I’ve been in this wedding industry for seven years. My oh my has it changed just within five. One of the biggest changes in the industry are the subcultures that 
have been created and exploited by our very own favorite app, Instagram.
Back in 2012 when I was starting my photography business my Instagram consisted of #cloudporn, selfies and food.
Now, I have to post nearly every day, at a specific time or else I won’t have my own friends see a post of mine. The algorithm isn’t the problem. It’s the competition of “having the most [fake] followers, and the most ‘features’ for the wedding photography industry.” At least that’s what one subculture may say. The other actually work their asses off shooting weddings – having no time to even have any social media presence. Shout out to those hard working professionals, I see you.
This is where a lot of ugly feelings come up for me being an elder millennial in a NEW and, dare I say, immature wedding industry. Are you all ready for it? Well okay, commence rant.
Oh, wait pause, to give my rant a little bit of leverage and backing I will tell you a bit about myself. Hm, where do I start?
Well, last year alone I’ve photographed 272 days of the year. Nine of those were creative shoots I’ve done with friends. The rest were paid clients. I’ve grown my business by myself, before the age and subcultures of Instagram. And this is where I get personal, I’ve never needed a feature, a workshop, a preset or a mentor to get me where I am today. I’ve had word of mouth, a shit ton of friends and a whole lot of hard work get me here. But where am I at today you may ask? I have six going on seven associate photographers who photograph for me. I’ve photographed over 132 weddings in 7 years, going on my fourth year of making well over six figures. Been published in over 26 different magazine around the world, some of those are my favorites, going to be opening my own studio in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, photographed in over 31 different countries. I have a bachelors in fine arts and photography and in so much debt because of it – SO much debt. I wanted to be a photographer before photography was even looked at as a serious career – Now said to be even a stable career. Who would have thought?
It’s really awesome to see that so many people have changed their careers into a career I knew my whole life I’ve wanted to do. I see them and say, welcome to the ride, it’ll be a tough one, you’ll be in debt, you’ll have no income for some time, but it’ll all be worth it. BUT, that is not how it is anymore. Anyone can change their careers and become a professional wedding photographer/any kind of photographer. Even a 12 year old can run a whole Nike campaign, (true. freaking. story). WHY? Because we have the internet now, free tutorials for everything, technology for equipment is getting better and better and cheaper and cheaper to purchase. PRESETS ready for you to buy within a click, and lastly, over priced workshops taught by photographers just as fresh and new in the industry as the next one.
Newsflash, photographing your friends who are couples or doing styled shoots, does not make you a PROFESSIONAL wedding photographer, buying and then RE-selling presets does not make you a Lightroom Guru, and unquestionably, creating an overpriced workshop without actually having the professional experience does not make you an expert who should be teaching. Lastly, if you are selling presets (especially presets that make the skin yellow or orange) and overpriced workshops and making your living that way THAN actually photographing weddings, makes you a fraud. And I know there are a few well-known, “insta-famous, “verified” photographers who do that.
I end this free speech blog with one last thing. If you are a photographer just starting out in this New Age era, I wholeheartedly, and warmly welcome you. Have any questions, I’m here for you. Having a mentor in this industry is super important and I do offer FREEEE (because education should be free) mentorship Facetime hang sessions. I won’t sell you my presets because I worked hard to create them just how I wanted them in my own vision, but I will help you create your own from your own creative vision. If you want to run your own business my only advice for you is do it the right way, there will be expensive cheats and tricks from “professional wedding photographers”. But do your research – seek out established photographers that CARE about the wedding industry and not money driven.
There it is, this elder millennial wedding photographer laying it down on you thick. And although I may disagree on how others are running their photography business not with the professional etiquette that I portray in my business, all I can do is to focus on my own and keep doing what I have been doing since 2012. I want my couples, my clients and my followers to always know when they see my work and my name, they know they will always be getting the most authentic, raw, and truest work from me.
Okay, that is all. Now I go meditate.
Go like, love, share, follow, subscribe, floss dance.
A big thank you to the friends and colleagues who I’ve had these discussions with and felt the same. Thank you for encouraging me to write this blog. Somebody just needed to freaking say it.
Also, shout out to one of my starsseed sisters – Breann Schram with her new guided meditation.
Check her meditation out and follow her on Instagram, @BreannSchram.
I loved this post and every word I could go on for days about this having seen the industry change since 2009 when I started weddings. I feel like people don’t want to work hard for it any longer, all about instant gratification. This can’t keep up with social media etc I’m too busy working hard and being a mama. Thank you for the post!
Absolutely! So well said. Wow 2009, I commend you so hard. You are amazing. Thank you for taking the time out to read my rant lol! Sending you a hug.
THIIIIISSSS. Coming from a new age, baby fresh and wild-eyed aspiring photographer, this is incredible! I already see a lot of this and I’ve barely dipped my toe into photography.
I do feel guilt of trying to learn as much as I can from online photography resources + mentors, but all of that comes to a hard stop if it infringes on someone’s work or someone taking advantage of another. You said all this so well + it needs to be shouted from the roof tops.
I have already given up at trying to post under a full moon, while wearing purple, and making a blood sacrifice to make a positive knock at the Instagram algorithm. Word of mouth, good friends, and busting my ass is truly the best way to do a job and do it well.
You’re such an inspiration + one of the first photographers i found on the silly app.
Please keep blogging and throwing down all the truth! <3
Blessed be the freaking fruit with this reply. Lmao had be crying laughing at the blood sacrifice. Thank you for reading and having it resonate with you. It means a lot. I’m so glad you replied. Your mind is gold! I hope to hear more from you. I love your thoughts. And for being a baby fresh aspiring photographer. I totally welcome you with warm arms. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Really great thoughts! As a Canadian looking at the US wedding industry I can see it’s a whole different beast! I find myself comparing myself to American photogs which isn’t fair to my work, but that’s exactly what social media instills in us. It seems like so much of social media is selling a certain wedding photographer lifestyle that doesn’t actually exist. It’s more like the hard work you put into your training and business to be successful!
100%!!!! I can’t speak for other countries, but what I have noticed in the US wedding industry, we are forgetting what the WEDDING industry is about. It’s about the couples in love, not about the editorial-like photos, or the features. And thus why I’ve seen a lot of photographers do away with even shooting weddings and just creating their own shoots or just doing couples shoots and call themselves wedding photographers. Just chasing likes that’s all a lot of them are doing. SMH.
Your perspective is so refreshing! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I completely agree that something needs to be said about the changing world of wedding photography. While I think it’s great that it has become so accessible, that has also caused the problems you mentioned. As a wedding planner in my second year, I also recognize how accessible the profession is, but what I am trying to do is learn as much as I can and seek out mentors. I love how you called out the importance of education and mentorship. I am learning the importance of hustling and building my business over time, which I am ok with because I want it to last! Away with the instant gratification. I’m with you and in it for the long haul. If my couples are deciding where to splurge and save in their budget, I highly recommend to spend the extra money for a professional and experienced photographer. They will have these pictures for a lifetime and quality is of utmost importance.
YESSS girl! Yesss! Everything yes! I’m imagining us holding hands together and then doing a power punch to the sky! Let’s rock this wedding industry!
https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/newshour/app/uploads/2016/04/giphy-5.gif