Whether you’re new to the wedding photography business, or you’ve been at it for a while, there’s no doubt that it’s a very competitive space to work in as a professional photographer these days.
That means it’s up to you to create your own success in the field.
Of all the qualities that are important in becoming a successful wedding photographer, the one most of the experts and veteran photographers agree on is that you need the right personality and ability to interact with all manner of clients.
In this interview, I sat down with Phil Kramer to talk about his extensive experience in the business – after personally photographing over 2,500 weddings in the course of his career he has a lot to draw on that can help any photographer who aspires to become successful in wedding photography.
About Our Guest: Phil Kramer
Wedding photography by Phil Kramer
Phil Kramer runs three photography locations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, covering a variety of specialties, including weddings, mitzahs, fashion, events and portraits.
At the age of 24, Phil opened up Phil Kramer Photographers, Inc., now one of the most prominent photography studios in the country. Phil’s images have appeared in numerous magazines such as Time, Life, Elle, Philadelphia Magazine, Town & Country, Modern Bride, Wedding Pages, My Weddings and Philadelphia Weddings as well as many fine art publications.
In 1999, Phil was voted “Best of Philly” by Philadelphia Magazine and remains the only Photographer to have ever held the title. The Art and Fashion Group International awarded him their highest honor – Master of the Craft.
He has also received the coveted Kodak Gallery Award, a national award presented to photographers who are leaders in their field. The editors of Modern Bride Magazine and Bride’s Magazine have also acknowledged Phil as one of the top wedding & special event photographers in the nation.
Phil was also included in the book “The Best of Wedding Photography” published by Amherst Media and featuring the top six photographers in the country, and Phil’s image graces the cover. Most recently, the editors of The Knot turned to Phil for the cover shot of their latest hardcover book The Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World (Doubleday Broadway Publishing).
Episode Summary
Here are some of the great topics we talked about in this episode:
- How Phil got started as a wedding photographer…
- Juggling multiple photographic specialties…
- The top qualities for a successful wedding photography business…
- How clients and photographers view “posing” differently…
- The one word you should never say to your clients…
- The importance of knowing your subjects…
- Designing the finished book as you photograph the wedding…
- Why you need to pay attention to the wedding, not the back of your camera…
- Who should have control over the “shot list”…
- How Phil’s clients find him…
- The wedding client experience…
- Some mistakes newcomers make in wedding photography…
- Dealing with wedding photography pricing issues…
