opinions please

puddles22

i have decided to take the plunge and pursue a possible career in wedding photography. i would be well enough known in my area as a landscape photographer and do ok during the summer months with sales for my pictures. the opinions im looking for should i start a whole new photography page both website and facebook in an attempt to separate both aspects but also to possibly attract new clients. Ideas please.

Thanks

D.S.

Not a pro photographer myself but have had a few conversations about websites / fb with mates who are pro, and others who have had gone pro.Long and short - my opinion would be it depends on your target market. If your ambition is to target the higher end of the market - then the design and look of your website is key, and having high quality images and website design focused specifically on your target market is best (i.e. wedding only).

If you are going for more mid market down, then I have seen photographers with both and do well.

Facebook - generally would follow same rule of thumb.

What shocked me most about the pro scene here in Oz is that the bigger names in the industry are increasingly photographers outsourcing their processing and website management to freelancers / pp houses abroad..leaving them the time to shoot more events and in their free time focus on personal projects (e.g. building a commercial landscape portfolio).

pullandbang

Go for it!

Just bear in mind though that photographing weddings and photographing landscapes are two completely different kettles of fish. I'm not going to point out the obvious differences or the technical skills required for weddings, but you do need to be a "people" person. Landscapers tend to wander off on their own and work away with no interference or interaction with people.
It's the opposite with weddings. It's all about people - dealing with them, helping them, guiding them, bossing them. There's no second chances - you can't go back and take the shot again. Having said that, it's brilliant fun - much more enjoyable than landscapes. :-)

But getting back to your original question - yes definitely keep them both separate in terms of your website and bookface page. Brides do NOT want to see your portfolio of hills and slow water shots with lovely skies. They want to see the gorgeous wedding photos that you've taken. They want to see what you can do for them on their big day.
Be prepared for the long haul as the photographer is one of the first things booked by a bride and it can be a couple of years in advance. In fact I just had an enquiry from a bride for April 2019 - four years away! That's a long time to be waiting to get paid.

swingking

Whatever about shooting the weddings, make sure you have a crystal clear plan for the post processing.

I have shot a few weddings now and I actually find the shooting easier than the computer work afterwards. It's a long process going through over 1000 images.

dinneenp

Why not have your wedding site totally separate (and not mention the wedding business) but in your landscape site include a page mentioning your wedding business and a link to your wedding site? It should help publicise it and might draw some potential business.

puddles22

thanks people appreciate the opinions

mikka631

Joe Bussink well worth a browse and he has many more insightful videos worth watching. This is just one of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QYnbR-Ct-s