Some books present great imagery, others cover the business side of professional photography, this book does a wonderful job at both.The book is - "Professional Wedding Photography: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers".
Sadly, photographers who are not looking to be a full time professional, or have no interest in shooting weddings may pass right by this book because of its title, but they would be making a terrible mistake as this book is for anyone interested in being a better photographer.
Maybe they should re-title the book to something like - "If you are interested in stunning imagery, the inside workings of a studio, how to better organize your workflow, grow your business, and become a better photography, this is your book".
Here are just a few things I liked about this book:
In this book there are 10 very different, very successful photographers that come from varied geographic settings and equally diverse shooting styles that are interviewed, so you get their style, their ideas, and the business approach of each of these very successful photographers.
Every page has more space dedicated to image presentation than words (if you’ve read this blog for very long, you know that always get high marks from me). The images are stunning and you can see these photographers are looking at (and thinking about) just prior to hitting the shutter.
Of all the questions asked of each photographer, one of my favorite is "who are your influences and mentors?" because it provides a great insight into who and/or what has influenced them, giving you an even broader look into the world of successful photography.
It asks (and answers) the questions that every photographer starting out in business struggles with, here are just a few of them:
1. How do clients find you (and you them)?
2. How do you handle retainers and fees?
3. How do you address the needs for contracts with your clients?
4. Do you have any tips for handling the unexpected?
5. How do you light your subjects?
6. What is your workflow?
7. How do you promote your business?
Again, you get the answers from 10 different sources, and what lends more weight to all their answers is that they come from professional photographers who have "been there, done that". 10 photographers that started out with nothing but a camera and an idea and each one of them has grown into nationally recognized, award winning photographers.
A business coach will tell you that one of the keys to success is to learn from those who are already successful.
If you are looking to take a better picture, improve your workflow, or start a studio, the first step to achieving your goals, your first step to success, would be to get this book and learn from those who are successful.
