‘Just a wedding’

The other day a photographer friend asked me if I shoot weddings. He seemed a bit surprised that I answered, “yes,” probably because I shoot a lot of commercial photography.

I actually really enjoy weddings. It’s pretty amazing to be so important to people on the biggest day of their lives.

Anyway, my friend expressed that he has considered expanding his wedding and portrait photography business to include commercial photography. In essence he has considered commercial photography, but isn’t sure how to break into that market. 

It made me think about commercial photography versus wedding and family portraiture. Is commercial photography for a major television network only for “professional” photographers, and family portraits at the waterfall in Maricopa Meadows only for “amateurs?” Does taking advertising photos in a studio for Paradise Bakery make you a better photographer than someone shooting engagement photos on the patio at the Phoenician resort? I don’t think so. I’ve done all of the jobs above. I like to think that professionalism has everything to do with how you handle your job and the quality of the product you deliver, and less to do with the grandeur of the client who has commissioned you. 
 
I will agree, however, that there is a scale of difficulty that increases from what I am going to call “vernacular portraiture,” to weddings, to high-end commercial photography. 

A vernacular portrait may be a portrait of a friend’s kid in the park. Though it may be a pretty picture, it is relatively simple to capture. Wedding photography is more complicated. The mother of a bride can be much more demanding than my most wealthy commercial clients. You have a schedule and shot list you need to follow, and the stress of being in the right spot to capture the first kiss is truly the real deal.

These factors make weddings a good training for commercial jobs.  Advertising work can require coordinating with assistants, makeup artists, stylists and talent to create the client’s vision. Each job brings something different, and understanding of complicated lighting set-ups is a must. You certainly have to develop skills beyond basic camera usage.
 
Regardless of the difficulty of the production, there is a genius that runs through all good photography. Let me share an example to illustrate my point: My wife and I dig watching cooking shows, particularly the Next Food Network Star.  Don’t laugh; it’s totally cool. Last season a motherly home cook beat out some pretty refined restaurant chefs to win the title and her own Food Network show.  She is very talented, but at first she was quite uncomfortable working outside her own home kitchen with the professional culinary equipment that was provided to her. The speed and the stress of producing exquisite meals in a commercial-grade kitchen had her stumbling a little in the beginning, but her talent and determination carried her over her “professional” competitors.

Like a vernacular portrait photographer stepping into commercial photography, she had to learn the techniques, lingo, and high-end equipment. She had to grind through that transition, and bring along her innate talent and love for her craft. The home cook prevailed on the big stage, and so can any photographer with an artistic streak and some guts to make it happen. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Fortunately, I learned years ago that what I was doing on Saturdays was more than “just a wedding.”

Jake Johnson of Jake Johnson Pictures is a Maricopa-based photography who also offers classes in photographic techniques.  He can be reached at 602-291-1093 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Submitted photo

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