Am I ready to start charging for photography?

BZ6A2724-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg

I keep seeing a question regularly posted in various photography forums. Photographers ask if they are ready to start charging for their photography and if their work is good enough for someone to pay.

What I tell them is this. Do you think your work is worth it for someone to pay for it? To know the answer to that question, what one needs is self awareness. Yes, without self awareness, we will never be able to grow or have an objective look at our work. For every photographer, their own work is a masterpiece. Sadly, it takes years to achieve a level of consistency and a lot of hard work and learning.

Photography is the only profession where one can buy a camera and start charging people for photos the next day. Imagine someone buying a stethoscope and starting a clinic next day or buying a spanner and a few other tools and opening a auto mechanic garage. So why is there such a low or no entry barrier to starting a photography business? Because a bad photo won’t kill someone or won’t cause a car crash and sadly, you will only find a few discerning paying customers who know the difference between quality, good photography and bad photography. Also, bad photography doesn’t kill, doesn’t cause a car crash or make your roof come crashing down. But there is something bad photography can do. It can ruin someone’s lifelong memories. One can easily fix a bad family photo by having another photo session. You cannot have an entire wedding recreated due to bad photos. Even for family photos, there might be cases when an elderly family member is no more and that last photoshoot was the only chance for that family to have a great memory they wanted.

So before thinking of going professional, think of how much you actually know about photography. Yes, a modern camera has all auto functions and all you have to do is press the shutter button against a beautiful sunset and you have a great photo! If only a photographer’s life was so easy. As a professional, there are many challenges that you will face in your photography life. A location that has bad lighting. A location that is too small. The client wants to do something unexpected. To be prepared for any scenario, one must know at least the basics of photography and a little bit of science behind it. When starting out in photography, one is more eager to start taking photos than actually learning what every button, every knob and every setting in the camera is for. It is critical to know all of that. The most helpful thing you will do for yourself is reading the manual. Yes, when you buy a camera, it comes with a big book that explains all the functions of your camera. Take time to read it in detail. Don’t be in a hurry to become a photographer the moment you open the box. Even for those who are born with creativity naturally, they need to learn the tools to bring out their creativity.

Once you put in that effort, you don’t need anyone else telling you when you are ready. You will know.

Note: As a Memphis Wedding Photographer and Portrait Photographer, I regularly take classes for aspiring photographers. Message me if you are interested.

Wedding Vows of Different Cultures and Religions

Stock Image

Stock Image

Having shot hundreds of couples’ weddings, I’ve had the pleasure of capturing the beautiful moments of vow exchanges. Wedding vows are the promises in which an engaged couple makes to one another during their marriage ceremony. Some couples choose to share these heartwarming declarations of love aloud before witnesses to describe their intentions and commitment. 

If you live in the United States, the first thought of traditional wedding vows that come to mind may contain the promises “through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse.” Different cultures and faiths, however, have their own vow traditions. If you have an intercultural marriage ceremony or would like to honor the religion of your significant other, you may choose to explore different vows for the occasion. 

This guide to wedding vows by Zola has several beloved vows from different cultures and religions. Below are a few great choices.

Native American Wedding Vows 

Most traditional Native American weddings do not perform vow exchanges, but instead read aloud blessings to the couple. Here is an example of a wedding blessing from the Inuit tribe: 


You are my husband/wife

My feet shall run because of you 

My feet shall dance because of you

My heart shall beat because of you

My eyes see because of you

And I shall love because of you.

Jewish Wedding Vows

This prayer is commonly recited in Hebrew by a Jewish couple during the ring exchange: 
Haray at mekudeshet lee beh-taba’at zo keh-dat Moshe veh-Yisrael. 

(English translation: Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel.)

Muslim Wedding Vows

In Islam, a couple will listen to their officiant, usually an Imam, speak about the responsibilities of marriage and the significance of their commitment to one another and to Allah. Muslim couples who choose to recite their own vows may share something similar to the following passage:

I (the bride) offer you myself in marriage in accordance with the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him. I pledge, in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an obedient and faithful wife. 

I (the groom) pledge, in honesty and sincerity, to be for you a faithful and helpful husband.

Buddhist Wedding Vows

In Buddhism, a couple may write their own vows that reflect the pledge to their doctrine of Truth. Here is an example of what a wedding officiant might recite to the couple:

“Name” and “Name,” do you pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? 

(We do.)  

Whether you choose religious vows, those of a different culture, or writing your own, the joy of sharing heartfelt words of love to your significant partner is the best part.   

By

Ashley Cottrell

Writer/Content Marketing Coordinator at Siege Media.

Photographers Near Me

If someone is searching for a wedding photographer or portrait photographer, they usually search for “Photographers near me” on google. While it is understandable that you want a photographer close to where you live, you are limiting your choices on finding some of the best photographers out there.

There are hundreds and thousands of great photographers in the market and often it becomes very intimidating and nerve wracking to select the right photographer. There are many ways one can find a right photographer but limiting yourself to finding someone near you is a not such a good idea to start with. Widen your search circle.

© Uday Sripathi

© Uday Sripathi



Most photographers are nomadic. They travel far distances for work and never refuse a good job because it is a little bit far away. Many of them will waive off the travel fee too if it’s not too far away like across the country or across couple of states but if it is a two or three hour drive to the wedding venue, many will want to take up that job.

© Uday Sripathi

© Uday Sripathi

If you like a photographer’s work, even if he/she lives a little bit away, do not hesitate to talk to them. Do not be intimidated by their work. I have heard many times that people think I am super expensive looking at my work but are surprised when they find out my prices. I provide luxury photography at affordable prices and in reach of normal budgets. If the prices offered by a photographer is not within your budget, it would be a good idea to tell them your maximum budget and ask them if they can work within that. Many times, photographers can drop some extras and still work within your budget, for example working with just one assistant instead of two.

© Uday Sripathi

© Uday Sripathi

I traveled the World for my work and I would not hesitate to travel a few hours for a photoshoot. If I am not in the “Photographers near me” list but you like my work, just reach out.

My Approach To Portrait Photography

Someone said that a true portrait should, today and a hundred years from today, the Testimony of how this person looked and what kind of human being he/she was. I agree. Portrait photography is all about the subject. It is about capturing the real them. It is not about the photographer. When photographing portraits, I am more motivated by how to make the subject look good than how to make my photography look good. There is a difference. The moment I make photography about me, I lose focus. When starting out your career in portrait photography, do not fall into the trap of digital manipulations, overlays etc. I do not have anything against them and they do look interesting but then it is a completely different medium of graphic design. Not photography. Learn to be a photographer first and later when you start loving your work, then maybe experiment with it.

Christie_BridalCrop.jpg

More is not always better and less is not always good. Every photograph is different. Every subject is different. Every location is different. There is no magic sauce to the perfect photo. I consider myself as a student of photography and every day I learn something new. Keep experimenting and do not get stuck in one formula. More lights does not mean a better photo or less lights do not mean a good photo. It is all about your execution. It is about your creative vision.

The most important thing according to me, for any photographer is self-awareness. This is key to good and later great photography. Without it, you will not progress. What is self-awareness? It means you know objectively how to look at your own work and realize how bad it is. Trust me, it is going to be bad most of the time. Sometimes we get lucky. Do not go by what friends and family say on social media about your work. They will absolutely adore any crap you shoot. Instead, find some critique groups on the internet that give you a honest feedback. That is what I did. I got destroyed every time I posted my work in such groups but what I learnt was invaluable. Do I want adulations from my own circle (which shows I am better at marketing but not photography) or should I have the courage to step out of comfort zone and have my work critiqued objectively? I decided the latter as I wanted to become a better photographer. Don’t be afraid. Honest feedback is what makes us grow.

Lighting. Common misconception that it’s the light that creates the photo. No. Light and Shadows play an equal part. The above photo was shot using just one single strobe light. Placed on the camera light at a height pointing down at the subject. That’s It. This photo could also be lit differently using multiple lights but then it would become a different photo. The charm of this feel would not be there. Of course, some photos require a different lighting setup. Like the one below.

BZ6A0069-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg

I used three lights taking this photograph. When you set out to photograph, you should always know what your photo is going to look like. Imagine. Create the photos in your mind to see the kind of images you want and then work accordingly to create them. Once you do that, it will all become pretty simple.

One thing I always do when I take a photograph. I ask myself if this photo is worthy to adorn the walls of any house or the pages of any magazine. Self-Awareness again comes into play here. Look at your composition which becomes more important when taking portraits outdoors.

46964403541_618589a35e_o.jpg

When taking this photo, a lot of work went into where to keep the subjects, how much of the bridge and sky I wanted in the frame. Which angle would give a better result. What should the level of the camera be? Everything is important. You cannot fix such things in post-processing. A photographer does not leave things to be fixed in post-processing. The above image, again was shot with a single strobe and a large softbox. With so many graphic designers doing photo manipulations, it’s natural for people to wonder if the sky is real, if the background is real. I rarely add anything digitally to my photographs and never complete backgrounds. I feel it is a compliment when people ask me if the photo is real.

38727074374_f8db3593f6_o.jpg

As I mentioned above, composition makes or breaks your outdoor portraits. The above photo is an example. How to get that “epic” feel to your portraits? Composition. Right lens, perfect lighting etc all play a part too. My advice to people starting out on portrait photography is to create your own style. Think out of the box. It is possible if you put a little bit of effort before pressing the shutter button. Think, how can this photograph be better? Be self-aware.

33619513038_ce7daa6d8e_o.jpg

There is no light better than the biggest natural light source, the sun. You don’t have to use artificial lights all the time. Make use of sunlight in the right way and you can capture great portraits. Place your subject in a place where you can best use that light source and beautifully light your subject. Also, always avoid placing your subject in direct sunlight. Ideally, when shooting in broad day light, I always prefer to have the sun behind the subject and then use a small or medium sized reflector to bounce some soft light on to my subject. When shooting indoors, the sunlight coming from the window is a great way to light your subject. In the above photo, the window blinds diffused the light perfectly on to the subject.

38556906605_ae95c3564e_o.jpg

In the above photo, I used a speed light (flash) with a small diffuser to light the subject while the sun is behind. I shot at a very narrow aperture to give that twinkle effect to the sun rays.

39934702462_f568c24810_o (1).jpg

In the photo above, I used a strobe. My favorite strobe is a Paul C Buff Einstein e640. It is a little bulky and needs a battery on location shoots compared to the new strobes which have built in batteries and are lighter but I like the Einstein because of its power. I used a reflector dome on the light, with a CTO gel to balance the ambient light. I used a polarizer filter on my lens. First, start with the composition and then work out the rest of the details.

I haven’t gone into details on camera settings etc in detail assuming that you are well beyond the basic stage of photography. If you are just starting out and are still figuring out the various complicated (initially) terms like f-stops, aperture, shutter etc, I will write a post soon on those basics that will make you take photos with ease.

“Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden.” — Gift Gugu Mona

Victoria and Isaac's Wedding

This wedding at the Chapel in the Woods at Graceland was beautiful. The venue was perfect, the weather was perfect and the couple were lovely. Here are some photos from this wedding.