Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to sit down with BRIDES and Harper’s BAZAAR top-rated photographer Rebecca Yale. The topic at hand? The importance of photo and video curation in the luxury market. Rebecca shared insights (and tangible examples) as to how she’s curated her portfolio over the years to help her book more luxury weddings and make more money! Miss the webinar this week? Don’t worry. Here are 5 top takeaways!
1. Ask yourself, “Who is your ideal client”
In other words, know that while it may be out of your control as a photographer, that you are going to be judged by the details in your portfolio that are completely unrelated to your photography style. For example, you may not be able to control her hair, a bouquet that doesn’t look quite right, or the awful weather, but if you put it all on social media and in your portfolio, your future clients may see and pass on you. Rebecca’s big tip is that as a wedding photographer, know that while you can’t control all of the details, you do have a say as to what goes out on your social accounts and in your portfolio and website.
Tip to Take Away: Only show the work that you want to get more of!
2. Focus on the hero shots
For reception and ceremony detail shots ask yourself: “What’s the hero angle here?” Rebecca suggests that photographers always look to capture the hero image of the wedding (ie, that photo that encompasses the environment, the colors, and the overall look and feel from the day). From there, she says to give extra attention to the details. “Remember to straighten the cutlery, adjust the flowers or paper details and always curate the table to get the shots that best showcase the details,” she says.
Tip to Take Away: A couple and their family will care about tablescape or details–but never forget that the client first and foremost wants photos of their family and friends.
3. Edit your submissions
Don’t give up on a submission just because it doesn’t get a yes the first time around, suggests Rebecca. For example, Rebecca shared that she had submitted a wedding to Style Me Pretty and it was rejected. Instead of tabling the submission, she asked the submissions team for feedback. They told her that the submission felt too “rustic.” Rebecca went back and re-curated her image selects and they actually picked it up the second time around!
Tip to Take Away: Go back and look at your old work and submissions to see whether you might be able to rework them for a second chance.
4. Photographers: Consider a base model for pricing
Rebecca strongly suggests having a minimum (aka, a base) price for your work. It was something she instituted after moving to California. She priced herself at an 8-hour minimum and it helped bump up her annual revenue. “My minimum gets me out of bed on a Saturday,” she says. On top of the 8-hour minimum, she offers add-ons. It could be extra hours, an engagement session, or even albums.
Tip to Take Away: If she decides to discount her price for any reason, she always discounts the add-ons––never the base!
5. Transparency is key
Rebecca (who also happens to be planning her own wedding!) impressed that couples want pricing transparency. So for her, she doesn’t wait to try to sell them into her pricing once they’ve had a few calls. Instead, when a couple inquiries, she immediately sends her base pricing. She says it not only helps her manage her couple’s expectations from the start, it also creates an understanding that clear communication and transparency is paramount throughout the process.
Tip to Take Away: As she puts it, she wouldn’t want to be strung along with a photographer that was out of her price range. So when in doubt about a sales tactic, lean on the old golden rule and simple treat others the way you would want to be treated
Want more? There are a few more spots open for Rebecca’s Wedding 201 masterclass which is art and business school in a box! Click here to learn more.
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