Old School vs. New School in Wedding Photography
Jun 19, 2017 18:57:26 #
A recent study of C.E.Os and senior management in the corporate world has revealed that over 40% of theses upper-management folks are not aware of all of the technological changes and advancements in their respective industries and do not continually follow all of theses progressions. It was also discovered that many business people do not detect decreases in the demand for or the interest in their current products and styles until sales begin to dramatically fall off. I don't know of the existence of any such statistics in the photography business but it is an interesting point to ponder.
Wedding photography is, in itself, a unique industry but there are many commonalities with many other product and service businesses. Most businesses are consumer driven and therefore their owners and managers need to monitor their marketplace and and adjust their offerings accordingly. Astute business operators learn to forecast changes in technology and market demands. Very successful businesspersons stay ahead of the game by becoming innovators and leaders rather than followers. They might be the first in their specific marketplace or service area to introduce new concepts or actually invent and promote new concepts of their own. In today's fluctuating business environment it is important that professional photographers become outstanding leaders in their field so that the rise above the hacks and the do-it-yourselfers.
The ongoing arguments about old school vs. new school are counterproductive. When photographers or any artists or technical folks, divide themselves into intransigent camps a kind of “inbreeding” takes place and progress and innovation are stymied. We oftentimes hear negative criticisms of a style, a method or a particular image that it is “old school” or “something from the 1970s or 80s and of course, theses critiques usually have “bad” connotations. So... let's start by firstly analyzing what “old school” is.
The first order of busies is to find out how OLD a “school” we are talking about. Are some of us STUCK in the 1950s- 60s, 70,s 80,s 90s or the early part of the 21st century? In my own case, I started my career in the late 1950s at a comparatively young age so most of my early teachers, mentors, heroes and cohorts are either long retired, or DEAD! That's OK- it's always a sobering thought for me that when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was my age, he had been dead for some 40 years- but he wrote some awesome music while he was still alive!
Suffice it to say that each era had its own styles, fads, methods and quirks- some good-possibly classic, some not so great and some downright terrible. If I had to make a quick list of what some of the more adamant “new school” surrogates think is bad about the olden days- here goes: Stiff and unnatural formal poses, too much posing and controlled shots, too many contrived “special effects” and silly gag shots, too much flat flash usage, too much intrusiveness on the part of the photographer, and epidemic level of soft and fuzzy imagery and fake “romantic” scenarios, and too much sameness from one image or assignment to another. There are allot of “too muches and too manys” in this list and perhaps, that is the key to all the disdain of the old ways.
Problem is, it is easy to fall into a style and GET STUCK. Even styles and fads that came into vogue only a short time ago can tend to become hackneyed, overused and stale. Possibly, the best philosophy to adopt is a rule of thumb that I depend on, that is, “what is NEW can easily SOON become OLD and what is OLD can also become NEW AGAIN! I also love my dear wife's approach to nutrition and apply it to photography; “just about anything in MODERATION won't kill you! Surprisingly enough as an OLD guy but not a necessarily “old school” photographer, I actually agree with many of the criticisms of the olden ways of the olden days. My contention is that there is also allot of great stuff that can be extracted from the days of yore in photography. I am not talking about false nostalgia or pining for the good old days but rather looking for the classical approaches that still have great validity and marketability. In the world of music, many wonderful jazz and rock pieces are derived from classical music.
I hate to be the “been there and done that” kinda guy but I have been around for a long stretch and have BEEN in a lot of places and DONE allot of things.
Sometimes the “members” of the new school kinda latch onto some things and treat theses concepts and technologies as if they within their era, have invented or discovered everything . Take digital photography for instance. Electronic imaging has been around for a very long time- like television, as an example. Videotape has replaced film in the TV news gathering and production industry since the 1960s. It was just a matter of time 'till it filtered down to still photography. Perhaps like the “big oil” interests liked to lobby against electric cars, the “big film and chemical folks resisted the move toward electronics. Kodak kinda fell off the digital bandwagon and look what happened to them. Many photographers were reluctant to CHANGE until just about all the analog cameras and materials virtually disappeared from the marketplace. Sometimes old concepts die hard and new ones are slow be accepted.
How about PHOTOJOURNALISM! Well- that's been around since the days of Abe Lincoln and Mathew Brady! I always joked that a method of photography that can be applied to recording warfare, riots, traffic accidents and body contact sports is a shoe-in for wedding photography- why not! Seriously folks- as far back as 1959 I was hired to shoot so-called “high society weddings”. The MO was that the brides were photographed by the portrait maven of the studio, at the final fitting of her wedding gown. This was done weeks in advance so that her bridal portrait could appear in the social pages of the New York times on the weekend of her wedding. The “candid man” like me, would show up on the wedding day and was allowed 20 minutes to photograph the bride and groom together and the family and bridal party groups. After that brief session, the operative phrase was FLY ON THE WALL! Anything else was considered ostentatious, disruptive, invasive, rude, low-class and a whole bunch of other derogatory descriptions. At the end of the day, we would say our goodbyes and offer our best wishes and the ultimate prizewinning compliment we could receive is “you were magnificent, we didn't even know you were here”!
I loved to do the “society” jobs because the paid well and they were usually held during the week in fancy hotels. I always had the feeling that the rich folks did that weekday thing so that their poorer relatives, who had to work on weekdays, could not attend. This also freed my weekends for the wild and woolly ETHNIC weddings. There was quite a contrast against the society jobs, especially in the client's expectations of their photographers. On some of theses jobs the photographer was expected to just about direct the entire event. We were even expected to instigate certain events on the dance floor if there wasn't sufficient action. Even if Great Aunt Tilly hated Great Uncle Jake and they hadn't spoken in 70 years, we were expected to drag them out on the dance floor and pose theme waltzing- TOGETHER and SMILING! Just part of the job!
On many of theses ethnic affairs, our candid savvy was also called into play. At Italian, Orthodox Jewish, Greek and many Eastern and Arabic cultures the dancing reached a feverish peak and that action had to be captured! One had to know how to anticipate the action and be quick on the trigger. Remember, we are talking nearly 60 years ago and working with large format heavy gear!
Good photo-journalistic wedding photography should be truly spontaneous and authentic, yet there are photographers who purport to act as photojournalists and yet the make those images of brides and grooms in dance-dip poses on the beach- in the sunset. Well- you don't have to be a purist!
Let's look at FORMAL PORTRAITURE! There is no reason why elegant formal portraits needs to be stiff, stilted or unnatural, and is there is no good reason why poses have to be torturous and overly time consuming. Expert posing techniques make for comfortable and natural postures that are actually relaxing and easy to hold. You can't fake romance! I good director/photographer can put a couple together in such as way that the chemistry happens and just have to anticipate the emotions and release the shutter at the decisive moment! One day. I write about that.
Back in the day, wedding photography was in the domain of the established portrait studio. Clients expected aesthetically pleasing images. Our bosses and mentors taught us the basic rules. Stuff like “don't cross the nose with the far cheek”, “shoot full length formals at the subject's waist level so as not to foreshorten them”, we were taught to place hands and bouquets in very particular ways. We were instructed exactly how to drape a gown or train and how to arrange a veil. Lighting was taught as a very finite skill set. There were tons of rules and breaking them would be cause for “excommunication and banishment”! Well- y'all know what I mean. If the bosses didn't have the time or the patience, they would send a few of us, hopefully the ones with some potential, off to the Winona School or for a series of 5 day seminars with the grand masters of the day. It was like being a bad boy and being sent off to boarding school or even reform school- we would joke! There were really great learning experiences- things that stay with one and inspire forever.
OK- I am not reactionary and don't expect all this rigid adherence to rules. Sure, styles, concepts and technologies have changed but I do feel that most brides would want absolutely elegant images of themselves in the wedding attire. Do they not spend all kinds of time, effort and hard-earned cash on their gowns, hair and makeup services, lovely flowers? Is vanity dead? I think not! I see so many so-called formals where the gown is not shown as the designer intended it and the bride would have loved to see it. What about the guys? I have seen so many shots with baggy trousers, messy neckties and gaping collars just because they were not adjusted properly. Most folks will not wear ill-fitting garments on their wedding day but poor postures and lack of attention to detail will make them look awkward. Correcting theses issues is just a matter of simple body mechanics and only take seconds to execute.
So..I am a product of the old school but I have adopted all of the latest technologies and concepts. I still train new photographers in many of the old concepts and rules so that they have a solid basis of their creativity. I have no objections to the latest automation but I feel that when photographers are well grounded in basic theory they more fully understand what their automated features are doing and how to apply them in the best possible ways and can easily manipulate around them.When you have total command over your equipment and your methodology, you are free to be creative and fully concentrate on the job at hand without delay orhaving to fumble with your gear.
When folks ask me what kind of wedding photographer I am- a traditionalist, a photojournalist, a romanticist, a color fantasist, or whatever? I simply explain that “I am a race-car driver and a switch hitter”! I can shift gears quickly or alter my batting style to accommodate each client and each situation- even if I have to change strategies right in the middle of the game. Sometimes that happens when things go south but we still have to come home with a job well done. I'm grateful for my old school experiences and the fact that I can draw on them and sometimes make them new again. There are certain parts of the “good old days” that were not all that good and should be relegated to to the museums and the antique shops. Some of my experiences just make for great funny stories although the did not seem “funny” at the time. This goes to the old expression that my grandmother taught me “someday you will laugh about this”!
Someday soon, all the new stuff that we are now doing may be considered “old school”! That's why I am always trying to learn new stuff and get ahead of things. Oops! I may not be around long enough to apply all of this newfangled stuff but at least I can enjoy it and teach it to all the new whippersnappers.
With kind regards, Ed
Wedding photography is, in itself, a unique industry but there are many commonalities with many other product and service businesses. Most businesses are consumer driven and therefore their owners and managers need to monitor their marketplace and and adjust their offerings accordingly. Astute business operators learn to forecast changes in technology and market demands. Very successful businesspersons stay ahead of the game by becoming innovators and leaders rather than followers. They might be the first in their specific marketplace or service area to introduce new concepts or actually invent and promote new concepts of their own. In today's fluctuating business environment it is important that professional photographers become outstanding leaders in their field so that the rise above the hacks and the do-it-yourselfers.
The ongoing arguments about old school vs. new school are counterproductive. When photographers or any artists or technical folks, divide themselves into intransigent camps a kind of “inbreeding” takes place and progress and innovation are stymied. We oftentimes hear negative criticisms of a style, a method or a particular image that it is “old school” or “something from the 1970s or 80s and of course, theses critiques usually have “bad” connotations. So... let's start by firstly analyzing what “old school” is.
The first order of busies is to find out how OLD a “school” we are talking about. Are some of us STUCK in the 1950s- 60s, 70,s 80,s 90s or the early part of the 21st century? In my own case, I started my career in the late 1950s at a comparatively young age so most of my early teachers, mentors, heroes and cohorts are either long retired, or DEAD! That's OK- it's always a sobering thought for me that when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was my age, he had been dead for some 40 years- but he wrote some awesome music while he was still alive!
Suffice it to say that each era had its own styles, fads, methods and quirks- some good-possibly classic, some not so great and some downright terrible. If I had to make a quick list of what some of the more adamant “new school” surrogates think is bad about the olden days- here goes: Stiff and unnatural formal poses, too much posing and controlled shots, too many contrived “special effects” and silly gag shots, too much flat flash usage, too much intrusiveness on the part of the photographer, and epidemic level of soft and fuzzy imagery and fake “romantic” scenarios, and too much sameness from one image or assignment to another. There are allot of “too muches and too manys” in this list and perhaps, that is the key to all the disdain of the old ways.
Problem is, it is easy to fall into a style and GET STUCK. Even styles and fads that came into vogue only a short time ago can tend to become hackneyed, overused and stale. Possibly, the best philosophy to adopt is a rule of thumb that I depend on, that is, “what is NEW can easily SOON become OLD and what is OLD can also become NEW AGAIN! I also love my dear wife's approach to nutrition and apply it to photography; “just about anything in MODERATION won't kill you! Surprisingly enough as an OLD guy but not a necessarily “old school” photographer, I actually agree with many of the criticisms of the olden ways of the olden days. My contention is that there is also allot of great stuff that can be extracted from the days of yore in photography. I am not talking about false nostalgia or pining for the good old days but rather looking for the classical approaches that still have great validity and marketability. In the world of music, many wonderful jazz and rock pieces are derived from classical music.
I hate to be the “been there and done that” kinda guy but I have been around for a long stretch and have BEEN in a lot of places and DONE allot of things.
Sometimes the “members” of the new school kinda latch onto some things and treat theses concepts and technologies as if they within their era, have invented or discovered everything . Take digital photography for instance. Electronic imaging has been around for a very long time- like television, as an example. Videotape has replaced film in the TV news gathering and production industry since the 1960s. It was just a matter of time 'till it filtered down to still photography. Perhaps like the “big oil” interests liked to lobby against electric cars, the “big film and chemical folks resisted the move toward electronics. Kodak kinda fell off the digital bandwagon and look what happened to them. Many photographers were reluctant to CHANGE until just about all the analog cameras and materials virtually disappeared from the marketplace. Sometimes old concepts die hard and new ones are slow be accepted.
How about PHOTOJOURNALISM! Well- that's been around since the days of Abe Lincoln and Mathew Brady! I always joked that a method of photography that can be applied to recording warfare, riots, traffic accidents and body contact sports is a shoe-in for wedding photography- why not! Seriously folks- as far back as 1959 I was hired to shoot so-called “high society weddings”. The MO was that the brides were photographed by the portrait maven of the studio, at the final fitting of her wedding gown. This was done weeks in advance so that her bridal portrait could appear in the social pages of the New York times on the weekend of her wedding. The “candid man” like me, would show up on the wedding day and was allowed 20 minutes to photograph the bride and groom together and the family and bridal party groups. After that brief session, the operative phrase was FLY ON THE WALL! Anything else was considered ostentatious, disruptive, invasive, rude, low-class and a whole bunch of other derogatory descriptions. At the end of the day, we would say our goodbyes and offer our best wishes and the ultimate prizewinning compliment we could receive is “you were magnificent, we didn't even know you were here”!
I loved to do the “society” jobs because the paid well and they were usually held during the week in fancy hotels. I always had the feeling that the rich folks did that weekday thing so that their poorer relatives, who had to work on weekdays, could not attend. This also freed my weekends for the wild and woolly ETHNIC weddings. There was quite a contrast against the society jobs, especially in the client's expectations of their photographers. On some of theses jobs the photographer was expected to just about direct the entire event. We were even expected to instigate certain events on the dance floor if there wasn't sufficient action. Even if Great Aunt Tilly hated Great Uncle Jake and they hadn't spoken in 70 years, we were expected to drag them out on the dance floor and pose theme waltzing- TOGETHER and SMILING! Just part of the job!
On many of theses ethnic affairs, our candid savvy was also called into play. At Italian, Orthodox Jewish, Greek and many Eastern and Arabic cultures the dancing reached a feverish peak and that action had to be captured! One had to know how to anticipate the action and be quick on the trigger. Remember, we are talking nearly 60 years ago and working with large format heavy gear!
Good photo-journalistic wedding photography should be truly spontaneous and authentic, yet there are photographers who purport to act as photojournalists and yet the make those images of brides and grooms in dance-dip poses on the beach- in the sunset. Well- you don't have to be a purist!
Let's look at FORMAL PORTRAITURE! There is no reason why elegant formal portraits needs to be stiff, stilted or unnatural, and is there is no good reason why poses have to be torturous and overly time consuming. Expert posing techniques make for comfortable and natural postures that are actually relaxing and easy to hold. You can't fake romance! I good director/photographer can put a couple together in such as way that the chemistry happens and just have to anticipate the emotions and release the shutter at the decisive moment! One day. I write about that.
Back in the day, wedding photography was in the domain of the established portrait studio. Clients expected aesthetically pleasing images. Our bosses and mentors taught us the basic rules. Stuff like “don't cross the nose with the far cheek”, “shoot full length formals at the subject's waist level so as not to foreshorten them”, we were taught to place hands and bouquets in very particular ways. We were instructed exactly how to drape a gown or train and how to arrange a veil. Lighting was taught as a very finite skill set. There were tons of rules and breaking them would be cause for “excommunication and banishment”! Well- y'all know what I mean. If the bosses didn't have the time or the patience, they would send a few of us, hopefully the ones with some potential, off to the Winona School or for a series of 5 day seminars with the grand masters of the day. It was like being a bad boy and being sent off to boarding school or even reform school- we would joke! There were really great learning experiences- things that stay with one and inspire forever.
OK- I am not reactionary and don't expect all this rigid adherence to rules. Sure, styles, concepts and technologies have changed but I do feel that most brides would want absolutely elegant images of themselves in the wedding attire. Do they not spend all kinds of time, effort and hard-earned cash on their gowns, hair and makeup services, lovely flowers? Is vanity dead? I think not! I see so many so-called formals where the gown is not shown as the designer intended it and the bride would have loved to see it. What about the guys? I have seen so many shots with baggy trousers, messy neckties and gaping collars just because they were not adjusted properly. Most folks will not wear ill-fitting garments on their wedding day but poor postures and lack of attention to detail will make them look awkward. Correcting theses issues is just a matter of simple body mechanics and only take seconds to execute.
So..I am a product of the old school but I have adopted all of the latest technologies and concepts. I still train new photographers in many of the old concepts and rules so that they have a solid basis of their creativity. I have no objections to the latest automation but I feel that when photographers are well grounded in basic theory they more fully understand what their automated features are doing and how to apply them in the best possible ways and can easily manipulate around them.When you have total command over your equipment and your methodology, you are free to be creative and fully concentrate on the job at hand without delay orhaving to fumble with your gear.
When folks ask me what kind of wedding photographer I am- a traditionalist, a photojournalist, a romanticist, a color fantasist, or whatever? I simply explain that “I am a race-car driver and a switch hitter”! I can shift gears quickly or alter my batting style to accommodate each client and each situation- even if I have to change strategies right in the middle of the game. Sometimes that happens when things go south but we still have to come home with a job well done. I'm grateful for my old school experiences and the fact that I can draw on them and sometimes make them new again. There are certain parts of the “good old days” that were not all that good and should be relegated to to the museums and the antique shops. Some of my experiences just make for great funny stories although the did not seem “funny” at the time. This goes to the old expression that my grandmother taught me “someday you will laugh about this”!
Someday soon, all the new stuff that we are now doing may be considered “old school”! That's why I am always trying to learn new stuff and get ahead of things. Oops! I may not be around long enough to apply all of this newfangled stuff but at least I can enjoy it and teach it to all the new whippersnappers.
With kind regards, Ed
Jun 20, 2017 11:42:38 #
Ed, I honestly don't know if this will be one of the times we discussed where we disagree or not? I'm always open to discussion of any topic. I do think I understand what you are saying, but here's my take. (and we may be saying the same thing, in a different way)
Since the advent of the dreaded "pinterist" website, the (from your post) "contrived “special effects” and silly gag shots, too much flat flash usage, too much intrusiveness on the part of the photographer, and epidemic level of soft and fuzzy imagery and fake “romantic” scenarios" are pretty much exactly what brides (in my area want) They make a pinterist page, send it to me, and say "I want, this pose, this pose, and....."
In a lot of respects it helps a lot to know what style they want, and I can easily emulate what they want. Where I draw the line, and let the couples know, is that I won't "copy the pose or scenario" but I will give them my own take on the "style" they are showing me. Often times, there are so many styles involved in those pinterist pages, that there is no style to be emulated. Generally, and honestly, I feel like Pinterist tends to hold me back on my own creativity, but on those rough days, it is nice to be able to fall back on some of the stuff that they gave me. 2 weddings ago, at my daughter's reception hall. (Ruby's little red barn) I completely drew a blank. I couldn't think of any poses at all. Weather was horrible, we were stuck inside a barn, that had every square inch taken up with chairs or decorations. The storms outside were what caused the flooding of our lake place. (been underwater for a month now, they "may" open the roads up this weekend so we can really get in there and assess the damage)
I got off track, sorry. Anyway, I think of old school (for good or bad) as always doing what you've always done. I think of "new School" as constantly looking for places to learn, styles to adapt, stay up with what people want, and what the newest "fad" is. I know we may not always like the fads, but the people paying us for capturing their memories do like them, and in my opinion, we are paid to give them what they want to memorialize their once in a lifetime (hopefully) marriage.
Last thought. Old school, and new school, or whatever you want to call it... shouldn't be a negative term. It's a style. If people want that style, they will book us. I have a dislike of so called "modern art," but I have a respect for the people who do it, and those who love it.
Since the advent of the dreaded "pinterist" website, the (from your post) "contrived “special effects” and silly gag shots, too much flat flash usage, too much intrusiveness on the part of the photographer, and epidemic level of soft and fuzzy imagery and fake “romantic” scenarios" are pretty much exactly what brides (in my area want) They make a pinterist page, send it to me, and say "I want, this pose, this pose, and....."
In a lot of respects it helps a lot to know what style they want, and I can easily emulate what they want. Where I draw the line, and let the couples know, is that I won't "copy the pose or scenario" but I will give them my own take on the "style" they are showing me. Often times, there are so many styles involved in those pinterist pages, that there is no style to be emulated. Generally, and honestly, I feel like Pinterist tends to hold me back on my own creativity, but on those rough days, it is nice to be able to fall back on some of the stuff that they gave me. 2 weddings ago, at my daughter's reception hall. (Ruby's little red barn) I completely drew a blank. I couldn't think of any poses at all. Weather was horrible, we were stuck inside a barn, that had every square inch taken up with chairs or decorations. The storms outside were what caused the flooding of our lake place. (been underwater for a month now, they "may" open the roads up this weekend so we can really get in there and assess the damage)
I got off track, sorry. Anyway, I think of old school (for good or bad) as always doing what you've always done. I think of "new School" as constantly looking for places to learn, styles to adapt, stay up with what people want, and what the newest "fad" is. I know we may not always like the fads, but the people paying us for capturing their memories do like them, and in my opinion, we are paid to give them what they want to memorialize their once in a lifetime (hopefully) marriage.
Last thought. Old school, and new school, or whatever you want to call it... shouldn't be a negative term. It's a style. If people want that style, they will book us. I have a dislike of so called "modern art," but I have a respect for the people who do it, and those who love it.
Jun 21, 2017 15:28:54 #
Jun 21, 2017 19:37:45 #
I certainly can understand that we have to deliver what our clients want- I know that all too well! Nowadays about 60% of my studio's business is commercial photography. As a commercial shooter some of my clients allow me total artistic and conceptual control- I make the photographs and the advertising guys and the website designers work around them- that's when it fun to come to work early in the morning! Oftentimes, however, I am just a HIRED GUN and have to follow an art directors' or advertising agencies' concepts. That can be a creative challenge as well and many times lead to good creative collaborations. Sometimes, unfortunately, it is a drag but there is always the incentive of "bread on the table" that gets the creative juices running under less than ideal circumstances.
Now- I ain't a photographic snob but my wedding photography and portraiture is my last bastion of total individuality or total independence in my professional life. So...how do I fight against the folks who come in with too many preconceived ideas- stuff that they see in wedding magazines and online. There is an old but wise sales concept that I learned a long time ago: "If you don't show it you can't sell it". So if you want to sell some large display portraits or big fat wedding albums, you have to display and show theses items as samples of your work- makes sense! If there are things, concepts or styles that I don't want to encourage, I just reverse the rule and I DON'T SHOW THEM! Call me "chicken" but this way I don't have to fight, argue or disagree with potential clients and I automatically qualify them- painlessly.
Now folks, don't get me wrong. When I described what some of the conceptions or misconceptions about the "old school" or older styles, I did not mean to disparage any of theses concepts. It's just that back in the day and even with some of the latest trends, so many ideas become overly used poorly and/or inappropriately applied. There is absolutely nothing wrong with special effects, multiple exposures or montages, soft focus, romantic imagery, special borders or humorous images. When, however, any of theses effects call so much attention to themselves and begin to distract from the subject matter and the real storytelling theme of the coverage-well- that is what I try to discourage.
Another important principle of good salesmanship is: "When you take something away, you have to replace it with something else and hopefully, something better". So...If I ain't the photographer who is gonna do all the shots and effects like on Pinterest (etc.) I have to show off MY SPECIAL EFFECTS which are "lighting like in the movies", "bridal portraits with real GLAM"! panoramic 2 page spreads, FASHIONable bridal studies, spontaneous candid coverage throughout... and more- I got a long list!
I assure my clients and I have no problems with humorous shots, party games or whatever shenanigans they carry on with but I prefer real candid shots rather than poses. I am always quite willing to go along with whatever theme they decided upon for their wedding. I love to create real romantic imagery- I kid them and tell them that they better get into some heavy necking to prepare or rehearse for their "formals"! If the tell me the don't like any of the "mushy" shots, I just ask the to humor me for 5 minutes- they usually have fun and love the results. I also suggest that they allow me to do some really special family relationship casual formals including the parents, the grandparents and some members of the bridal party.
I NEVER suggest to any photographer that they should abandon any of their approaches, methods or techniques that are presently working for them. If they like any of my ideas, I advise that they gradually introduce some of them into their present routine and see how they fly. If they are unhappy with their present situation as to style, their booking rate, their pricing structure or with their competitive edge in their service area, I might suggest that a more radical change may be in order. Oftentimes, doing something different from what everyone else is doing is a good strategy. Even after all the years of highly sophisticated advertising and marketing research and implementation, it has been rediscovered that the two most powerful words in advertising are still "NEW" and DIFFERENT" Under "NEW" management usually is a big draw to a neighborhood store. "NEW" cornflakes may be the same as the old cornflakes (with a slightly different twist) in a different box but usually when the "NEW" designation appears, the sales soar.
Let me know what y'all think!
Ed
Now- I ain't a photographic snob but my wedding photography and portraiture is my last bastion of total individuality or total independence in my professional life. So...how do I fight against the folks who come in with too many preconceived ideas- stuff that they see in wedding magazines and online. There is an old but wise sales concept that I learned a long time ago: "If you don't show it you can't sell it". So if you want to sell some large display portraits or big fat wedding albums, you have to display and show theses items as samples of your work- makes sense! If there are things, concepts or styles that I don't want to encourage, I just reverse the rule and I DON'T SHOW THEM! Call me "chicken" but this way I don't have to fight, argue or disagree with potential clients and I automatically qualify them- painlessly.
Now folks, don't get me wrong. When I described what some of the conceptions or misconceptions about the "old school" or older styles, I did not mean to disparage any of theses concepts. It's just that back in the day and even with some of the latest trends, so many ideas become overly used poorly and/or inappropriately applied. There is absolutely nothing wrong with special effects, multiple exposures or montages, soft focus, romantic imagery, special borders or humorous images. When, however, any of theses effects call so much attention to themselves and begin to distract from the subject matter and the real storytelling theme of the coverage-well- that is what I try to discourage.
Another important principle of good salesmanship is: "When you take something away, you have to replace it with something else and hopefully, something better". So...If I ain't the photographer who is gonna do all the shots and effects like on Pinterest (etc.) I have to show off MY SPECIAL EFFECTS which are "lighting like in the movies", "bridal portraits with real GLAM"! panoramic 2 page spreads, FASHIONable bridal studies, spontaneous candid coverage throughout... and more- I got a long list!
I assure my clients and I have no problems with humorous shots, party games or whatever shenanigans they carry on with but I prefer real candid shots rather than poses. I am always quite willing to go along with whatever theme they decided upon for their wedding. I love to create real romantic imagery- I kid them and tell them that they better get into some heavy necking to prepare or rehearse for their "formals"! If the tell me the don't like any of the "mushy" shots, I just ask the to humor me for 5 minutes- they usually have fun and love the results. I also suggest that they allow me to do some really special family relationship casual formals including the parents, the grandparents and some members of the bridal party.
I NEVER suggest to any photographer that they should abandon any of their approaches, methods or techniques that are presently working for them. If they like any of my ideas, I advise that they gradually introduce some of them into their present routine and see how they fly. If they are unhappy with their present situation as to style, their booking rate, their pricing structure or with their competitive edge in their service area, I might suggest that a more radical change may be in order. Oftentimes, doing something different from what everyone else is doing is a good strategy. Even after all the years of highly sophisticated advertising and marketing research and implementation, it has been rediscovered that the two most powerful words in advertising are still "NEW" and DIFFERENT" Under "NEW" management usually is a big draw to a neighborhood store. "NEW" cornflakes may be the same as the old cornflakes (with a slightly different twist) in a different box but usually when the "NEW" designation appears, the sales soar.
Let me know what y'all think!
Ed
Jun 22, 2017 09:22:12 #
Ed, please don't think that I was accusing you of "putting down" new school. I was just stating that from a previous post, it was mentioned that Old School, was considered an insult (or something along that lines) and I was saying that one's style whether old school or new school is a style choice.
I guess my issue with the "don't sell what you don't show" is that better than 80% of the couples I meet with, bring me pinterest ideas for the first meeting, before they ever get prices or anything, they want to know "can you give me this?" If I stuck to my guns, I probably wouldn't be shooting anything these days.
Cliff from the people photography section gave me advice that I really wish I could heed. (but if I did, I'm afraid I would lose most or all my bookings, because I'm not in a class with Cliff or you......I'm just someone who's trying to stay busy and out of trouble)
Cliff said. "Don't worry about giving people what they want. Make people want what you give" it's awesome advice, I've just never been able to be successful with that philosophy, even though I think it is AWESOME.
I guess my issue with the "don't sell what you don't show" is that better than 80% of the couples I meet with, bring me pinterest ideas for the first meeting, before they ever get prices or anything, they want to know "can you give me this?" If I stuck to my guns, I probably wouldn't be shooting anything these days.
Cliff from the people photography section gave me advice that I really wish I could heed. (but if I did, I'm afraid I would lose most or all my bookings, because I'm not in a class with Cliff or you......I'm just someone who's trying to stay busy and out of trouble)
Cliff said. "Don't worry about giving people what they want. Make people want what you give" it's awesome advice, I've just never been able to be successful with that philosophy, even though I think it is AWESOME.
Jun 22, 2017 11:00:39 #
bkyser wrote:
Ed, please don't think that I was accusing you of ... (show quote)
Bob, I learned early on (the hard way) that my mindset of giving them whatever they want was not they way to go. That is my ultimate goal because I want them to be happy, but more times than not we would get posing block (similar to writing block) and then they would look to me and say "you are the photographer and know what is best". I would have the deer in the headlight moment and after a couple of those experiences I changed my mindset to OK I am coming in with my vision and my plan. If they want to alter it, that is fine but a wedding photographer or any kind of people photographer needs to have that mindset IMO. Along the way a photographer's style develops. Mine is slowly getting there.
Jun 22, 2017 15:54:27 #
I do love the idea of them "wanting what I do" but I guess I'm in the mode of doing what it takes to keep them happy. I don't think either one is inherently wrong. I am glad, and in awe of those who can stick to their style, and still book several weddings.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.