Hi. I'm going through a weird mental stage where I really can't see my work objectively anymore. I feel very dissatisfied with everything I've done up to this point. And I realize that this is a good thing in that my lack of satisfaction is what will bring about motivation for improvements. I am spending my time right now reading a lot on lighting (and I'm going to Zack's workshop in a couple of weeks) and developing my photoshop skills. But I know that there's a lot of things in my work that more experienced people (like y'all) can see that I wouldn't be able to see on my own. I read critiques on here all the time, and they're always very honest (good and bad). That's what I'm looking for right now. I was wondering if some of you that have time to would look at my website and give me some feedback. What would you be doing if you were me? What should my first priorities be as far as what to work on now? I know my website and logo are kinda cheap-looking and lame. I know I don't have enough images on the site yet. But what about the ones that are there? Should I be focusing on second-shooting this summer to improve my portfolio, or should I see how I can do by myself doing cheap weddings? Should I be spending my time and resources on improving my image? Should I be more focused on marketing what I already have? Those are just some of the questions that have been driving me crazy lately. Thanks in advace for all your advice.
~brian

Hey Brian,

Do you have a plan to be full time wedding/portrait photographer? Or is this just for fun as a supplemental weekend thing? Assuming you want to be full time in the next couple of years, I can offer you some steps that I took when I got started.

1. Assist, assist, assist. This does not mean second shooting--just assisting and watching a pro at a work whose work you admire. Don't assist for someone you don't respect--find someone who takes weddings/portraits seriously and approaches them as a consummate pro. You will learn so much if you PUT DOWN YOUR OWN CAMERA and watch, listen, learn.

2. Keep second shooting and be sure you can use the images for marketing/promotion.

3. Keep taking workshops from pros--but be very selective too. Zacks is a good start. I VERY HIGHLY recommend any workshops with Denis Reggie if you can swing it. Also, Joe Buissinks workshop. One day seminars can be just as good as intensive week long ones too. I took Joe's workshop in Vermont and he allows you to use any images you shoot on your website (just can't enter them into any judged contests). Don't get too bogged down with mastering photoshop tricks either--if you have great work to begin with, then photoshop becomes less and less important. It's more important to hone your WORK first, photoshop next.

4. Go to WPPI if you can swing it. Don't need to be an active member to attend the conference either. Go to every seminar you can. Be a total sponge. Plan on being there for 4-5 days if you really want to learn a lot. Great networking place too.

5. Keep taking on your own weddings at your current rate. Some of my favorite images to this day are still from my first 5 weddings. You are so fresh and unadulterated right now--keep your own vision in tact and shoot, shoot, shoot! Also--may sound strange, but buy a cheap dress on ebay, have a local florist make a bouquet, and hire a model. Take her to an amazing location and PLAY!

6. When you feel ready, take out one print ad or web ad. But I wouldn't recommend you saturate your market until you have all your ducks in a row in terms of style, pricing etc. Create a business plan for this official "launch."

As for your website:

Good things: It's bold, clean, easy to navigate. I like your logo too. Image of the shoes is strong; portrait of bride & groom in front of tree is kind of interesting.

Things that need work: not enough imagery; images are too big for my laptop--I couldn't see the vertical ones at 100%; image of dress close up needs color correcting; second image of bride with sun flares does not work IMHO: that tilt is way too much and the flare just makes it look low conrast instead of dynamic (PS--I am NOT a fan of tilting...please see here to read more tilt thread); too much sharpening on image of african american couple--especially in comparision with other portrait images which are nice and soft. I don't see a real clear style emerging yet because there is not enough imagery.

Overall, I think your prices reflect your experience, so it works for now.

Hope this helps and keep us posted! Thanks for sharing too!

Geneve

Are you a full-time photographer or part-time? How serious are you as a photography business?

Have you been shooting all of your own weddings or have you been shooting only as a second shooter?

Do you have your absolute fave images on your site? Do you know what you want to say to your clients about you? about them? about how you want them to feel about your work? about how they feel when they work with you?

Do you know what kind of photographer you are? Who you are? What words are you that describe your images?

These questions are just tapping the surface of the questions that come into play at some point in your photography. In your branding. In your business. They are all important in the style of photography that you want to shoot, in they type of photographer you want to be, in the type of clients you want to attract. Every image you put on your site for clients to see says something. Is it saying what you want it to say? All of these questions affect all of the questions that you asked above. All of these questions affect your website and all interactions with your clients. Very important.

I would say that the number one thing for all photographers is to keep educating yourself...about everything. Go to workshops about lighting, business, style, branding, inspiration, shooting, etc. Read books like crazy about photography and business and branding. There are so many great opportunities to learn. There is a thread on here called "What 'cha reading?"

Some of my fave books are:

Lovemarks
Love is the Killer App
Discover your Strengths
The Brand Called You
Anything by Seth Godin
Books about photography masters: Dorothea Lange, Robert Douisneaux (not sure on the spelling-sorry.), Henry Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Emogen Cunningham, Willy Ronis...there are great things to learn from them all just by studying their images.

You are doing well. There are always things to change and make better. The fact that you are aware of that is huge and will make a big difference in your future as a photographer.

Keep us posted on your plans and thoughts as you go along.


EDIT:

I hadn't read Geneve's comments before posting my own. I absolutely second everything she said. She gave you an amazing review and wonderful advice. I'd say to totally do everything she said.

She has great wisdom and is a true and real person. I'm grateful she is a friend of mine. I love reading anything she posts!

Wow, Brian. You've got a great start -- a clean web site and GREAT advice from two people I admire A LOT.

Listen, my neice lives in North Augusta. She was a model in NYC last year -- gorgeous. I'd be willing to bet you've heard her name. So anyway, if you're in need of a model for that bride shoot Geneve spoke about, I could hook you up with my neice if you're interested.

The one thing that bugged me about your Web site was that the images were so DEEP that I had to scroll my down to see the whole image. I have a 20" monitor, so imagine how bad it must be for people on standard size monitors. I think it's great to have big images, but not so great if it ends up annoying people because they have to use the clicker too much.

Good luck! My neice knows lots of people in that area, so hooking up with her and impressing the heck out of her might not be a bad thing. PM me if you're interested.

Wow!!! What an awesome offer!!! You are so lucky, Brian! You are so nice, Jules!!!

I have to agree with everything said above - and take Jules up on that offer!!!

Definitely assist and second shoot. I can't tell you how much I have learned from those two things alone and still would love to second shoot - it keeps me fresh and you can always learn new things from other photographers and from just experimenting. Workshops are a fantastic resource as are books and the internet. I don't think there is a single person on this forum that doesn't truly believe that they could improve SOMEHOW. That will always be there - or at least it should.

I do have to agree that your images (and logo) are BIG - I have a large monitor as well and still had to scroll down to see the entire image. I would also read up on white balancing... many of your images struck me as needing color correction before I even noticed anything else about them. I really like the shoe shot... very nicely done.

Practice, practice, practice and research, research, research!!!

Ahh shucks Davina! You are the best girl! Two bodies, one brain! Aren't you in Korea now?!

But Davina makes a good point about putting only your absolute favorite work on your site. Less is more too.

Keep shooting. Perhaps once or twice a week make sure you have a subject to photograph. Always look at your work and compare it to others. You are going to be the final judge. Comparing my photos with others really helped me out try to be more objective.

Find a photograher or two that you admire - try their tactics and see how you do and then perhaps tweak the style to your own.

I haven't read the above comments but I would invest in a website from creative motion design, big folio, live books or blu domain. It will really put you over the top in looking more professional. All are very easy to manage and most people enjoy their experiences with those companies.

I don't think the logo is bad. I would keep it until you can aford a designer to make one for you.

Network like crazy and do free shoots. Think of it as free advertising.

Stay positive and good luck!!

Lacour photography offers workshops in your area. Take them!

Wow! I really never expected this much great advice! Y'all are really nice for spending so much time thinking and typing about my concerns. Thank you all very much! I got something practical from every one of you. Now that I look at my website (after reading all the comments), what ya'll have observed seems really obvious to me, and I can't believe I couldn't see it just a few hours ago. Everything is really big, isn't it? Does anyone have a recommendation for measurements for the pics on my site?

And color correction....I literally just started reading about color correction about two days ago. Color is something that I still don't quite get. I've been looking at the work of some of my favorite photographers lately, and thinking that the gorgeous colors are a huge part of why I like their look so much. I'm just clueless as to how to get there. I don't even have a monitor calibrator yet, but it's high on my list.

A little background: I just bought my first camera and my first computer this past August. This was also my first experience with Photoshop and web design. Actually, it's been six months ago this week. So, in between trying to gain experience and knowledge in all of these fields simultaneously, I've been working 72 hours a week to pay for it, and trying to find shooting opportunities. So, while I feel like I've been progressing in a timely manner, I'm still somewhat dissappointed in where I am.

So, to answer some of your questions.....I'm not full-time. Not even close. Barely finding work at all. But I do want very much to be full time within a year or so. I haven't done any second-shooting or assisting yet, but would love to find the opportunity. I have shot one wedding on my own. Pretty much everything else is just friends and family. Oh, and I just signed up today to do my second wedding. It's in July (which seems like an eternity away right now).

I have to leave for work now. I'll write more later.

And Jules.....thank you sooooo much for your offer. I'll be PMing you very soon.

Research your market first to make sure people are using flash. Or, you can always have an html site too. About half the visitors to my site DON'T HAVE FLASH PLAYER (and don't seem to want it). If I were focusing on shooting only weddings I would get a flash site in a second, but with the market I'm targeting right now (family lifestyle sessions), I know that an html site is what I need (for now, until I move into a more upscale and sophisticated market).

Brian,
Perusing your very large site (too big on images and text), I saw a little too much flash. Try finding more natural light, or try disguising your flash. The right workshop might change your photographic life if it has to do with using your flash, or finding the light. Also, the images did not seem very emotional. Watch out for emotional moments or learn to manufacture them (put two people in love in front of the camera and tell them to kiss, cuddle, touch, look at each other, etc). Good luck!

Hey Brian,

You came to the right spot. Lots of great advice already.

While I think your work is very clean and well composed, I think today's brides are looking for more storytelling imagery. I'm not saying your work has to be strictly photojournalistic, but you have to be able to respond to the market demand.

Workshops are great. But nothing beats going out to a gig and coming back here and posting your work for some honest feedback. I feel like my work has improved tenfold just from sharing with my peers.

Hope that helps!

Shane

Thank you to everyone for chiming in. This is great stuff. I wish I had done this weeks ago. I'm sure this will help me a lot.

So here's a sample page from the website with a few changes. Is it better? Is it a keeper? Is there more that should be fixed? Let me know what you think.

Thanks again, y'all.


Sample Page

Do you mean size wise sample? That size works well on the b/w image of the child--the next pages were still too big though...?




Hey Brian,

Don't be so disappointed! It's a process and you are in the initial stages--totally normal. The fact that you care so much already puts you WAY ahead of the game! Also, asking for help/advice is huge too! I strongly advise you to assist though--you will be amazed how much you learn. We are not "born" wedding photographers--you have to learn like any other industry. You wouldn't just expect to become a master overnight in any other field, so why would weddings be any different? I think that is a current misnomer about this industry--that just because someone owns a decent digital camera they can suddenly become wedding photo pros (I'm not saying you are one of these folks Brian...just making a point). There is so much to learn to achieve pro status IMHO.

You will get there...like Shane says...just keep shooting and learning and follow your own vision ultimately!!

Geneve