Do You Do Weddings?

When people find out that I have my own photography business, the first thing they ask is "Do you do weddings?". My response is often a resounding NO preceded by some sort of mild expletive. Other times I will ask them "Why would I want to do that?". The response usually has something to do with money.

There are many reasons that I don't photograph weddings. The first being I do not take good people pictures when they are posing for the camera. I could go to a photoshoot full of supermodels, take hundreds of posed pictures, and end up with hundreds of pictures of Frankenstein's bride. While I consider myself a talented photographer, I realize that I don't have the skills necessary to do fashion/wedding photography. People photography is a discipline that very few people actually have. Many so called wedding photographers do it just because they have a nice new camera and think that weddings are easy money.

What I can do is candids, you know those shots when people don't know they are being photographed and just being themselves. I have some wonderful pictures of complete strangers in different places just sitting and thinking or reading, with no knowledge that I ever took a picture. I will consider doing certain types of weddings, providing that none of the standard posed shots is required. Outdoor weddings in a scenic area, I can take pictures of the scenery and if I just happen to get a wedding while doing that, I think I would get some good pictures. Other types of unusual weddings might also interests me. As long as it involves something else that I do well and I don't have to do all of the bride's family, groom's family, and cake cutting stuff.

Reason number two is my people skills are really bad. I generally tend to tell people what's on my mind, good or bad. Bridezilla does not want to hear that I can't make her butt look smaller. When dealing with people and especially high strung brides, people skills are paramount to success. I had a medical diagnosis earlier this year that explains my absence of people skills. I can hide my lack of people skills sometimes, but when dealing with a bride and wedding party, all bets are off.

The most compelling reason to not do weddings is lack of interest. I have zero interest in weddings. The money would be nice but I feel that I would be like many other wedding photographers. Do it for the quick money and throw the passion of getting unique, quality pictures out. That is definitely not for me. I will leave the money on the table for some other photographer to scoop up and keep my sanity and quality standards.