Ghislain Roy

Weddings: Know thy client!

// February 19th, 2010 // Styles in Blog

This may sound obvious but when you get down to it, it’s always about the client, not the photographer. Most Photographers will tell you that you should learn to “read” your clients before shooting for them. And rightfully so! If your client isn’t satisfied, not only will he not hire you again, but he wont refer you either! Referrals & Word of Mouth is a photographer’s bread and butter.

The advantage we have today is that we can learn from others’ mistakes thanks to photographers with experience that share their knowledge. Over the years I’ve done many types of shoots, and weddings are the most demanding when it comes to client’s tastes, even more then Fashion or Commercial Shoots. Many of us take on weddings to roundup our year and because… they make people happy, force us to exercise our imagination , our creativity and our ability to “read” what our client is expecting of us.

Too often, when you take a look at a photographer’s wedding portfolio, you will find that all the photos are magazine covers with great looking brides and handsome Pitt like grooms. That is fine if your pitching to get a contract from wedding magazines, but for the average consumer it’s a bit overwhelming and often deters them from hiring you. Why? Because the first thing on their mind will be “This photographer is out of my league” … yes, many do think that. So make sure you have a wedding portfolio that reflects not only “perfection” but also “reality”.

Along the same lines, the type of shots that are taken during these weddings are also a factor. When I mention in this blog’s title “Know thy client!” I mean that what may seem like a boring ordinary photo to you, may be your client’s favorite! And what may seem like a Prize Winning Cover Shot to the trained eye, may not even make it into you client’s top 50 picks. When clients looks at your portfolio, they usually look at the execution and talent rather then at the images themselves. They want your talent to portray THEIR wedding fantasy.

Here a few points that I’ve learned to remember over the years:

A) Listen to your client’s requests and write them down.

B) Test your client by showing both “creative” and “Contemporary” shots.

C) 25% of your shots should be “Creative” + 25% should be Reportage.

D) The other 50% should be a mix of Contemporary and Souvenir shots.

E) 100% of your photos should show some % of originality

F) HAVE FUN!!! It will show in your work and in your client’s happiness.

This is all up for debate but it has served me well.

Good Luck