It should be simple. Take pictures. Make money.
How to Hustle in the Wedding Market DENISE (QUESTION): I want to shoot weddings in California! How do you hustle? PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): You can definitely break into the California wedding market! If you want to hustle, go look up Flutter Magazine and submit a wedding to them. Then go and set up a meeting with them […]
Photography Discounts JOSE (QUESTION): How do you charge for friends? I want to give photography discounts for my close friends, however I don’t want to feel like the services have to be free, cheap or even cost me. PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): Honestly, you should just charge what you would anyone else. Seriously, don’t give […]
Offering Incentives for Referrals TOM (QUESTION): Do you offer any incentives for referrals or anything like that? PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): No, at this time I don’t accept referral fees. For those who don’t know, referral fees are a somewhat controversial practice in the wedding industry where a venue or a wedding planner will take a 10-20 percent fee […]
Delivering RAW Photos Versus Edits TOM (QUESTION): When you deliver the final images to the clients, are you giving them duplicates of the ones you edit? In other words, delivering RAW photos as well as the edits? PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): As a rule I never give original images to clients, only edits. It’s like showing someone […]
Using SmugMug DENISE (QUESTION): Hi Phil, I am looking into SmugMug, is this something you have used before? PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): I used SmugMug for about 5 years or so! I canceled my account with them a couple of years ago! Only because I wasn’t using their service at all anymore, not because I […]
Editing in Lightroom RYAN (QUESTION): Hi Phil, what program(s) do you use for editing your photos? I’ve been using Lightroom, but I wanted to see if there is anything else that you recommended. PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): Lightroom is hands down the best solution for wedding, portrait, and event photographers. In Lightroom you are able […]
Starting Wedding Photography Bryce (QUESTION): Hi Phil, I was wondering how you originally got into wedding photography? Phillip Van Nostrand (ANSWER): Great question. Basically I did one wedding as a favor to a friend for 500 dollars and I was hooked from that moment on. [editor’s note: After that we met at a coffee shop […]
Damaris (QUESTION): Do you know of any editing apps? Either free or that you have to buy? Phillip (ANSWER): Yes, look up Picasa, it’s great. This is Google’s free photo organizing and editing system. Once you download the application to your computer, it will automatically scan your entire computer for photos and make them easily […]
Canon 50mm 1.2 versus 1.4 SAMUEL (QUESTION): What do you think of the Canon 50mm 1.2L? PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND (ANSWER): Samuel, that is a fantastic lens. It’s an L series lens, which means it is durable, weather resistant (don’t be afraid of some rain!), and has higher quality glass than other lenses. BUT! Ken Rockwell has an interesting […]
Buying a Camera DAMARIS (QUESTION): I’m really into photography and want to get into the field of photography and become a photographer one day. I was hoping you could tell me about a great camera I can purchase. I feel that I’m ready to actually hold a camera of mine and get out there and make […]