Beginner Free wedding photography, yay or nay??

Heist

Heist

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Matthew
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I have just got back into photography, after a 10 year hiatus. I did photography at college, but predominantly film. Now I am looking to learn the art of wedding photography. I was going to try and offer my services completely free, in exchange for the experience and to use the photos to help build a portfolio. I would want to do this as a secondary photographer, because I wouldn't want the responsibly to do it on my own.

I didn't know, if this was a strange idea. I wouldn't want to get in the way of the professional photographer, or encroach on their job. If I was a professional photographer, I would probably get a bit stressed with a bumbling novice getting in my way.

What do you guys think?

Thanks
Matthew
 
Maybe offer your services to a professional for free but might originally just be setting up for them, carrying bags etc. Could potentially open up other avenues after a few weddings
 
Course you can, if you're smart and when you're ready.

Which doesn't appear to be yet, unless your sense of humour got in the way.

Would you take someone to work who was going to be bumbling or in the way?

So, best foot forward, do you have the requisite skills to sell yourself to a pro as a 2nd? Forget the bargaining power of 'doing it for free', only an idiot with no understanding would see that as feasible.

Look at it from the photographers PoV:
Why would he take you on his job?
Because you'll add value for his clients
That has a value, so he'll pay you.

If you can't add value, but you think you're there to learn, but you don't need paying, you're adding no value, why would it matter that you're free?

Then there's the fact he's helping train you so you can undercut him. Why would he do that?

So you need to be prepared to travel, and to work hard, and behave professionally, and deliver results.

It's actually easier to find some friends of friends who'll gamble on a free wedding photographer, learn by making mistakes, it's character building and it's only your reputation on the line.

Hope you read that as a positive. We always get flamed for attacking novice wedding photographers, but it's a hugely saturated market, and not really the 'easy money' it appears from the outside.

At least you never asked what settings to use, or 'if you could have just one lens to shoot a wedding' :p
 
Heist said:
I have just got back into photography, after a 10 year hiatus. I did photography at college, but predominantly film. Now I am looking to learn the art of wedding photography. I was going to try and offer my services completely free, in exchange for the experience and to use the photos to help build a portfolio. I would want to do this as a secondary photographer, because I wouldn't want the responsibly to do it on my own.

I didn't know, if this was a strange idea. I wouldn't want to get in the way of the professional photographer, or encroach on their job. If I was a professional photographer, I would probably get a bit stressed with a bumbling novice getting in my way.

What do you guys think?

Thanks
Matthew
Click to expand...

Is the deciding factor your confidence level, and if you need to be asking us if you should do it, does that indicate where your confidence level is :) ? Best of luck if you decide to do it :)
 
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