Seniors or Weddings.

[DeLeon]

I don't do very many weddings (I've done 3), but I get a ot of calls about my wedding prices. There are none on my web site and I don't have a wedding price list. I just really don't like doing them...they are not very fun for me, and I feel like it's too important of an event for someone that doesn't know what they are doing.

I LOVE senior photography. I crave it and would do it for free if I could afford it (not really). I had another photographer recently tell me that If I wanted to ever make it in this business, that I am going to have to start doing weddings, because thats where the money is. I know that I at least need to re examine my pricing if I am going to ever make a full time career out of this, but I have at least two years before that is even possible (daughter starts school) .

Am i way off base to think that I could shoot seniors and families full time and still make a descent living?

[adirty1]

No your not off base. there are lots of photographers that dont shoot weddings and just sho0t portraits and seniors only. I have been to couple talks where that is all they do and make great money in a little town. Some photographers dont even do the seniors but just portraits. I used to do just commercial work and with the downward trend in commercial I went to back to weddings. Now I am thinking about killing the weddings and just doing portraits, bridals, seniors commercial, travel, and fine art. In a good month I can make what I was making on weddings doing fine art. I can see a push to fine art, ports, and stock.

the important thing is to do what you love. If your not a wedding person dont force it you can tell in the images. I should have listen to my mother when she said, " what are you doing shooting weddings gain. You hate it. You need to stick with commercial, stock and art. "

after this last wedding those words never rang more true. my wife has even gotten on the wagon and has been agreeing with MOM for the last year. time to take the hint.

[bondarnes]

I enjoy weddings and am not ready to give them up, but they make up less than 20% of my current business. You can make it without doing weddings, but like anything else worthwhile it is a lot of work. Up until 9/11 we could do $200,000, a year not counting weddings. Now it is a real struggle to reach that figure with weddings.

[Cybastean]

Don, what does 9/11 have to do with the photography business?

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by Cybastean

Don, what does 9/11 have to do with the photography business?

Our business literally died after 09/11/01. We had no Christmas sessions and 2002 wasn't much better.

[FreshPhotography]

I know of people that make shooting seniors their full time work and LOVE it. You can totally make a great living shooting just seniors! And you're right - the stress involved is completely different. I haven't enjoyed my senior shoots much at all - but I *love* weddings. Maybe we need to trade clients? ;-)

I have a friend in Chicago that only shoots babies and families - and she left her $$$ job to do it full time because she makes so much.

[Ropinamoment]

Chris I think it's totally do able. I think you just have to market yourself for what you want to do. Weddings up here seem to be in high demand, but like you, I really don't enjoy them. Well the last one I did, the one I talked to you about, was the only one that I throughly enjoyed. They were so laid back and fun. I started to second guess myself, but luckily I was reminded of how much I didn't enjoy the other 4 I had done.

[KeepsakeGirl]

Chris,

I think you should look at Smile House Photography by Laura Wootan. She's AMAZING in this area and could give you some tips on this. She's a huge hit w/ teens,babies and families and I think she also does a few weddings if I"m not mistaken. I'd love to come to her place one day and watch her work. :)

[DeLeon]

Thanks for all of the replies...I think I'm going to start doing a big push with the seniors and families. I do appreciate all of the feedback!

[VisConPhoto]

Wedding Photography is a great way to get a good bank roll. But If you focus on one or two special areas then you can off set the the loss of not doing weddings. We have shifted our focus from general photography(Wedding, Family, Seniors children, our any thing that came our way) to infant and Senior Photography and it hase been great. Weddings are stressfull and if your portrait pricing is set to a desent level for profits you can make as much or more on a few sittings then a wedding which takes all days.