Dear Jasmine,
I've been struggling to get myself a second shooting gig at weddings and I've shot small birthday parties, corporate events, charity events, low budget weddings… I'm talking very low budget £250 for a whole day but this just isn't 1) my dream and 2) allowing me to let my style evolve. If anything, when I come away from these events I feel so miserable, frustrated and drained because I know I'm capable of so much more.
In my head I know exactly what I want to photograph and the overall look of the images I want to create, however when I am lucky enough to take on a budget wedding it just doesn't happen! Why am I not shooting the photographs I REALLY WANT TO TAKE! It's so frustrating. I truly believe I was born to photograph beautiful weddings.
Yours truly,
Budget vs Beautiful

Dear Budget vs Beautiful,
There's always a fine balance between shooting what's in your head, and shooting what's in front of you. Most photographers create ideas of what should be, and then compare ourselves to others until reality sets in and forces us to realize what actually is. The trick is to flip your perspective: take what is and photograph it as it should be.

The first three years of my business was filled with budget weddings (the bride getting dressed in a locker room, a wedding reception at a church gymnasium, a tea ceremony conducted in front of the family television set…this and so much more come to mind!), but I had to find a way to shoot it in such a way that I told a carefully curated story. I had to find new ways to reconcile what I wanted to shoot with what was in front of me.

There are a lot of ways of improve your wedding curation skills, but here are a few to get started…
    1. Ask for Extra Time
Most budget brides want to cram a lot of photos into a short amount of time (the less time the photographer stays, the less she has to pay). When I first started, there were weddings when I offered an extended photo session with the bride and groom (at my cost) to ensure I took the photos I needed. For instance, if a bride hired me for six hours, I might offer to stay 30 minutes longer for free if I could extend the bride and groom portraits. This allowed me time to breathe and capture photos I was happy with…as well as making the client happy.
    2. Find Natural Light for Wedding Details
If you're in a dark room, find a window and leverage as much natural light as possible. Heck, I've taken every detail outside to photograph it in better light if need be. Detail photos just look better illuminated naturally and you have a lot more creative latitude styling what you need.

    3. Embrace Your Role as a Stylist
The truth of the matter is this: You are more likely to be hired to shoot beautiful weddings if your portfolio is filled with beautiful weddings. So how do you get there? Stylize. Find ways to gather details, florals, and environmental elements to photograph the wedding in a way that's fuller/richer than it first appears. For example, when shooting a sparse tabletop, I might take floral details from other tables and stylized a singular table with fuller centerpieces. I'd replace all the details when I was finished, but it was a quick and easy way to tell the same story, just rounded. This can be applied to shooting ceremony details, wedding programs, guest seating assignments, floral decor, etc.
    4. PRACTICE
You asked the following: Why am I not shooting the photographs I REALLY WANT TO TAKE! My honest answer is that I don't think you're practicing enough. Many photographers want to learn on-the-job, but this may lead to disaster. You need to practice at least 3-4 days a week. You need to be shooting anything and everything (a floral arrangement on your desk, a pair of shoes from your closet, jewelry, etc.) that will help prepare you for a wedding day. When you're confident technically, you can then focus on executing the ideas you have in your mind.

Oh, BvB, I hate hearing your miserable, frustrated and drained…I hope these four tips help prepare you for your next wedding and you can approach it in a way that leaves you feeling hopeful, refreshed, and hungry for more.

Hustle, Style, and Curate,
j*