Ben Rubinstein
Active member
Have to admit I can't wait for Radio Poppers to bring out a European version of their radio ETTL transmitters so I can get more controllable fill results outdoors when working fast, getting that main light way off camera and fill for effect rather than just as a necessity. Never had reliable results outdoors with line of sight near IR systems, especially as I use backlighting a lot!
The lighting is of course what sets us apart, as is the ability to not only capture the moment, but capture it well! Any hack can point a camera in the right direction and zoom for a decent composition, it's getting the perfect moment with lighting to add the mood and of course getting it perfectly exposed and sharp that counts.
Problem is I don't know just how much I have to give, I've done pretty much everything just to pull this far ahead, Today I'm the top wedding photographer for the Orthodox Jewish community for all the UK north of London, (eventhough I now live 2000 miles away from the UK!) and I shot my first wedding in Dec 2004. That took a heck of a lot of giving a better product and more of, if there was any more to give I would probably have done it already.
I'm now looking into sources for cheap design work for Storybook albums so I can encorporate them into cheaper packages as standard (good design work is cheap here in Jerusalem), I've had an incredible backdrop/curtain made for family shots (huge part of the Jewish wedding), I use more sophisticated lighting for the weddings than anyone even close to my price range, etc and these are all things which are recent.
What I can't do is change my prices. I don't have the experience to charge the prices of the bracket above me (I'm hoping to get some of their market as budgets drop), I can't lower the prices because frankly I give an incredible amount for the price (without being cheap) relative to the competition. I just don't have any margin to lose, all I did have died with the petrol price hikes, increasing costs, etc.
I would like to team together with a good videographer so as to shoot together for a combined output (using stills in the video, streamlined output approach) but talent within this specific niche is hard to come by, especially when you have a well established reputation to keep. I wouldn't mind working with a 2nd photographer, I have a good guy in mind, however I run into the price ceiling again.
Not giving up yet but when you have a price ceiling you have to play very careful to add more value to an already incredible package, without devaluing yourself or your time!
What I would love is the time and money to take 6 months out to learn from the top portrait photographers, learn how the masters pose a 50 person family group, etc, do a bit more apprenticing, sit at the masters feet and just learn and learn. I'm good but if I was great then I could compete in an entirely new price bracket. That and a 2nd shooter for the pure PJ arty farty stuff, a graphic designer on staff and I think I could do well. I have all that in mind for the future but getting the capital has been an excersise in time as I build myself up. Did I mention that due to a disability in my legs I only have about 5-8 years more of full time wedding photography left in me?
My new 20ft curtain backdrop for family groups. Cost me an absolute fortune to have made but has already netted me a booking just based on it. Do professional but often looking professional is just as big a seller...
The lighting is of course what sets us apart, as is the ability to not only capture the moment, but capture it well! Any hack can point a camera in the right direction and zoom for a decent composition, it's getting the perfect moment with lighting to add the mood and of course getting it perfectly exposed and sharp that counts.
Problem is I don't know just how much I have to give, I've done pretty much everything just to pull this far ahead, Today I'm the top wedding photographer for the Orthodox Jewish community for all the UK north of London, (eventhough I now live 2000 miles away from the UK!) and I shot my first wedding in Dec 2004. That took a heck of a lot of giving a better product and more of, if there was any more to give I would probably have done it already.
I'm now looking into sources for cheap design work for Storybook albums so I can encorporate them into cheaper packages as standard (good design work is cheap here in Jerusalem), I've had an incredible backdrop/curtain made for family shots (huge part of the Jewish wedding), I use more sophisticated lighting for the weddings than anyone even close to my price range, etc and these are all things which are recent.
What I can't do is change my prices. I don't have the experience to charge the prices of the bracket above me (I'm hoping to get some of their market as budgets drop), I can't lower the prices because frankly I give an incredible amount for the price (without being cheap) relative to the competition. I just don't have any margin to lose, all I did have died with the petrol price hikes, increasing costs, etc.
I would like to team together with a good videographer so as to shoot together for a combined output (using stills in the video, streamlined output approach) but talent within this specific niche is hard to come by, especially when you have a well established reputation to keep. I wouldn't mind working with a 2nd photographer, I have a good guy in mind, however I run into the price ceiling again.
Not giving up yet but when you have a price ceiling you have to play very careful to add more value to an already incredible package, without devaluing yourself or your time!
What I would love is the time and money to take 6 months out to learn from the top portrait photographers, learn how the masters pose a 50 person family group, etc, do a bit more apprenticing, sit at the masters feet and just learn and learn. I'm good but if I was great then I could compete in an entirely new price bracket. That and a 2nd shooter for the pure PJ arty farty stuff, a graphic designer on staff and I think I could do well. I have all that in mind for the future but getting the capital has been an excersise in time as I build myself up. Did I mention that due to a disability in my legs I only have about 5-8 years more of full time wedding photography left in me?
My new 20ft curtain backdrop for family groups. Cost me an absolute fortune to have made but has already netted me a booking just based on it. Do professional but often looking professional is just as big a seller...
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