To make the cut.

I got high standards y'all. If you've been reading for a while, you know I can be pretty hard on myself and I hold high expectations for our business. While I don't really feel like this is something I can change, I've never really noticed the benefit of it. I think lots of photographers out there put a little less effort into things and still acquire business. Sometimes it makes me shake my head. 'Can't people see how their photo's are inconsistent/crooked/overexposed/have a mechanical distortion?' I wonder sometimes.

But today I'm beginning to realize that this desire for perfection (okay... let's call it "excellence") is one of the characteristics that sets us apart as professionals.

*Now... when I say perfection, I don't mean that our work is perfect, I mean that everything that is within my control is held to a certain standard. I will not simply graze over photo's to make them "decent", I make sure that they are straight, properly exposed, consistent with the other photo's, color balanced, etc, etc. This standard also overflows into our business relationships where I make sure that my e-mails are spell checked, I'm not talking about myself more than asking a client about themselves, things like that.

This realization came to me today, after posting an ad on craigslist last night in search of a second shooter. I specifically stated that the photographer we were looking for would have a similar style/philosophy of photography as us, and would be experienced in shooting weddings. Now, I'll be the first person to caution that searching for a photographer on craigslist is not the best way, and I am searching other avenues, but I was just curious what kind of response I would get.

It has been an eye opening experience indeed. Several photographers replied to me with links to their portfolio's and websites, which led me to my epiphany. For once, the shoe was on the other foot. I was the one to do the hiring. Instead of appealing to clients to hire me, I was the one to make the cut. So what did I do? I held these photographers to the same standards I hold myself to, after all, they would be representing me. I looked at the quality and quantity of their work, the consistency in style, the obvious markers that give away an experience level (a few things I listed in the first paragraph).

What I discovered was mostly lacking, which is why I'm assuming these photographers have a difficult time getting hired and have resorted to working off craigslist. I thought I would share with you the things that "broke the deal" for me, and could potentially do the same for couple's searching for a wedding photographer.

1. The quality over quantity debacle. 
As far as actually shooting a wedding goes, yes, quality over quantity. Your couple does not need 3,000 average photo's, rather 500 great one's that really tell a story. In your portfolio however, you need to have a large quantity of work to show potential clients. A lot of the photographers who e-mailed me only had one or two weddings to show their work, which is not enough for me to get a average reading, and it also tells me that they have not shot very many weddings. I know that getting work when you're first starting out is difficult, which is why breaking out of this cycle is so hard. But learning how to shoot for free/cheap  and contacting professionals you know to second shoot with them is a quick way to build your portfolio. As your work and experience grows, your portfolio will evolve.

2. Your personal presentation.
How you come across online is very important, and most couples make decisions about a person on a subconscious level. It's about how connected they feel to you. It takes time to learn how to really write about yourself (like in your bio), but taking it beyond "My passion is to document life in all it's beauty", is really important. I didn't read the rest of these bio's (and I'm sure potential clients wouldn't either), because I've heard it a thousand times. What really makes you, YOU?

3. Your application.
Consider your first correspondence with a potential client your job application. While it's important to sound professional, you also have to make it personal. Shooting weddings is not a desk job, you are going to spend your whole day working side by side with people, so how do I know if I want to work with you? I was also quite surprised that no one mentioned our style or our website in their e-mail. I clearly stated in the ad that we needed someone with a similar style, but not one person mentioned what our style was or what their philosophy of shooting was. It felt very impersonal. Always try to focus on the client, ask them questions, tell tidbits about yourself, get to know them.

I hope these tips can help some of you move to a more professional appearance and in turn book more clients that fit with your brand.