I attended a business seminar yesterday where the main topic was different ways to market your business and how to make it successful. The seminar was sponsored by the Business DreamWorks Chamber of Commerce of Virginia or “BDCC.“ But what does this have to do with being a wedding photographer here in Virginia? It can’t be THAT serious. Well it is.

I know fellow photographers who’ve been in the business for quite some time and they still struggle to bring clients to their business. They’re not bad photographers at all. They have the skills and equipment they need but the only thing they’re lacking is the drive to be a people’s person and that’s what being a wedding photographer is all about.

You shouldn’t expect clients to look for you and your business if you can’t or don’t know how to approach them. I love being a photographer and I love interacting with people and that’s a good start. It makes it easier if you know how to communicate with others. But it needs a bit more of drive and motivation to be successful. We can’t lie and say we don’t do it for the money. In part, yes because we all need to eat and pay for the cable you know. But my personal goal with my clients is not only to take the photos and give them to the couple, but to be able to make them feel comfortable and for them to feel like there’s more of a friend taking the pictures instead of a complete stranger. And you can only accomplish that by being a social person. So next time you try to meet a client remember these words of wisdom.

-H