wealth. Quality is an assumption essentially not a criteria.
Heres an accecdote. CEO took over a small jam factory producing cheap jam whose sales were slipping. He fired the marketing manager and rebranded the jam to an upmarket one and tripled the price. Jam selling better than ever now and much more profitable..so I get your point in the first place.. my point however is that the photography itself MUST be good if not Great before that jump can be made for the vast majority of photographers ( yes there are exceptions I know ). I continually see this debate with the same answer ( here ) , its all about marketing. Heres the thing I dont do ANY online or magazine marketing, my work speaks for itself. No website , gmail account and a mobile phone. Just booked my 42nd wedding of the year with a price tag of 6000euros to be shot in about 6 weeks time. I dont care how good a crap photographers wedding " snaps " are I will always be busy. My point is not the percieved quality but the perceived value... two different things.
I do understand in the middle and lower end of the market in particular , photography is seen as commodity by both the photographer and the client and in that sense marketing is the key factor, I am not disagreeing with you, simply stating that a bad photographer will only ever be stuck in the low end of the market if hes not a good photographer to begin with. We are in agreement on photojournalism though, basically any tom Dick and harry calls themselves a photojournalist because all they can do is take " snaps " , they say " we dont force you to pose " ..they really should say " we dont know how to help you pose so we will pretend its something you dont want ". These are the "type " coming in with good marketing skills are doomed to the village brides at 800 euros a pop.
I think we see eye to eye, just using different language :)
Yes, I normally dont get into the "ring" online, perhaps because im normally busy pushing HP5:) but I was thinking about this a little and it occurred to me that you should not downrate the role of your own excellent photographic skills as being a major contributor to your success. I know when I started out I always wanted to be better and saw the things I didnt like about my own work and perhaps I even underrated it. Its just a thought.
You the man Lee... You the man
Have to say this post was quite inspiring.
I've learnt so much from your site.
Thanks for your website and this video....
Last week a similar story happened to me....I am just shooting sports.....and a friend ask me if I would should his wedding...I was nervous but @ the end we had a great day and a lot of fun.
I also did what you suggested me to do....I documented my last trip to a big tournament in China....working on it right now;-)
Thanks again for hosting this great website with a lot of good stuff in it ;-)
Thanks for making this video and reinforcing my belief in wedding photography, i have always stood by the fact that, wedding photography can be amazing if you believe that you are giving two strangers one of the best gifts they can ever get! That happiness is unlike any other. Not many pro photographers vouch for wedding photography a lot. Good to know you do, and through fstoppers you are letting others know that too. This website is absolutely brilliant, keep up the great work. Thanks once again.
This was a really good video, I feel so inspired to start working more with people like a weddings and other celebrations.