~ Article by Trompie van der Berg
My personal journey to becoming a wedding photographer. This is my story…
I am entering my 5th year in the wedding photography business since I shot my very first wedding and I have been reflecting quite a bit on the journey past. If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be making a living of wedding photography today I would have laughed in your face and called you a loony. I can actually remember Danie telling me this on a DPC portrait session when I did my very first course with him 5 years ago (I was part of only his second class) and thinking man, this guy obviously feels he need to say this as I paid him for the course!
Lo and behold, 5 years have passed and wedding photography is my life and main income! It is necessary to know that I do not have a creative bone in my body that I know off, I come from a sports background where I played provincial rugby and was an SA Athlete in shot put and discus. So for most of my life, the finer artsy fartsy things evaded me…
I had some friends that were into photography and on a whim, I bought the most expensive camera I could afford. At the time it was the Nikon D90 with an 18-105mm kit lens. That setup cost me a whopping R18 999 at Game back then! After a while, I decided that I must surely go for a course as all these buttons are freaking me out! I was very interested in macro photography so I was referred to Danie Bester for a Basic Photography Course. After our first outing doing some portrait photography, I was addicted!
I saw this man sitting in a pile of rubbish, turning in for the night. This was my first taste of the honesty and responsibility that comes with taking someone’s portrait. For a split second, a total stranger let me into his world to document what I was seeing! It was a truly amazing experience! It was incidentally also the first time I saw the effects of using flash. I popped my on-camera small flash because it was getting dark and went wow!!
Unfortunately, photography is an art that needs to be practiced and I put the camera away for 6 months! One morning I got out of bed and went to Magaliesberg for some landscape photography. I was messing around on the train tracks when Danie and his family drove past on their way to a portrait shoot with DPC. He recognized me and invited me along for the shoot. I went along and immediately the spark was renewed for portrait photography!
A few months after that I got my first real taste of wedding photography. Danie invited me along to one of his weddings (he was still shooting weddings in those days) as an assistant / second shooter and I had an absolute blast! The thrill and throes that only a wedding photographer under pressure understands! I can still remember the pride I felt when a few weeks after the wedding Danie submitted a post of the wedding to his website and there I was credited with a few images that made the cut! Man what a thrill!
Now you may think why the long detailed story? Well, I am trying to convey to you that if I am able to make it as a wedding photographer, so can you! I am not special, I do not believe that I was born with a special photography gift! I do know that I invested a lot of time, money and hard work into this craft! I let passion and hard work guide my path and through the grace of God I succeeded.
In this article, I want to show you where I started to where I am and share the journey with you to inspire you to greater things! I remember the feeling of being a novice and the doubt you have in yourself that you will only ever be a snap-shooter!
After my first wedding experience with Danie, my sister was about to tie the knot and here I was offered my very first paid job! I, of course, wanted to do it for free but she insisted, something I am very grateful for! It taught me from the outset that my time and skill (even though limited) was worth charging for! So here I was about to shoot my very first wedding solo, I took the money she paid me and I bought the 50mm Sigma F/1.4 as I wanted to do the very best I could for their special day! The images that follow is to showcase where I started against some of my latest work. Even though the images are far removed from my current work the images I took that day is very dear to them and their coffee table book that I designed using some free software still adorns their main table proudly in their home! It was a perfect and beautiful wedding and I was proud of my first solo attempt at wedding photography!
Below is a few notes accompanying the images to illustrate what I have learned and changed over the years.
I am now shooting detail keeping the background in mind. I am looking for interesting and compelling angles for items like cakes and table decorations to render a more pleasing result. I am even lighting these inanimate objects to render a better effect, the cake was shot with a 70-200mm lens lit by an Icelight from the right.
I now shoot my bridal make up shots only when the make-up is complete. No bride looks pretty with make-up half done. I also shoot with the longest lens possible to bring the facial features into the correct perspective.
I look to include more of the wedding party to help tell the story and document those present. I posed my bride against the window to back-light her and used an Icelight from the front to light her properly.
Bridal detail is now treated as would a catalog shoot for a magazine. I want the details to look as if it was purposely shot for a magazine. This was shot using a macro lens against a bridesmaids dress.
I am now very conscious about burnt out highlights on the dress. My brides pay a lot of money for their dresses and the intricate details need to be shown. I also pose my brides more in line with fashion styles and ensure that the skin tone and exposure on them is perfect.
Through knowing my kit and predicting and seeing light better I can deal with high contrast situations a lot better ensuring a more pleasing exposure. I am also a lot better at navigating through crowds and getting the moment shot!
I was presented with the same quality light in both images, dappled light coming through the trees. In the latest image I used a Lastolite Skylite 2m x 1m to neutralize the dappled light and give me even lighting on the bride. I also try and stay true to natural skin color in my post processing. The pose is also more engaging.
Why do we as newbie photographers always gravitate towards trees?! Whether lying against or peeking from behind! I think even the best wedding photographers in the world has one of these tree shots somewhere out there… I now mostly shoot my bridal portraits at 180-200mm to give me the nice creamy bokeh in the background. I also shoot from down low to give me a more interesting perspective and work towards the good light of the afternoon when shooting natural light. I also try and get more intimate poses from my couples.
As I started out as a second shooter I always got to shoot mostly the grooms, something I enjoy quite a bit to this day. With a groom harsh light works perfectly so you can concentrate more on them looking cool and suave than trying to get soft light from your flashes as you would with a bride. I used to get the groom and groomsmen to do crazy things like run and jump in the air, I have now settled on a more fashion look that suits my brand and style.
Group shots used to be the bane of my life when I started out! There is a lot of pressure having to direct a lot of people and then to pose them when you are inexperienced. As I started out as a second shooter I was normally left with the bridal party while the main photographer carried on with the couple shoot. This gave me time to build my confidence and skill posing groups. Now I am in seventh heaven when a client announces that they have 5 x grooms and 5 x bridesmaids! The more the merrier and the more options available to us as photographers to create compelling images!
I have learned to not just put effort into the images for the couple and close family, but all those part of the wedding. The people at the wedding is also my target market and more than likely falls into the same financial bracket. These are the weddings that I want! So I put effort into the bridal party and entourage and guests to get good pictures of them that they will use as their Facebook profiles and lead to more exposure and booked work in the future.
I am now sexy-ing up my couple shoots a bit. I aim to get the expected and safe images first and then I push the envelope! My clients have all seen this during the meeting when I show them my portfolio so when I say it’s time for some steamy images they are excited and up for the challenge! You have to be careful to not go over to the sleazy side but done tastefully, it really adds to the experience!
My first few years after discovering the magic of off-camera flash that was all I shot! I was obsessed with it and the fact that it made my work stand out from the crowd! I did not pay much attention to the light that was already available and more than sufficient but pulled them out when given half a chance. The last year and a half I have matured in my photography and begun to appreciate the good quality available light. I now only use my flashes if I can improve on the available light or for dramatic effect. Make sure that you are proficient in both natural and artificial light. I always tell our Strobist students that claiming to be a natural light photographer only is not enough. It would be like only knowing how to only play half the cords on a guitar. Only when you know how to use artificial light will you know all the cords and create a masterpiece!
I used to be very “involved” with my couples during the portrait session. Every single movement, expression and pose controlled. I am now making a point of every couple shoot to pack away the flashes, zoom my lens to 200mm and give the couple some room to just be with each other and to be themselves. I can never be a fly on the wall photographer as my brand and style demand my intervention for most of the day, but I have grown to appreciate the moments in between when you just stand back and pick the shots of the couple enjoying each other without a click-click in their space.
Night portraits have become part of my repertoire and are now expected from all my wedding clients. I take 15 minutes just before we leave for the night and do a small portrait session with the couple. It adds another layer to what I offer my clients and they love it! Making use of my IceLight and maybe one off-camera flash as a backlight, it really is a quick setup with amazing results!
I never used to pay much attention to photographing the food and would maybe grab a snap or two if it crossed my path. I now make it a priority to document this part of the wedding too, especially when it is plated! A buffet will never really make for appetizing images but when it is plated I am over the moon! I photograph the food with my 200mm lens and use mainly the Icelight as a light source. I try and photograph the food so it would not look out of place in a food magazine.
The dance photos are still one of the trickiest parts of a wedding in terms of lighting. You have perfect ambient light the entire evening shooting away to your heart’s content and then the venue throws a spanner in the works by switching off all the lights unexpectedly! Now you are rushing to change camera settings and turning on flashes to get some light on the subject all the while praying that your lens locks focus! And then you end up with a well-lit couple with a dark abyss behind them! I now make it a point to speak to the venue and ask what the plans are in terms of lights for the first dance and I then plan accordingly. Most of the more upmarket venues have lighting experts that are just geniuses and makes your life as a photographer a pleasure.
Trompie Van der Berg Photography
Through shooting a lot of weddings you start to get to grips with what angles and compositions work best for a given situation. This knowledge only comes with time and experience.
You have to get the images like above, it is not just about the couple! 30 years from now when a grandparent or parent has passed on this will be the couple’s favourite image, not one of them looking all sexy in a field with fantastic light! I get to know the family of the bride and groom and I make sure to get these type of images. I put effort into the lighting and composition even though it is not the couple being photographed, I want them to have a nice image of the people they love and that is important to them and I want them to order a large canvas of this after the wedding!
With the first wedding out of the way and very eager to continue down this path I started to second shoot for Danie on a regular basis. Danie gave me the freedom to try new things and grow into my own style. There were some frustrating times for him when we got back to the office and downloaded the images and he had to sift through my trial and errors very patiently! I remember the first time I tried on-camera flash! It absolutely fascinated me but did not result in very usable or flattering images, I used it all wrong! I learned my lesson and moved on, growing steadily in confidence and skill. About 8 x weddings in I started to experiment with off-camera flash and this is when I realized this would be my niche! I shot the image below and I was over the moon with the result! This is where my photography took a turn for the better and I started my journey into the world of flash.
I discovered the work of Joe McNally and I was completely blown away! I studied his work extensively and read every book and watched every video I could find about his work! To this day he is an inspiration and in my opinion the best flash guru on the planet! In 2013 I had the privilege to personally meet him when he visited South Africa and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience! Those who know me know that I am early for everything and for once it paid off! As it happens as I parked my car him and his crew were unloading his kit for the seminar and apart from helping to carry all his stuff I also got 5 minutes alone time with him talking flash. The man is an inspiration!
I continued second shooting and started to also shoot for other very talented photographers when the opportunity presented itself, in this case, Melanie Janse. Up until this point, I had hit a bit of a plateau. But when I took the image below during one of her weddings I knew what style I wanted to pursue! I wanted to shoot weddings with a fashion edge! To this day it is how I aim to shoot my weddings and the brand I represent. It did not happen overnight, I gave myself the time and opportunity to grow into my own style by second shooting.
After about second shooting 17 weddings and using Facebook as my main tool for marketing I got a call from a bride at the end of 2011 looking to meet up as she was interested in booking me! I had no pricing or packages but a decent portfolio from all the second shooting. This was to be my first paid job from an actual client! I was nervous as hell so I also included a free engagement shoot for them so I could connect with them beforehand and calm my nerves somewhat. The day of the wedding arrived and I don’t think anything can prepare you for the pressure that comes with being the main shooter and sole person responsible for a brides happy day! I paid Danie’s son, Mia-Daniel to second shoot for me that day to alleviate some of the pressure and man was it a good call! I sent him off to shoot the groom and I stuck with the bride! Finally, the nerves took its toll on me and it was like someone wiped my memory. I stood there with this piece of equipment in my hand and literally could not find the on switch on my camera! I acted cool, sneaked out of the room and phoned Mia-Daniel. I told him to leave everything he is doing and get his butt over here, I am having a meltdown! He reassured me, I calmed myself and went back into the room and shot the wedding. I fully believe that it was experience through second shooting that saved me that day along with the many prayers I sent off! The wedding was a complete success to the extent that her sister booked me for their very exclusive wedding last year at a R5500 per night lodge with almost 50 guests!
Slowly the work started coming in and I started to make regular bookings, keeping my prices in line with my experience, skill and products offered. I still second shot for other photographers, steadily building my portfolio. My portfolio kept on growing with better and better work and so did my prices along with it. I kept turning out good work but again the plateau set in.
In 2013 I received a call from a bride looking to re-shoot their portrait session as they were not happy with the images they got from their day. They were a portfolio couple and this day I went all out! I got some amazing images and it was also the start of my landscape portraits that I am known for. Everything worked on this day and it was just the shoot needed to elevate my brand and pricing. This was also my very first album I produced and dropped me into the world of products for my clients.
In 2014 I started to truly find myself in terms of style, both in my shooting and post processing and the type of brand I wanted to represent. I did a wedding photography course with wedding photography guru, Brett Florens, specifically to learn from him about the business aspects of wedding photography and the insights gained was invaluable! I took the next leap in my career with an engagement shoot for a friend and fellow talented photographer Mandi Barnard! The images I shot that day elevated me to the next step on my journey. My work was seen and commented on by a famous US photographer (born in South Africa) whom I have been following and revered for a very long time, Neil Van Niekerk! I actually learned most of my flash techniques through his books which are available for purchase on Amazon. This was the validation I needed to tell me I am on the right track! The shoot also did wonders for me in terms of bookings and marketing!
I also ended up shooting Mandi’s wedding and it was nothing short of spectacular!
At the end of last year, I was referred a wedding from Brett Florens and the couple was the perfect fit to my now target market. Willing to spend money for good photographs, successful and fashionable. It was an incredible success, the wedding also being featured in the Real Brides magazine with the cover shot mine, as well as being featured on sites like lovilee.co.za!
I am now at a point in my career where I have put in the time, I have the experience and I have the confidence in my skills and products to demand a higher price range. Shooting a wedding now comes naturally and I am comfortable in dealing with all situations that can arise on such an unpredictable day! My products are customized according to my brand, they are luxurious and expensive and when I can get a potential bride to the meeting table 9 times out of 10 I book them. I have put a lot of work and thought into my products and I have been fortunate to team up with a printing company that does custom designs and products for me, they are AtPhoto. If you are serious about what you produce for your clients you should certainly check them out. I am happy with my style both in shooting and post processing and I have a recipe that works for me. All this has not happened overnight, it has taken 5 years of hard work and dedication to get me to the point I am. A few weeks ago I exhibited at a wedding Expo and I saw a couple walking in the door. I said to my fiancé, THEY are my clients! They were fashionably dressed, obviously successful with an air of confidence about them. When they got to my stand we instantly connected and after the bride-to-be looked through the album she asked if she could please book me immediately. She does not have a date yet for next year but she would like to secure my services straight away and is willing to pay a deposit there and then! I told her that I could unfortunately not book their wedding without a set date. They walked past all the other photographers not even affording them a glance at their work. It reaffirmed to me that I know who my target market is and what I have to offer is spot on. Saying all that a lot of work remains, I am only digging into the intricacies of marketing and SEO and the like which is a frightening thing at times! Up until now, I have booked work through Facebook posts and word of mouth, not a lasting solution at all! Complacency and stagnation are our biggest threats as photographers. I will keep on refining my skills, my products and my brand. I hope that in 5 years’ time I am blessed enough to make my current work look like my first wedding in comparison!
To close out this article, some advice!
- Shoot as much as you can! Start off with family shoots if you are not ready to shoot weddings yet. If you learn to manage 2 and 3 year old’s running around like the possessed while you are trying to take a portrait with frustrated parents and you walk away with decent images, you can handle the chaos of a wedding!
- Study on your own and do relevant photography courses. The Photo Courses, and especially the Practical Classes and Excursions I have done with DPC was invaluable and prevented me from wasting time by reinventing the wheel. There are a lot of resources out there, you just have to put in the time and effort.
- Don’t be scared to work hard. Second shoot for well-established photographers or offer to carry their bags! Learn from them and if given the opportunity to shoot grab the bull by the horns. Try new things, experiment, grow in confidence and learn to work with people. Put in the time!! There is no better way to get into the wedding photography business than by on the job training. The main photographer carries all the responsibility, enjoy yourself but also make sure to give the main photographer quality images as that is mainly why you are there. I second shot 17 x weddings before attempting my very first one! I now shoot weddings alone with only an assistant that helps me with my bag and lighting, but that is my brand. When I meet clients I emphasize that they are booking me for me and that no other photographer can shoot the way I do, I use it as a selling point.
- NEVER EVER work for free. I don’t care if it is your sister’s wedding or if you second shoot for a world famous photographer or just carry their bag. Established photographers sometimes feel that you being in their presence is payment enough, in my opinion, it is not acceptable. Value yourself and your time. If you do not have this mentality from the outset your clients will also not value you going forward. Your TIME is worth something, even if it is just being compensated for travel expenses and a little bit extra when starting out. In-kind never ask anyone else to work for you for free. Even though they may not bring a lot of value to the shoot and only carry your bag, they are offering up their time, the most valuable commodity we possess.
- Push yourself with new techniques and challenges and find ways to be different. Be that with lighting, post processing style, products you offer, anything that is different from the other tens of thousands of photographers out there.
- Build your kit through the profits you make on shoots. Make good decisions when upgrading your kit so you do not spend money on unnecessary items that will fill your bag and stay there unused. I have done that before and still fall into the trap now and again. Rather save up a few months or year and buy the right kit instead of going with your impulses. It has been said before that good equipment does not matter if you are a good photographer, I strongly disagree with this statement when it comes to wedding photography. I don’t care how good a photographer you are, but me being able to lock focus in the dark with my F/2.8 lens and rendering very usable images at ISO 6400 is second to none. You have to invest in quality kit if you are planning to be anything more than a wedding photographer pedestrian.
- Get your admin sorted from the very start. I slipped up on this and it took me a very long time to get it all in place. Get your packages and pricing sorted as well as your invoicing and contracts. Get yourself online through a website, people need to be able to see your work if they are going to book you. A Facebook page alone is not enough.
- Include couple shoots as part of your packages when you start out or give it away for “free”. Use this opportunity to break the ice with clients and set yourself up for success on the wedding day. You will be less nervous and the clients will show trust in you from the start. It is also a way to entice the client to book you with perhaps a limited portfolio. When you are a few weddings in start charging for these sessions too!
- Don’t spend all your time daydreaming with other successful photographer’s images on your computer screen or on Facebook forums! You should not be concerned with what other photographers are doing or saying but developing yourself! Rather go out and shoot or Youtube some training videos to sharpen your editing skill set!
- Treat weddings with the respect and responsibility it deserves. You are the most important vendor at the wedding, what you produce is a one-off with no repeat button and will last the couple a lifetime! Be obsessively diligent with your backups and securing this precious data. Wedding photography is not a get-rich-quick-scheme (no matter what the “rockstar celebrity” photographers out there try and tell you), invest time and passion into the craft and give the client what they deserve.
- Grow in confidence but stay humble. Always remember your own journey and where you started from and plough back into the photography community by helping other newbies find their way in the industry. There is a place for all of us!
I have shared my personal journey with you, becoming a wedding photographer, not all of it will apply to you and where you are in yours. I hope that some of my experiences and how I started in the business will give hope to a newbie wedding photographer thinking it is an impossible road to travel down!
A word of thanks
A personal thanks go out to Danie Bester and DPC for the time invested in me, and also for the opportunity to be part of the teaching staff and being able to build in other photographer’s lives. Also special thanks to Brett Florens who took my business and outlook to new heights!