My #1 Trick for Getting Great Portfolio Photos Every Time
We’ve all been there…
…right, floral designers?
You work your butt off on a wedding. This may be the best work I’ve ever done, you think.
You wait weeks, checking your email every day (let’s be honest, more like every hour) looking for photos from the photographer. And they never come.
Bummer!
You’re, of course, so happy that the bride loved her florals, but you were dying to use some of those photos to update your website gallery, your homepage, and your Instagram.
While it’s always a good idea to have it in your contract that you get use of any wedding images, like I do, at some level, you can’t 100% guarantee that you’ll get access to those photos.
Sometimes, your bride might have a photographer with an editing style she loves, but that won’t do your flowers justice or will give future brides unrealistic expectations about flower colors and shades.
Regardless of the reason, if you’re not 100% sure that you’d get photos you can use for your own purposes, heres what you can do:
Hire a photographer to come over for an hour and snag some shots of your blooms!
I’m recommending it cause I’ve done it.
I once did a wedding with a photographer who turned out to be great, but I’d never worked with them before. I didn’t know what I would be walking into.
We also knew the venue was going to be in a dark church and a cafeteria, which we converted and it looked amazing, but still, no windows, no natural light.
We knew even the best photographers in the world would have a difficult time capturing the beauty in those circumstances , so I made sure to have all those beautiful details captured the day before with a photographer I knew very well, Erin Wilson, come snap some shots.
Here’s what she got…
Images by Erin Wilson
Photos are essential. Visual representations of your work are the best evidence you have that you’re great at your job. Sure, hiring a photographer to come take some photos may cost you, but it was way cheaper than planning and executing a whole styled shoot! And way worth it.
Final note— it’s also a great way to get an updated head shot, if you plan ahead! Ask your photographer if they’d be willing to take your picture if they’re already going to be grabbing shots of your flowers.
Work smarter, not harder!
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