How I got into Wedding Photography

I went from shooting live gigs to weddings in the space of 12 months. Why? At first I was reluctant about being a wedding photographer. I had heard other photographers complain that it’s a pain, you get bridezilla’s and it’s boring. This was when I was shooting live music in Melbourne in late 2010/early 2011. Gigs like Bliss n Eso, Sneaky Sound System and Karnivool at places like the Corner and Festival Hall. I had also shot at the festivals like the Big Day Out and Future Music.

There came a time, though, where the shine wore off and I realised that there wasn’t a decent income to be made from shooting music. It would be a part time job at best. I was also putting thousands of dollars worth of gear between a live band and a mosh pit with open cans of beer, lit cigarettes and copious amounts of sweat. Not ideal conditions for professional camera equipment susceptible to moisture!

Early in 2011, one of my best mates asked me if I could bring my camera to his wedding. Nothing formal, just to get a few good shots to save them some money. I had my first wedding. I wasn’t stressed or concerned about it especially after doing live music where it’s dark, the band are a moving target, you’re not allowed flash and you only get 6 or 7 minutes to get your shots.

That first wedding taught me a great deal. Weddings were fun, they’re happy days where friends and family come together to celebrate and have a good time. What was there not to like?

After that wedding, the decision was made to be a wedding photographer and so off I went to build the business. That meant shooting for free to build up a portfolio. I even organised a couple of models to shoot so that I had some really good shots for my portfolio. I then got my first ever paid wedding in 2011 and I haven’t looked back. I’m now heading into my fourth season as a professional photographer. I’ve not had a single bridezilla and it has never been boring. It’s painful but only on my body after a 14 hour day shooting. That’s to be expected!

What I didn’t expect is that I would actually love wedding photography. 5 years ago, I would have laughed if you’d told me this is what I would love doing. It’s a strange thing for a bloke to love but I won’t pretend, I love what I do.

There’s the obvious pros and cons of owning your own business but the pros far outweigh the cons in my case. I get to work from home for most of the week, I get out and about on the weekends seeing new places and meeting new people. I also get to play with expensive camera equipment and computer gear (Man toys…).

Above all else, what I get is the satisfaction from creating images of happy people on the biggest day of their life. How good is that!?