WedPix magazine, a publication of the Wedding Photojournalists Association (or WPJA) of which I am a member, recently published an article about photographing ethnic weddings. As a specialist in documenting ethnic weddings, especially Indian weddings, I was interviewed for the article. Read it here.
Having an open, two-way dialogue from the moment a client calls me to book their wedding date till the moment an album is pressed into their hands, is crucial. I understand that there is quite a bit of jargon associated with the wedding industry and in wedding photography in particular. There are varying print sizes, a plethora of album manufacturers and then there are the actual details of the wedding that are so different from one family to the next.
When two people communicate – with one person expressing their expectations and the other assuring them that those expectations will be met with the highest of quality standards in mind – beautiful things happen. Here is how it works with me; potential client emails me, I call her back within 24 hours, we talk about the wedding day, she or her fiancé then emails me back with more details, I email a guide to my portfolios and information about any a la carté items they may wish to order, the clients then come back to me with a list of their expectations and product options, I then craft a custom package for them, the client approves it and sends me a retainer check to hold their day. Between emails, of course, I readily use the phone to answer questions, make changes to their contract or simply listen to what is going on in the client's life as they plan their wedding.
My goal from the very beginning is to make things simple to understand and appreciate. I do that by asking questions and then listening to what my clients have to say. Some are eager to volunteer a lot of information (which is great) and some others are reserved and wish to meet me in person before giving me a better idea of their wedding plans. I keep in mind the comfort level of my clients first and foremost. From my perspective, the more information I have earlier in the process, the easier it becomes for me to create more meaningful images for my clients.
So, dialogue isn't always talking, it's also listening and responding to what one hears. And it's the quality of that response that makes or breaks a professional photography studio.
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