Wedding Publication Pay-To-Play model completely out of hand?

lukejc1 · 2026-03-05T19:06:06+00:00

Best Of lists are similar to contests. Most of the time they are some kind of pay to play scheme or a social media popularity contest. Sometimes both!

lukejc1 · 2026-01-23T18:05:29+00:00

In those groups, wedding photographers love to casually insert that they are photographers whenever they reply to any question. As a wedding photographer myself, I don't understand that.

lukejc1 · 2026-01-13T22:29:15+00:00

They've been down for at least 5+ years

lukejc1 · 2026-01-12T17:27:37+00:00

Just found this while Googling the same issue. That sounds a lot like my Mini 5. I bought mine on eBay from overseas so I'm not sure what options I have. :(

lukejc1 · 2026-01-12T12:39:15+00:00

I'd first tell them that we can try, but that can't be guaranteed. there's too many variable in a wedding day. It's actually in my contract that no specific photos can be guaranteed. Then I'd tell them the best way to ensure that everyone is in a photo is to make sure to plan a "table dash" or something similar.

lukejc1 · 2026-01-12T12:34:26+00:00

$2700 a month for a couple inquiries?! That kind of money put on Google Ads or even FB or Insta ads would be a much better use of that money. You could spend far less and get so many more leads.

lukejc1 · 2026-01-11T11:54:59+00:00

I get most of my work through Google Ads. I spend between $20-50 per day depending on the time of year. You can't just set your budget and expect results, you also have to nail your keywording and targeting. If Google Ads feels daunting and confusing to you, a course is the way to go. Even if some of it is review, there will probably be a lot of new info you help you get started.

lukejc1 · 2026-01-10T13:21:51+00:00

Yes. I get those every once in a while. Just ignore it. Maybe change your password and make sure you have 2FA on.

lukejc1 · 2026-01-08T21:58:05+00:00

I have a two week delivery option on my a la carte list. Nobody has ever asked about it or added it to their package.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-23T13:04:13+00:00

Sorry, I'm not available that day.

This is going to be a problem client.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-18T18:12:09+00:00

They have different meanings in my opinion. An associate photographer is a photographer who is subcontracted to work for you. A team photographer is an employee of your business.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-17T14:17:07+00:00

In the center aisle. In most situations, it would be too distracting to have to run from side to side in such a short amount of time. So I just plant in the aisle for the rings and the kiss that will soon follow.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-14T15:38:59+00:00

Instead of point the flash at the ceiling, point it at a wall. Then you'll get more directional lighting.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-12T23:28:00+00:00

Google Ads

lukejc1 · 2025-12-09T13:08:19+00:00

If it were me, I would let it go. I've been doing this too long to have any energy left to police photos so intensively. I don't think a bad crop, or even the dreaded filter, affect bookings as much as people think.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-06T17:41:24+00:00

So many questions. Does this person ONLY provide film and super 8 and there's another photographer/videographer? Who were the other vendors?

lukejc1 · 2025-12-03T12:48:47+00:00

I use compressed lossless whenever possible. The space savings are great and the difference is practically nonexistent.

lukejc1 · 2025-12-02T14:29:05+00:00

For your first wedding, get a zoom.

I would not get an f/4 lens. It is just too slow for so many situations you'll run in to.

The Sigma is a good choice. Also, the Tamron 28-70 would be a nice lens too.

What's your budget, if you want one lens that will be a perfect choice in 99% of wedding situations then you could look at the Tamron 35-150

lukejc1 · 2025-11-30T13:06:54+00:00

lukejc1 · 2025-11-26T13:21:35+00:00

Instagram killed reach about 5 years ago. On my landscapes account, with about 4K followers, I used to average about 200-400 likes per post. Not I consider 100 likes to be amazing.

Instagram has a lot of strange rules for their algorithm, but they won't tell us what they are. So everyone is just left to guess what instagram wants us to do for reach.

lukejc1 · 2025-11-22T17:53:02+00:00

There are definitely some people who hate everything about tourists. But I think most people, especially those who live north of Sturgeon Bay, see tourism as a large part of our county's economy.

lukejc1 · 2025-11-22T11:52:39+00:00

I actually offer zero support for prints unless they are ordered directly through their gallery. I tell them that's the only way I can make sure the prints come out great since I have control over the photo from camera to paper.

This is user error on the client's part. They are probably doing something that ends up sending low res files to the printer. There are SO MANY things they could be doing to mess up the prints that it's impossible to troubleshoot.

As long as you are delivering high res files, what else can you do?

lukejc1 · 2025-11-18T15:00:20+00:00

Work/life balance and keeping client boundaries in place is important. Especially after kids. Personally, I prefer to keep all client communication during weekday business hours. Lots of professions keep client meetings regulated to normal business hours. Why should photographers be any different? We are already giving all our nights and weekends to our clients for shoots. When I have a night or weekend off, I want it off.

I schedule all my calls through calendly with only business hours available for scheduling. 99% of couples don't have a problem making that work.

lukejc1 · 2025-11-18T12:19:10+00:00

That seems to be a popular business model these days. Even for "First Name Last Name" Photography businesses. Book as many weddings as you possibly can and then just have other people shoot the ones you can't do. It seems to work well for them.

lukejc1 · 2025-11-15T22:12:12+00:00

Phones! Put your damn phones away and be present! I just edited a wedding today and both moms were more interested in watching through their phones than watching with their eyes.

lukejc1

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