Free wedding photography!

As a wedding photography instructor, I get asked about shooting free weddings all the time. I spend a lot of time covering my thoughts on this in my class, but still I get asked. It normally starts off like this, “I saw an ad on Craig’s list for a couple looking for a free wedding photographer. They aren’t very attractive, and the location is kinda nasty, but I need to build up my portfolio. Should I do it? I really need to build up my portfolio”

At this point, I always need to take a step back, take a deep breath, count to 10, and try to find my center.

What exactly do you want to fill your portfolio up with? Ugly people in nasty locations? That is a great business model. I need my air conditioner fixed. So I am preparing my Craig’s list now. It will go something like this: “I don’t have any money, but I need my central air conditioning condenser replaced. For your services, I promise to write a glowing review here on my blog, and I will recommend you to my friends”. How soon before my phone rings? So why do we as photographers actually jump at this bait? Are dentists, doctors, plumbers, or lawyers responding to ads for people looking for free service, with no hope of a return on that investment?

And that is exactly what free photography services should be considered. An investment, and it better have some kind of return. Yes, I do free things all the time. But I always have to ask myself what the return will be. Will this look good in my portfolio? Is this a person or organization I can build a mutually beneficial relationship with? Can I turn this free gig into a paying gig? What will I ultimately get out of this?

I understand that you may be new, and looking to get some experience. But these people looking for the free photography are using you. How much can they possibly respect your work, your vision, your talent? And how much can they possibly value that work? You need to ask them if they are paying for their dress? The floral arrangements? The reception location? Food, cake, drinks, napkins, etc? Did their jeweler respond to the Craig's list ad offering up free diamond rings? Even if they are getting married in a friends back yard, they are paying for something. And guess what. When they wake up the next day, most of the items they have paid for will be used up and gone. The flowers are wilted, the cake has been eaten, the rental tables and chairs have been returned. But they will have something that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. Your images. And 30 years from now, their children will also cherish those images. If their house catches fire, they won’t go running back into the house to get their cake topper or her dress. They are going back in to get your images. How can that be worth nothing?

So, what should you do? Be a 2nd or 3rd shooter/assistant for a wedding photographer. Get some on the job training. Yes, you may be working for free, but you also won’t shoulder the burden or responsibility when things go wrong. And you will gain very valuable experience, watching and learning from someone who is really doing it. If you are shooting a wedding by yourself for free, to gain experience, what are you learning? Who is there to tell you what you are doing wrong? Or what shots you missed?

Do you need detail shots? Go down to your local baker, florist, jewelry store, or dress shop, and offer them your services. Offer to take some shots of their cake/dress/bouquet/ring so you can use those in your portfolio. In return, you will give them the images to use on their website, brochure, or marketing materials. Whoa, look at that, a mutually beneficial relationship. And you know what else? They have brides coming in all the time. Ask the owners to refer you. Leave them your cards. Free work that could convert to paying gigs!

If you need to build up a portfolio of brides and grooms, then how about this for an idea. Get some attractive friends or family members, maybe someone who still fits into her wedding dress. And spend $100 to rent a tux for the guy. Go out for a day and shoot them at all kinds of great locations, even the cliché ones. The beach, a park, downtown, Pasadena City Hall, in front of a beautiful church, eating at a restaurant. Get creative, and have fun. Images like that will be much more valuable to you, and book you more work than an ugly couple at a nasty location ever would. If your working for free, would you choose to shoot someone who looks like me, or someone who looks like Brad Pitt? Which one of us do you think would book you more gigs?

Or not. Go shoot the free wedding. Go post the images of the ugly couple at the nasty location you shot for free. And hopefully when you meet with your next potential client, you will show them that work. And then they will call me…