I do some photography as a hobby business, granted I'll never get rich but it pays for itself?

I do some photography as a hobby business, granted I'll never get rich but it pays for itself... ...One thing I've never done is a wedding and never really planned to. Someone recently approached me about doing a small wedding to which I answered "no"... actually "hell no". They however weren't dissuaded .

Why me you ask? Because they couldn't afford a full fledged wedding photographer with all the bells and whistles. I tentatively agreed if a buddy of mine (a highly trained and skilled photographer) would agree to do it with me.

He was willing to come 120 miles and help me out for a measly 300 bucks.. a heck of a deal under any circumstances. But the new couple can't afford that, which I can also understand. I've agreed to do it at my hourly rate and give them a disk of untouched raw images, however, my buddy said I should have some sort of waiver written up expressing the fact that I am not a wedding photographer and express there is no guarantee to quality.So finally I get to my question.

I'm terrible at writing up legal documents any ideas on how to word it? Asked by ronin 45 months ago Similar questions: photography hobby business granted rich pays Arts > Photography.

Similar questions: photography hobby business granted rich pays.

Hope this helps First, do it in Raw and Large Jpg, as unless they have the proper software they won't be able to even open or see a raw file, much less convert it. Where as if you do both they can at least see the jpgs. There is a good book with all the legal docs a good Photographer should have.

Good Luck and enjoy. When you shoot it, do a few test picts for lighting and also don't set the ISO too high, 400-800 MAX. That way they can still do a larger image, maybe even 200-400 depending on the camera, like many of the nikons as they have a lot more noise/grain in them.

Have a great one! Sources: my experiences as a professional photographer, and used in my Gallery, http://AkPhotos.zenfolio.com/ GlacierWaterIsCold's Recommendations Business and Legal Forms for Photographers (with CD-ROM) (Business and Legal Forms) Amazon List Price: $29.95 Used from: $12.91 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 (based on 16 reviews) Wedding and Portrait Photographers' Legal Handbook Amazon List Price: $29.95 Used from: $50.89 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 (based on 2 reviews) 2008 Photographer's Market Amazon List Price: $26.99 Used from: $14.95 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 5 reviews) Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images (Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights & Liabilities of) Amazon List Price: $34.95 Used from: $21.43 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 5 reviews) The Professional Photographer's Legal Handbook Amazon List Price: $24.95 Used from: $14.29 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 5 reviews) Legal Handbook for Photographers: The Rights and Liabilities of Making Images Amazon List Price: $19.95 Used from: $21.54 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 7 reviews) Photographers Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business: Everything you need to know to run a successful photography business Amazon List Price: $18.99 Used from: $8.39 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 15 reviews) 2007 Photographers Market (Photographer's Market) Amazon List Price: $26.99 Used from: $6.43 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 15 reviews) hope these help! .

Get a contract signed listing what you will provide. Ah, the ol' "someone too cheap to hire a real wedding photographer hires anyone with a decent camera" syndrome. I'm not saying you can't shoot, I'm just saying that the fact that these people aren't willing to pay for a professional speaks volumes on what value they put on photography.

That said, do manage to get something signed that lists what you will provide, when you will provide it, and how much they're paying. Make sure they understand (and it should be written) that they're getting untouched photos. I'd even go and take an untouched shot and print it at some cheap one-hour place, then take a fully edited version (color corrected, cropped, sharpened, the full monty) and get it printed at a professional lab.

Show them these two samples and make sure they understand they're getting the bad shot on the CD/DVD, not the good shot. (I'd print at a cheap one-hour place because I'd bet dollars to donuts that's where they're take the CD anyway. ) A contract has to list what, when, how, and how much, and be signed by both parties.

Check out this place digitalweddingforum.com and sign up as a "Start" member. You can't read everything, but you can get in some areas and get a good feel for what other people are doing (right and wrong) in your similar situation. (Oh, and just curious, but is this bride one of those who will spend $3k on the limos, $2.5k on the flowers, $1k on the seat covers, $5k on the catering... all of which will last only a night, but can't scrape up $2k for a decent wedding photog?) Sources: Experience as a photographer .

Weddings are fun! Event photography of all kinds are fun,weddings are no exception, they just have a lot of pressure attached. If I where you and this being your first wedding I would just try my best and start reading up on the subject.

I am looking forward to doing my first wedding this year and the first thing I did when I started looking for weddings to do was read a sort of book/essay by a man named Al Jacobs called the devil wore white. It can be found here for free aljacobs.com/NEW%20WEDDING.pdf. The essay deals with a lot of legal issues and has all sorts of sample contracts that just require filling in the blanks as well as shot lists and just about everything else you can imagine.It’s a long book to read as a PDF, but ive read it several times.

Also there is a really big wedding photographer in the LA area named becker at least thats how he spells his name, but he does these great video podcasts for those that want to break into the wedding business. He really wants to help the underdog get on his/her feet and his blog and podcast can be found here: thebschool.com/ the school hasn’t offically started yet, but sign up now and just watch his podcasts through iTunes just search be school or becker. Just a word of advise: Get really good at making flash not look like flash.

Make sure you know how to bounce and invest in a couple of items below. Also do you have fast lenses? Do any of your lenses have VR or IS built in?

Catholic priests are sometimes really strict about not allowing flash during the ceremony, now I have been lucky, when I shoot Baptism/Christening photos for clients they seem to let me use my flash as long as it is bounced or diffused, but not head on, but you know not to do that anyway right? It just depends on your church and your priest so make him happy, give gift baskets, gift cards or food, and maybe he will send some clients your way. Scout out the locations in question and take some photos just to see what kind of lighting you are dealing with.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out Chris chriscorbin's Recommendations Gary Fong C4 Cloud Lightsphere II, Inverted Dome Flash Diffusion System. Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 11 reviews) Gary Fong is a genius because he can charge that much for a tupperware bowl. A little tim this can be found at gadgetinfinity.

Com for about $12 and it works great for me, just make sure you order the right size chriscorbin's Recommendations Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce for the Sunpak 383, 422, 433, 444, 30DX and 3600AF, D & DX Flashes. Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 7 reviews) this can also be found at gadget infinity for about $7, but make sure you order the right size .

How about.... We, groom and bride understand that you/ronin is not a professional photographer and is providing wedding photography gratis and shall waive any legal recourse for the outcome of the photographs. All photographs are copyrighted joitly between groom, bride and ronin. Sign and date.

Keep copies.

1 chriscorbin, regarding your answer "Weddings are fun! ":Actually I've gotten really adept at bouncing light. I've done nonprofit events, birthdays, sporting events, ect... I recently did a 75th Birthday party where almost everyone was wearing glasses... talk about needing to bounce the flash, but a wedding has so much more attached to it.

I mean if everything works out it's only going to happen to them once. I don't feel that kind of pressure when I do other events which is why I stay away from weddings as a general rule. I have done pre-wedding portraits, but again if that didn't turn out the way I wanted then I could re-do it.

Thanks for the advice though.

Chriscorbin, regarding your answer "Weddings are fun! ":Actually I've gotten really adept at bouncing light. I've done nonprofit events, birthdays, sporting events, ect... I recently did a 75th Birthday party where almost everyone was wearing glasses... talk about needing to bounce the flash, but a wedding has so much more attached to it.

I mean if everything works out it's only going to happen to them once. I don't feel that kind of pressure when I do other events which is why I stay away from weddings as a general rule. I have done pre-wedding portraits, but again if that didn't turn out the way I wanted then I could re-do it.

Thanks for the advice though.

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