So, you have decided it’s time to take photography from a hobby to your next career. First of all, congratulations! This is a huge step, and I can tell you from experience, it can be extremely fulfilling. At the same time, this transition can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily, you have a friend who is going to do everything possible to help you succeed! As a wedding photography educator, I love working with my students as they take the next steps into their careers. Here are your five steps for starting wedding photography this year! 

Take These First Steps When Starting Wedding Photography

Collect Your Gear

The most important starting thing you need to do is build up your wedding photography gear and equipment. Essentially, you need products that are going to be able to keep up with you! Beyond your camera body, this is going to include lenses, tripods, lighting, extra batteries, and a computer outfitted with software that will let you quickly process and edit raw files. Once you have all that, spend some time familiarizing yourself with everything so you can decide what you need for different types of sessions. 

Build Your Portfolio With Styled Sessions or Model Calls

No one is going to want to book wedding photography without starting with exploring a portfolio. So, how do you change that without booking any prior gigs? You set up styled sessions or model calls. These will let you show off your skills so future clients can know you’re up for the job! In order to get started, check out local photography workshops, put out a call on your social media, or chat to see if you can do a free shoot with newly engaged friends. 

Assist at a Wedding or Second Shoot

Working as a second shooter or assistant is seriously one of the best things you can do at the beginning of your career. You will be able to work alongside a more experienced photographer while adding photos to your own portfolio. Not only are you going to get real-world experience, but you can also chat with a pro and learn more about your craft. 

Get the Legalities in Order

Before you get too far starting wedding photography, you need to get all of the legalities in order. Trust me, you don’t want to spend months putting in work only to realize you don’t have things like taxes figured out. I always recommend registering yourself as a legal business entity. This will let you file your taxes, get deductions on business purchases, and look more credible to potential clients. 

Create a Digital Presence

Now, it’s time to introduce yourself to people! Use sites like Instagram and Facebook to post your completed work. Also, spend time building up your website and utilize tools like SEO (maintaining a blog can be an extremely smart way to do this!). This will let you look more credible to future clients while getting you into the algorithm of additional people. 

I Hope This Helps Guide You When Starting Wedding Photography

If you are gearing up and starting wedding photography, I really hope this post helps you out! By following these tips, you can have the best start to your career.

If you learned something from this, I really hope you consider sticking around! As a wedding photography educator, I love working with clients to help them on this journey. I offer online classes such as A Beginner’s Guide and Wedding Photographer’s Formula that will guide you through these steps and so much more. Check them out today so you can get started!

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