Carmen, Carla & Kerry asked very similar questions, so I’ve made up a combined question and hopefully a constructive answer to all of you :)

I want to ask you a few questions on how you got started. How do you start to get clients? What kind of advertising would you suggest? Did you use any advertising or is it all word of mouth? How do you differentiate yourself from all the other photographers out there?

I’m sure all of us ask this when we start out and as I said at my workshop the other day, you’d probably jump to getting a businesscard & website running and then you’d start advertising on sites etc. I don’t believe this is wrong, but I do believe that there are “less expensive” ways to get the word out and in the long run these will bring in more business than you can imagine!

Word of mouth will definitely be your best advertising in the long run. Make sure you build good relationships! Relationships take time, effort, requires honesty and lots of love! So it’s not a quick fix, but it’s something that will multiply and at the end be much more worth than a cold advertisement!

When I started out I did many free shoots. Any opportunity that came my was grabbed with both arms! Shooting for free will give you the oppertunity to improve your portfolio and it will increase your word of mouth support. So I encourage all of you to shoot as much as you can to make sure you improve your portfolio.

A few months ago I wrote a short piece about starting your business and getting your name out there. I suggest you read it.

To differentiate yourself form all the other photographers is a very personal thing. It all depends on what you’re good at and how you want to be known. I believe they should relate to one another. If you’re good at something and you focus on it, it will probably be the thing for what you are known. Find something in your personality that makes you “YOU” and then bring it into your photos and business. Focus on it in the way you market, shoot and present your work.

When I started out I knew I was a perfectionist and I loved detail. I tend to want everything very neat, clean and well designed and thought through, so I started to use these “themes” through my photos as well as the way I run my business. When I look at my work I see these things in the photos and that makes it “real” and “honest”. It’s a reflection of who I am. So my suggestion would be for you to do the same. Make it who you are and that will differentiate you automatically.

Mark asked: I’m Mark from Belgium.  I stumbled on your website in search for some good wedding photography tips or examples. I was wondering if you could get me some insight on how you got those wedding pics of Alexé & Raynie so great. In the prologue you mentioned the presence of great light, but it seems to me it was very sunny that day.  For me that would be hard, because it tends to create a lot of hot spots in the photograph (white dress + face).  With your photographs that does not seem to bother. Could you please give me some tips?

My favourite light to shoot in is very consistent and soft light, such as a shaded area or overcast weather. With this light you wouldn’t get hotspots or lots of contrast, but unfortunately we don’t always have those conditions, so you still have to make it work!

When I photographed Alexe & Raynie’s wedding it was full sunlight. There was hardly any shade and it wasn’t easy, but in those situations I’d either shoot against the light or into the light. To get consistent light on your models faces you have to turn their faces either into the light (which was to bright that morning and it made them squint, this works better if you have sunset light) or you turn them against the light (meaning your lens will be facing the sun). This will result in a lens flare shot if your lens is not in the shade and probably a blown out background. (I’m not so concerned about the blown out background, but try and find a middle way.) A good idea is to have an assistant with a reflector in the front, to bounce back some light into their shaded faces. If you have your models with faces half turned towards the sun the one side will be blown out and the other side will be to dark, it all depends on which look your going for, but those heavy light/contrast shots are not my style.

If you’re shooting, you as the photographer have to make suggestions where the couple should stand. You have to make sure you choose the best spots in terms of lighting. Scout the area before the shoot. Many times a client would want a photo in front of a door or fountain etc and the light might be very bad. Remember they are probably looking at the object and not the light (probably the biggest mistake photographers make when they start out with photography :) Look at the light! and then the person you’re shooting). I’ll still take the photo, but then I’ll show them that the light doesn’t work there. I’ll then make the suggestion of where they should stand. Remember people are hiring you as a professional. So don’t feel bad when you have a “better” suggestion. Just do it n a considerate way.

I hope this helps! x