In 2016, the US wedding industry reached $72 billion, making it a great industry. Whether you’re interested in wedding planning, becoming a vendor, or doing photography for couples, there is a lot of opportunity in the space. One of the most fun and creative jobs, though, is photography.As a wedding photographer, you have the opportunity to capture precious moments in time and make them last forever. You have the opportunity to take a portrait of a couple that tells a story without any words. You have the opportunity to help them create and keep cherished memories.
Whether you’re an amateur photographer who’s just getting started or have a lot of experience behind a camera taking and posting pictures for sites like Azazie, starting your own photography business is fairly easy. While you may have gotten away with having a simple camera before, though, as you bring on more clients, you’ll want to be sure that you have all of the tools and equipment that you need to produce stunning, high-quality photos. Here are some of the main tools you’ll need to get started:
A Solid Camera
Let’s not even get into the Nikon versus Canon debate—whichever you prefer is what you should choose. But although the brand may not matter, the model does. If you’ve been into photography already, you probably already have a camera on hand, but it may need an upgrade. According to TechRadar, the Nikon D850 and Canon EOS Rebel T7i are two of the best camera models of 2018.
A Business License
You can’t run a business without a license. Once you have your camera, (and perhaps have a few clients lined up), you’ll need to apply for and get your business license so that you can legally operate in your state.
A Website and Portfolio
Word of mouth is a powerful form of marketing, especially for a photographer. It could even bring you all of your clients without you having to make another marketing effort. That’s not always the case, though, and there’s a lot of potential for even more business with a website and portfolio. With a website, you can do SEO which will help you appear in local searches, and your portfolio will help couples decide that you’re the photographer for them.
Photoshop, Lightroom, or Another Editing Software
Although some shots will be naturally stunning on their own, others will undoubtedly require editing—even if it’s only simple adjustments to lighting or coloring. Even if you do take naturally incredible shots, having a photo editing software gives you the creative freedom to mess with different colors, change the look and feel of the image and get artistic with it. While each editing software has its pros and cons, it ultimately comes down to what you prefer.
Multiple Lenses
It is possible to shoot an entire wedding using one lens, but doing so will require more effort and could limit your capabilities. Having multiple lenses is important because they will allow you to get different shots from different angles. According to some of the top wedding photographers, these are the best wedding photography lenses to have.
A Tripod
There may not be a lot of need for a tripod in wedding photography, but there are times that you will need it and be glad you have one. For example, group photos, for long exposures, photographs indoors, etc. As simple as a tripod may seem, there are tons of different options out there so it’s important to find the right one for you and the type of shooting you’ll be doing before making a final decision.
Multiple High Capacity Memory Cards
You’ll be taking hundreds of photos throughout the day, and you might be surprised at how fast you start to fill up memory cards. One of the worst things to do on a wedding day is to run out of memory space and miss out on incredible photo ops trying to delete photos you don’t want to keep to make space for new ones. Having multiple high capacity memory cards on hand will make sure you’re prepared when you run out of space.
A Portable Lighting Kit
One of the biggest keys to a good photo is lighting. While there are times of day that have incredible natural light, (here’s to you, golden hour), others not so much. And most indoor lighting is anything but enchanting or flattering. Carrying a portable lighting kit ensures that you can create the lighting you need no matter where you are for well-lit, stunning photos.
In Conclusion
Wedding photography is an incredible business to be in. You have the opportunity to get to know couples on a more intimate level and capture intimate moments that they’ll treasure forever. Having the right tools and equipment is imperative to ensure that you can tell your clients’ stories in the most stunning way possible.
What made you decide to get into wedding photography?