Where to find a good photographer. Where to find a photographer. How to stand out from the mass of competitors

Hello! In this article, we will talk about how a photographer can find clients.

Any novice photographer has a problem: many want to take a picture, but no one wants to pay for it. And a person is faced with a choice: either to waste time and effort just like that, or to remain with a minimum of practice. In this article I will try to tell you how you can find customers, what you need to do for this and how to properly communicate with people so that they pay.

Where to find clients for a photographer

Let's talk about channels first. There are only 8 of them, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. I will try to briefly paint, and the pros / cons of each method.

Social network

Social media is a great way to reach customers for many types of businesses. Photos are no exception. It works like this: you, gain subscribers, post the best photos and people come to you. Everything is simple and clear.

It is most effective to look for clients on Vkontakte and Instagram.

Pros:

• Cheap.
• Just.

Minuses:

• Requires a lot of time.
• It is difficult to notice the group among other competitors.
• Openness to criticism. And there will be a lot.

This is the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to get customers. You improve your personal brand, show yourself as a cool specialist, and people come to you. With the right approach, this can be done for free.

Familiar

People you know might be your first clients if you're just getting started in photography. True, they are unlikely to pay you, but whatever you say, they will do it for sure. Everyone loves free photos, especially well-taken ones.

Pros:

• Real clients.
• It's very easy to attract them.

Minuses:

• Too cheap (free).

Photographing people you know is best when you're unsure of your skills or want to hone some form of photography. No one will tell you anything, because you work at a low price, and you will have room for imagination, creativity and gaining experience.

Freelance sites

An option for those who want to earn money right away. This also includes photostocks and photobanks, as ways to sell your photos to at least someone. You register on the site, select interesting orders, send the result and, if the customer is satisfied with everything, you receive money.

Pros:

• Just.
• Brings good money.

Minuses:

• Lots of competitors.
• Thematic shooting.

Business card site

Business cards, as a way to attract customers, are actively promoted by website builders. It's simple - I made a website, put up a link, and a stream of customers comes to you. True, they do not say that if you do not buy, no one will go to your site. And if it does, then from another source, and the business card will simply play the role of a portfolio.

Pros:

• It's very easy to do.
• Can give a good flow of customers.

Minuses:

• Expensive. Advertising costs a lot of money, especially in the popular segment.
• Instability. Advertising costs may not pay off.

Full site

This is already an option for photo studios. It is also necessary to promote it in the search engine with the help of SEO. Despite the fact that it is 2018, there are still few good sites that are promoted through search engines in the photography segment.

Pros:

• Steady flow of clients.
• Having done everything right once, then you can only work on the little things.

Minuses:

• Relatively low in all types of shooting, except for wedding;
• It is difficult to find a good specialist for little money.

If you have 50 - 100 thousand rubles, knowledge of SEO and the opportunity to work on the site for 3 - 6 months, then you should definitely use this channel.

According to many photographers, this is their main source of clients. After the shooting, people left satisfied, posted the pictures on social networks, showed them to their friends, told about you, and now new people want to use your services. With competent work with clients and good skills, you will easily get new clients only because you work well with the old ones.

Pros:

• For free.
• With good work, there will really be many customers.
• You don't have to do anything beyond work.

Minuses:

• Not suitable for beginners.
• It is difficult to predict the demand for services.

If you are a cool photographer, you will be advised by friends. With due professionalism, this will become your main channel for attracting customers.

Let's sum it up briefly:

• If you are a beginner and want to get your first clients, look for them on social networks and through your acquaintances.
• If you want money and a minimum of creativity, take a look at photo stocks and photo banks.
• If you have money, make a cool business card and drive traffic to it. It's better to leave the ad setup to the pros.

How to attract clients from social networks as a photographer

Now let's move on to specific instructions - what you need to do in order to attract customers from social networks.

Step 1. We make out a personal page.

This is the very first stage that everyone who wants to have a stream of customers from social networks will have to go through. You need to design your personal page in such a way that it characterizes you as a normal, adequate person and a good specialist.

This is not a subscription to all publics for photographers and reposts of pseudo-articles on how to work with light correctly. Everything is much simpler here.

The first thing we do is clean the wall, leaving 5 - 6 entries on it that you really need. It could be your work interesting articles, brief information about you (it is better to put it in pinned). The main thing is that there are no reposts of some smart quotes and thoughts. Save them to your private messages, they are not needed on the wall.

Next, we draw up the status in the form of “photographer, doing such and such a shooting.” In the pinned news we throw information about ourselves, links to examples of work. And in the end, we leave working contacts. Everything, you have cleaned the page, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2. Create a group.

After cleaning the page, we create our own group. You can not invent a bicycle and call yourself corny "Photographer Ivan Ivanov." Personal brand after all.

The first members of the group are your friends, acquaintances. In general, all those whom you ask to join, hang, like, comment.

As you advance and get to know you, new people will come to you, interested in what you do. Communicate in the comments, give detailed answers if colleagues come, do not be afraid to share knowledge and pay attention to criticism.

Step 3. We fill the group.

This is the most important step. You need to post interesting, cool and useful content. Few people use it, but good materials help to establish themselves as a specialist and draw attention to their person. You can post:

• Stories from professional experience.
• Tips for newbies.
• Tips for clients.
• Interesting news.
• His life stories that will be interesting to the reader.

In general, everything that will cause a positive response in the form of likes, reposts and comments. Your the main task- draw attention to yourself and your work. And do it in the most unobtrusive way possible. To understand how to do this, you can look at the communities of famous marketers. They are very cool with their audience.

Step 4. Flicker in the thematic communities of your city.

If you have a group with photographers in your city where people upload examples of their work, show yourself. This will not give you clients, but it will definitely provide a flow of readers to the group. And there is recognition, word of mouth and recommendations.

An unobtrusive way of self-promotion - you just comment on the posts, offer your photos to the public. For example, you took a picture of a very beautiful sunset - you uploaded it to the community of the city, and at least 50 people will visit your page.

The more active you are, the more people will know about you. They will visit the page, someone will be interested, someone will want to use your services. Little by little you will receive a small stream of interested readers.

Step 5. We communicate, tell about ourselves.

This is the final step. People will come to you, see who you are, what you do, and some will ask about work. Do not be afraid to tell what you do, how much it costs, how it works, etc. You may not get this person as a client simply because he asked out of pure curiosity, but when an acquaintance approaches him with the phrase “Do you know a great photographer? ”, he will automatically remember you.

It all sounds pretty simple. The main problem is creating good content that you will post regularly, attract new visitors and turn them into customers.

Post the right materials, and the subscriber base will not be long in coming!

How to attract customers through a personal website

Now let's talk about your own website - from the idea stage to getting the first customers.

Step 1. Determine how everything will look.

Before looking for a specialist, decide what you will do: a business card site for a couple of pages or a full-fledged site. Then look at your competitors, analyze what's good and bad about their sites, and try to imagine how to do better.

Get a picture in your head of what your site will look like. What he will do, where and how information about you will be located, contacts, examples of work, reviews - everything is in the smallest details.

Step 2. We are looking for a good specialist.

The biggest problem is to find a good performer who will do everything on a level, will not fail the deadlines and will not resent the edits, and not too expensive. Will have to search for a long time.

It is best to find 3-5 candidates, discuss working issues in personal correspondence and finally choose one of them.

Step 3. We control the site development stage.

After you have found a good specialist, you need to formulate what you want to see: in as much detail as possible, with the maximum amount of detail. Immediately after agreement, the specialist starts work and throws you intermediate results. Look, evaluate them, if necessary, make changes at each stage.

The main thing is to attach a form to the site feedback so that you can be contacted if they want to use your services. A phone, a link to the Vkontakte page, a widget for communicating on the site - anything you want, but to be.

After the site has been made, all the changes have been made and everyone was satisfied, you can proceed to launch advertising. It is better to entrust this to a specialist, since you yourself risk spending much more money. If you want to participate in this, talk to the performer, he will give you advice and explain his actions if you politely ask.

If you have launched a full-fledged website for a photo studio, then SEO promotion is indispensable here. You will have to go to the TOP sites through thematic queries. At one time it will cost much more (at least 1.5 times), but in the long run it will give a better result.

Do not try to bring your business card to the top of search queries. Simply because it is too expensive, long and not worth the candle. I saw an anti-case where the webmaster set out to bring traffic from search engines to . It cost 500 thousand rubles and half a year of work for 60 people. And you could get them for a conditional 50 - 60 thousand rubles and 2 weeks of work with the context.

Step 5. We get clients and close them.

If you did everything right, after starting advertising campaign clients come to you. But there is one small nuance, you have to count a lot. How much does each client cost, is it profitable to launch advertising, does it bring the expected result, can it be improved or is it better to focus on social networks. All this will have to be calculated, analyzed and conclusions drawn. But if you really try, you will get a great source of customers.

How to make a portfolio

A collection of the most successful works that show you as a professional. It is desirable that there various works, for all types of shooting for which you accept orders. Family, individual, outdoors, indoors - but only the best.

You need to collect a portfolio in order to show it to interested people. They will want to use your services, and the only way evaluate you, in addition to recommendations and reviews - portfolio. They will look, compare with expectations and, if everything suits, they will make a positive decision.

A portfolio can be created in 3 different ways:

• Design as an album in social networks. The easiest and cheapest way to design. Just upload photos. The main disadvantage is that it is very inconvenient to view photos, especially if there are more than 100 of them. You can avoid this quite simply: create different albums with different types of shooting.
• Apply on a freelance site. Actually a very cool way. There is a breakdown by category, the ability to leave comments. All for the convenience of customers. Rude, cheap and cheerful.
• Checkout on your personal website. This is the most costly but most effective option. You yourself choose how you will design, what text to insert, what to sign, etc. But all this is expensive. The minimum functionality will cost 5,000 rubles. And this is the lowest threshold.

It is necessary to draw up a portfolio, but how to do it - decide for yourself based on your needs and desires. If you want to look like a cool special and impress everyone in a small town, it is better to choose a business card. And if you don’t want to invent anything, create several Vkontakte albums.

How to communicate with clients

That's it, a client has come to you. He looked at the portfolio, he liked it, now he will ask you how much it costs, when and how you work. At this stage, the most difficult part begins - communication with a potential client. Your task is to remove the word "potential" from this expression and "close" it to your service. Beginners often have problems with this. In order to avoid them, you need to understand one simple thing:

The client is not always right. And more often than not, he just wants to bring down the price or get something for free.

In the process of communication, you may encounter:

• With rudeness.
• With objections.
• With misunderstanding.
• With attempts to prove something.

These are the realities of communicating with people, and you will have to get used to it. Judging by conversations with acquaintances, the most common objection is “what is so expensive, you have business for half an hour” - a typical objection from the “price” category. It closes pretty easily. Depending on how much money you need. You can:

• Offer a discount. The easiest option if you meet with such an objection. If you really need money or there is an opportunity to deviate from the original price, you can use it.
• Justify your price. You spend your time, energy and often money on good shooting. And if you get less, then you simply can not recoup the costs.
• Refuse the client. Just advise him to go where it's cheaper, especially if you are told "Here it is ... cheaper."

Other objections are rare, so we won't dwell on them. If you want to read more about this, I advise Alexander Derevitsky's book “School of Sales. What to do if the customer does not want to buy.

Everything else is much easier to work with. If the client does not understand something, you need to calmly explain it to him. If he is sincere, of course. If not, blacklist. With rudeness and attempts to prove something to you, especially when it comes to unfounded and dirty criticism, the blacklist will become your personal friend.

Don't try to waste your energy on crazy loners. Your job is to work with the masses who want it.

How to stand out from the mass of competitors

Today, being a photographer is not easy. Anyone who has bought a DSLR, taken a couple of shots and somehow mastered Photoshop already considers himself a professional. This means that competition, even in small town, is huge.

I had a little more than 100 people on my course at the university, of which 4 were “photographers”. At the same time, I did not study for a creative specialty.

One simple conclusion can be drawn from this: if you are a beginner photographer, then almost every 10th person on the street is your competitor. Therefore, you need to somehow move away from them and show that you are, and you are doing cool things. For this you need:

• Have a good theoretical base.
• Cool portfolio.
• Be able to communicate with clients.
• Create your style.

Even if you just tighten up the theory, you can easily overtake most competitors. And with the right portfolio, which you make during the first practice, you will close the rest.

In fact, in a large number of amateurs it is very easy to show yourself as a professional. And if you do that, customers will come to you.

Conclusion

Photography is a very competitive profession these days. Of course, 2-3 years ago the situation was even worse, but even now it is far from ideal. It is difficult for a beginner to break through, get the first customers, reviews and money for work. Use the maximum acquisition channels, build a cool portfolio, communicate with clients correctly, and your chances will increase significantly.

There are many options. But only if you have a portfolio. If you don’t have it, but you want money and the camera burdens your hands, then the only scenario is dumping: we gain a foothold in the budget segment, squeeze out competitors (the same newcomers), work at cost, gain experience and portfolio, form our unique advantage and sift through applications in search of " their clients."

The scheme is simple and many people like it, but you have to work with everyone, not to stutter about creativity and not think about profit. Such is the price for lack of experience and portfolio.

But if you take your time and work a little:

1. Talk to the environment so that relatives and friends have a good idea: what genre do you develop, what kind of photos do you create, how do you work and what is your specialty - an advantage over other current offers on the market.

Then very soon you can count on natural recommendations, loyal applications and “your customers”. Often without financial costs, but relying on creativity and personal style.

Of course, you can still delay:

• work in a team;
• learn how to negotiate
• compose personal plan development;
• optimize the production of your product.

And enter the market as a strong middle peasant.

For those who appreciate the career of a photographer as a long-term perspective, and not entertainment during the school holidays, I will describe other ways to get “their clients”.

How can a beginner photographer find their first clients?

Don't complicate simple things.

1. Familiar. Be sure to tell your friends, acquaintances and those with whom you play hockey, football or tennis on the weekends about what you do. They are loyal to you and will probably become the first clients of a novice photographer. Or maybe just - they will recommend you to their relatives, friends, acquaintances or business colleagues, and these are leads with whom it is easy to work and, most importantly, to receive recommendations.
2. Cold calls. Going through your phone book and making a list of people who might need your photos is the first thing that comes to mind, but it's better to go ahead and make a list of everyone: modeling agencies, jewelry chains, publishers and magazine editors, restaurants, florists, educational and other institutions. with whom you would like to work. If you don’t have telephone sales experience, it doesn’t matter, the stores have books by Stephen Sheffman that understand the basic techniques and rules of cold calling.
3. … and suggestions. There is an opinion that if you take a portfolio in your hands, go to shopping mall and go around all the "shops", then a couple of leads and one client are in your pocket. I haven’t tried it myself, my audience is not the same, but a colleague sculptor recommends it, so I pass on the “recipe” to the reader of these lines. Of course, one portfolio is not enough, you need to be able to conduct a conversation, hand out business cards so that they do not go to the trash can.
4. Information field. You can search for your first clients on social networks. In order not to be distracted by the number of subscribers, likes and shares, it is better to use the Leadscanner tool, which analyzes messages from social networks on a daily basis and selects those in which people write about their needs and desires in your industry - Photo and Video Shooting. Similar messages can be found on forums, thematic portals and there are leads, but this is a manual search and filtering.
5. Regional competitions. Participation in municipal projects, competitions, exhibitions is an opportunity to find your first customers, but the main thing is recognition in the region, in the local market that you have chosen for your promotion. Your goal is a name that will provide an influx of leads that you will work with in the future.
6. … and business. If you have a financial cushion, you can try bartering with one of the local leading companies. You guarantee a high-quality and stable result, your partner - recommendations, target customers.
7. Acquaintance. Recommendations - not only reviews of your customers, but also flattering words ordinary people during social events. Avoid photo parties - colleagues will not become clients, and strive to get to the celebration where your target audience is expected, where you can communicate, exchange contacts and unobtrusively mention your work.
8. Work as a staff photographer in the studio. Another option to find your clients is to get a job at a local photography studio. Train your hand, gain experience, study and memorize all the subtleties of the local market, work for a name and recognition, accumulate a database of “your customers” and leave, taking with you regular customers. Normal practice in many professions.
9. Affiliate program. Giving a percentage of the profit, in gratitude for attracting a client, is cheaper and easier than searching on your own. Highly recommend not only for beginners, but also for experienced photographers.
10. Advertising. When nothing works, or the flow of customers is small, you can pay for advertising on the Internet or beyond.

P.S.

A little parting word to novice photographers who are looking for their first clients:

1. The only purpose of professional communication and dating is to be in the information field of your target audience and not colleagues in the market.
2. Do not grab everything in a row if you know that you will do it poorly. Choose one niche, study its specifics well and pack your work into a targeted offer.
3. How to find your first clients? - the first, but not the most difficult question. The next one is how to keep them.

Peace to all, and passing light in the places of photographic battles.
Your,
Andrew Bondar.

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A section in which we publish useful materials and collections related to all the subtleties of weddings, and introduce you to the work of wedding photographers who have their own special and individual style of work.

Most recently, our editors have prepared a large material about. After the publication, we received a huge amount of positive feedback and requests from agencies asking them to introduce them to new wedding professionals. Therefore, today we decided to draw the attention of our readers to talented regional photographers.

Their portfolio includes thousands of frames, their arsenal of working equipment weighs several tens of kilograms, their work wins international wedding photography competitions. To decide on the choice of a photographer, you do not need to surf the Internet, call agencies or listen to word of mouth. Just read our material and choose. Here they are.

Sergey Bulychev

City: Nizhny Novgorod
Genre: wedding reportage
Considers: constant cooperation with the largest wedding agencies professional success
Against: to turn wedding photography into a photo shoot
Consists of: in the world's largest associations of wedding photographers ISPWP and Fearless Photographers
Attracted: for publication in well-known international and Russian blogs

Sergey is one of those people who considers a recommendation from a client to be the best reward. But still he participates in professional competitions and exhibitions.

International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers, TOP-20 in the Humor category, 2016
- International Wedding Photography Award Wedaward (16 collection winner)
- Best wedding photography Wedisson Award 2016 (17 collection winner)
- Finalist MyWed Award 2014 in the nomination "Wedding erotica"
- Finalist in two categories of major international competition Sony Photography Awards 2008

About 3 years ago, I began to realize that I love wedding photography not so much for the shooting process itself (although this is also important and valuable), but for the opportunity to meet new interesting people. I love meeting the families of my clients, interacting with talented colleagues (organizers, videographers, artists, etc.) and discovering new parts of the world. All this thanks to the camera.

Of course, beautiful staged portraits are important, and I do them, but it is paramount to capture those moments when people experience the most bright emotions: the dance of the bride with dad, the hug of the grandmother during congratulations after the ceremony, or the very moment when the groom first sees his beloved in the form of a bride walking to the altar. It is necessary to show not just how people look, but to convey their essence. This can only be done through the captured moment. "Look at the camera and smile at the count of three" doesn't work here. Most often, a person does not even notice that he was photographed. These are the frames that mark my models when they see their photos. After all, when a person looks at such a picture, he suddenly again begins to feel about the same as at that moment.

Wedding photography is one of a kind. Unlike portrait photo shoots, family shoots, image projects, the task of wedding photography is to remain relevant through many years. I wish that 20 years later, when looking at a photo book, my clients would not explain to their children that “this was fashionable before.”

What is the most daring photography experiment you have ever undertaken?

Once, for the sake of a professional experiment, I went to Chernobyl. I wanted to feel this atmosphere and learn more about the event that took place 2 months before my birth. The trip left a strong impression, and the photos are still on my blog in the "Travel" section.

More than I would like, and everything is necessary! Given the increased responsibility for wedding photography, you need to think about spare cameras, lenses, and flashes ... I'm not even talking about memory cards and batteries. I always work with an assistant, and for two of us we have at least 3 cameras, 10+ lenses, 4 flashes and 300+ gigabyte flash drives. My main suitcase weighs 15-20 kg depending on the shoot. Sometimes this becomes a problem, especially when I am flying to other cities and countries, and it is important to take all the equipment in my hand luggage, because everything will simply be damaged in luggage.

Eugene Tyler

City: Saint Petersburg
Considers: that fashion comes and goes, but reportage and classic photography remain
Never: n misses important points
Dreams: be the first to film a wedding in outer space
One day: became a member of the underwater shooting with whale sharks

Among the top five of the 1500 photographers of St. Petersburg on the most popular wedding portal of Runet Gorko.ru.

What is the most important thing in wedding photos? What result should you strive for?

I strive to ensure that every time, looking at their wedding photos, clients experience the same feelings as on that special day, and enjoy them again and again. All important and significant moments should be captured in the form of a beautiful family history in photographs.

For me, Moscow is new opportunity unleash your potential and show your eye for beautiful wedding photography. I am always charged with positive from shooting in new places.

This is a constant non-stop, which begins with meetings at the beginning of the year, professional development in the spring, filming in the summer and processing in the fall and winter. I combine all this with interesting projects, master classes, shooting for the soul and self-development. Free time, which is very small, I spend with my wife and children.

It is obvious that this cool people who love to smile and appreciate beautiful and high quality photos who you believe. All of them are certainly united by a craving for good, positive and kind, perhaps non-standard, which I always strive for myself.

City: Ufa
Genre: staged report
Dreams: shoot something extreme on the verge of breaking down equipment, for example, in a parachute jump, or hanging from the roof of a high-rise building
Proud of: the title of the best photographer according to the Wedding Alliance, a publication in the magazine L'officiel.

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

I believe that there is no one main element in photography, everything is important here: technique, emotions, an interesting angle, choosing the most advantageous point and location for shooting. But the most important thing is the emotions and mood of the picture. If the moment is caught in the most effective phase of its movement, then you will be forgiven a lot: the composition or some technical mistakes, even the color or shade will fade into the background.

The frame should be easily perceived by the eye. If the viewer pays attention to some mistakes, or something confuses him, then the moment is lost, and the frame is simply not finalized. The photographer needs to strive to give a stable result not only in the collected series, but also in each photo separately.

How is working in Moscow different from working in the region?

In my opinion, there are more opportunities for creativity in Moscow. Plus, the Moscow customer is more demanding and more versed in many areas of fashion and style, including photography.

What was your first wedding in Moscow like?

I got to my first wedding in the capital quite by accident. The main photographer who was supposed to shoot the wedding had an accident on the way to the newlyweds. I was free that day and got ready very quickly, even managed to get to the ransom. It was back in 2007, the weddings were completely different, many paid Special attention walks and staged photo shoots in parks. As a result, the newlyweds were pleasantly surprised by the result, everything went easily, I was confident in my abilities, so the result at that time was very decent for me.

How to find contact with the newlyweds and liberate them?

It is important to find out what the newlyweds are interested in, what their views on life are, when and under what circumstances they met each other. The photographer is like a doctor. Must be a psychologist interesting person, and an expert.

Phone: +79177591343

I remember that it was my first wedding. For the first time I filmed a wedding for friends with a very simple camera, as a student, at that time for an interesting $ 300 (I still don’t understand why they paid in bucks!). I started my work in Moscow, as I studied and lived here. The main question of my friends and colleagues is “Why did you leave Moscow for St. Petersburg?”. My answer is simple: "For love!".

Meetings are one of my favorite “procedures” at work. You get to know each other, find out what people live and are interested in, whether there are points of contact to freely communicate on these topics during the shooting day. Be sure to bring my photobooks, because on paper the work looks much more interesting than even on the best monitor. Usually 30-40 minutes are enough for a positive decision and the conclusion of an agreement, but only if we really agree that we are suitable for each other. It happens that at a meeting you understand that the couple wants to see what you don’t do or don’t like to do. I always honestly say that it is worth considering the choice of a photographer. And yes, I always recommend my cool colleagues if I myself am busy or do not fit according to some other criteria.

A difficult question, because in this genre, whatever one may say, shooting is mostly classical. The scenery, people, the tone of the holiday, venues are changing, but so far it has not been possible to experiment, probably this is a challenge! It's time to come up with something. In general, I recalled a case when the guys took soup surfs during a walk (inflatable boards the size of a real surfboard, you stand on them and row with an oar, the main thing is to keep your balance) and in wedding dresses, right an hour before registration, we went to surf the Neva. Even television has arrived. Not my experiment, but I'm glad that I took part in it and everything ended perfectly.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

Most often these are young couples under 35 years old. I don’t know how it happens, but in 60% of cases I shoot chamber weddings with up to 50 guests. Cozy, warm, very touching. With most of the couples I communicate now, with some we are even friends. What unites? Yes, perhaps, that we are on the same wavelength. We have the same sense of style, fashion, color, understanding of how a wedding can be held in our time and that a ransom is not important part, and a limousine or a car with plastic rings on the hood does not mean the coolness or success of the event. Couples listen to me, I advise them, I advise makeup artists or where to look for dresses, so as not to be like a “wedding cake” and so on. In general, I want to become more than a photographer for my couples.

What trends, in your opinion, set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

Every year the trends change, but it's nice that now there are a lot of resources showing how you can hold your wedding. The same Instagram has made a huge contribution to the formation of stylish weddings in Russia, sites for brides. Most often, this is a light “European” style, pleasant decor, a fitted dress, natural colors and eco-materials. I like this style, maybe in a couple of years there will be something else interesting. This pleases, the main thing is not to stand still!

Lyosha Che

“I am the person who is engaged in one of the most aggressive types of art - photography,” Lesha writes on his VK page. He comes from Chelyabinsk, but works throughout Russia and even beyond its borders. Not shy about being a kid, loves to create new ones creative projects and cheerfully answers questions from the editors of our magazine.

What genres do you work in?

I work in absolutely every genre my client wants. But of course, I give my preference and low bow to reportage shooting. Reportage in its purest form is like capturing the notes of aromas in a fine wine. Difficult, but when caught - proud!

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

To relive it all: to rejoice, empathize and admire, regardless of whether you were part of this day or not - this is probably the most important thing. And slightly wet eyes and a sweet smile of the newlyweds when viewing photos are the result that is my priority.

Nothing. Feelings, like GOST, they are all similar. Whether it's Moscow or the regions, it doesn't matter. We are all very similar when we begin to sincerely love. Only the background changes.

What is the most daring photography experiment you have ever done or want to do?

Those experiments that were in the past no longer seem so bold, so they are not even worth mentioning. And those that are still in the plans are so bold that I'm scared to talk about them!

What trends, in your opinion, set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

I believe that the West, no matter how it is considered, still brings us taste and style in everything. And wedding photography is no exception. What exactly are the trends? There are many of them, and while I answer this question, half of them are probably changing their course ...

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets do you have in your working collection?

Well, why scare readers with incomprehensible and terrible names and numbers? Let me just say that I have all the necessary equipment to create amazing pictures, and its weight is no more than the significance of the photos themselves!

Denis Kalinichenko

During the interview, Denis seemed to our editors to be one of the most strictly organized and laconic people. It is true, time is money, and instead of a thousand words, the best thing is not Raffaello, but an impressive list of awards and, of course, photographs.

Best wedding album award "Grani", Nizhny Novgorod 2017
- Best wedding photographer Wedding awards, Volga region, 2016
- Best wedding photography WEDDISSON award (17 collection winners)
- The best photographer in the nomination "Seven wedding moments", Nizhny Novgorod, 2016
- TOP-20 best wedding photographers in Moscow according to prophotos.ru magazine, 2015
- Finalist MyWed Award 2014
- TOP-30 best wedding photographers according to Prophotos.ru magazine, 2013
- TOP-10 best wedding reportage photographers in Moscow according to zankyou.ru magazine, 2016

What is the most important thing for you in your work?

I will say briefly. I love weddings. I like to shoot all day and work with open newlyweds. The favorite among the genres is reportage. The most important thing is to catch some bright moment. For example, when the bride hugs her mother and cries. Such pictures will live for a long time and will always be the most valuable.

What does a photographer's work schedule look like?

24 hours a day, 7 days a week shooting and photo editing. I like to hold meetings with clients in my office with a cup of delicious coffee.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

They are beautiful, loving couples. My clients say that it is very easy to work with me. This is probably my go-to recipe.

Irina Paley

City: Saint Petersburg
Genre: characterizes as a collective - about people's lives, about the variety of images, about key events, about the specificity
Loves: shoot complex projects and step out of your comfort zone
Dislikes: Fine art photography
One day:“recaptured” a couple from another photographer. I filmed a love story for the guys and eventually fell in love with myself and my work.
Believes: in what lies ahead for even more professional success

In 2008, Irina was selected as one of the seven "First Ladies of Wedding Photography" at the Wedding Biennale event held in Moscow. Today she is the only lady in our selection. On her fragile shoulders, Irina is ready to shoulder the burden of responsibility for photography and a backpack with equipment weighing more than 10 kg.

Among the professional awards - multiple "photo of the day" on the resources of MyWed and wedlife.ru, victory in the summer "Wedding Photography Competition" held by the Association of Wedding Photographers, 2nd place in the winter. Also, Irina is a finalist of the annual MyWed Award competition in several categories at once: “Special effects without Photoshop”, “Guests”, “Cutting the wedding cake”, “Element”, “Ceremony”.

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

The photographer needs to feel and maintain a balance - when to take control of the situation in their own hands, when to step aside, disappear, turn into "eyes" and shoot what is happening without interference. I am a supporter of a delicate attitude towards the client. If the frames turned out to be ethically controversial, I will weigh many times whether to give them to the client at all or immediately send them to the trash. My goal is a result that does not depend on whether inspiration has descended. I strive for a guaranteed creative individual style - this is the first sign of the professionalism of a wedding photographer.

What do you remember most from your first wedding in the capital?

I honestly don’t remember her, because it was in Moscow that my professional activity. I lived in the capital from 2004 to 2010, actively shooting all these years. I had my first experience of an international wedding, Russian-Italian, in Moscow, and back in 2007 or 2008, I first saw bonbonnieres at a wedding, which were handed out by an incredibly smiling (which also struck me then) Italian bride to guests at the end of the banquet. For the first time in Moscow, I filmed a Catholic wedding. For the first time in Moscow, I shot a numerous national Tatar Muslim wedding. Together with an assistant, she filmed both the ritual in the mosque and the holiday separate for men and women, and the most difficult thing at that time was to shoot portraits of the bride and groom without hugs and kisses, which are prohibited according to traditions. In a word, Moscow gave me a lot of unique, first experience.

Do you have a favorite or most popular filming location in Moscow?

I am a supporter of choosing places for reasons of optimal route, this is an extremely important caveat for any large city. A huge advantage of Moscow and St. Petersburg is the abundance of places where you can shoot, this will not be difficult, as in regional cities, where good parks and beautiful places without panel houses in the background can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I love Chistye Prudy with their romantic trams, and the abandoned pavilions of VDNKh, and Gorky Park, and the site of the Academy of Sciences, and the Mosfilm film town, and the evening GUM, and Kamergersky Lane, and Neskuchny Garden, and the Bolotny Arrow. In general, Moscow is beautiful and diverse! The administration puts a lot of effort into the transformation of the city, some temporary installations are constantly being installed, all this is scenery for filming. Without reference to Moscow, in any city in the world, I love observation platforms.

I recently shot business portraits for two psychologists. One of them said that I am very "psychological", that is, I know when and what to say to a person in order to help him in such an atypical situation as photographing, to feel calm and confident. I never systematized this part of my knowledge, everything came with experience and on a whim. If it is possible to name honesty with the client, emotional openness to him and calm positive as a recipe, then, perhaps, I have it.

What is the most daring photography experiment you have ever done or want to do?

I shot a photo project in Spain based on a story I made up about the Little Mermaid and the fisherman. Conducted retro-shooting in original costumes of the 20s in St. Petersburg. Filmed a reconstruction of the acquaintance of one of the couples in Moscow. My favorite work is a story based on the film "Once Upon a Time in Vegas", filmed in a villa in Tuscany right on the day of the wedding! Last year, she shot a pin-up bachelorette party in Barcelona in an inimitable beauty. Starting this year, I also offer aerial photography and aerial videography to my clients. Do I show courage in such situations? No, only imagination, since my professional level allows me to be calm about the success of the task, the main thing is to clearly formulate it. Courage is needed for photographers in hot spots.

What trends, in your opinion, set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

Perhaps taste in photography is not a temporary or relative phenomenon, but a certain constant, an absolute, in contrast to style. There is a client for any style shot “tasty”. There are no trends that can change the desires of the client in photography. Trends are more likely to influence young professionals who are still in search of their direction.

Alexander Shevtsov

Alexander and Karina are like two sticks of Twix - they fit perfectly on the job site. A male and female look at many things helps to liberate the newlyweds, to find an individual approach. The career of wedding photographers is the result of photo experiments in the past. The guys tried to shoot different things, received positive feedback from their colleagues, mostly foreign ones, and eventually opted for reportage shooting.

How do you think working in Moscow differs from working in the region?

A couple hours of travel. But seriously, like in any other industry, Moscow has more scale, more opportunities and more interesting projects. The growth ceiling is higher. We are not that far from Moscow, but there is still a delay in trends. People are generally terribly conservative, and this affects the wedding industry as a whole. But due to the proximity of Moscow, new people with a completely different way of thinking and a desire to develop are increasingly appearing.

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

We have long understood that a wedding is made for a couple and their guests, and not for photographers and videographers. And you need to shoot for them, their children and grandchildren. If, at the same time, you manage to take some wow shots that the photo community will appreciate, this is the best result.

What does a photographer's work schedule look like?

There is much less filming in winter than in summer. But in winter we spend a lot of time on training, preparing for the season and other wedding-related matters. We always try to evenly distribute all the work and not sew up. In wedding photography, the morale of the photographer plays a very important role, so you need to try not to burn out by the end of the season. To do this, it is very useful to outsource at least part of the routine in order to free up time for rest or other household chores. Moreover, it is much easier to develop without risking current projects.

What trends do you think are setting the taste and style in wedding photography today?

We think that wedding photography should always be based on the classics with a few touches of current shooting and processing techniques. Here you need to feel the edge. Unfortunately, now the photo is divided into the one that clients need and the one that is highly appreciated in a professional environment. I am glad that more and more good photographers are talking about this and promoting the right approach to business. Now is the time for opportunity. Thanks to the development of the Internet, you can follow the top world-class photographers from almost anywhere in the world. The main thing is not to be lazy.

Alexey Pogorelov

The geography of the cities in which Alexey works is impressive: today he is in St. Petersburg, tomorrow in Moscow, the day after tomorrow Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Crimea are waiting. He jokes about his mode of work: shooting, dating, shooting again, dating again, and somewhere in between all this to eat and sleep a little.

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

For me, the story is important for the viewer to experience the wedding day with us. Style and variety matter. In photographs, I appreciate sincerity, feelings. You want to look at a real photo and immerse yourself in the plot and atmosphere.

How is working in Moscow different from working in the region?

A lot of creative, unusual couples! The presence of a variety of venues, ideas, people with whom you make a wedding. Moscow is mine favorite place for filming.

The most important title is the choice of my clients and the trust to shoot one of the most important days of their lives. And with some - long-term friendship. When you keep filming for them the big story of their family and children.

How to find contact with the newlyweds and liberate them? Do you have any special recipe of your own?

Laughter, laughter and more laughter! A friend photographer is more than just a wedding professional. Most often, I just try to tune in to the guys, find out what is important to them, where their dreams end, if they end at all. All this is important for future shooting.

Phone: +7 906 521 51 50

Anton Varsoba

The weather was terrible, and the couple was beautiful. This is how briefly you can characterize the first experience of wedding photography in Moscow. A lot of time has passed since then. Today Anton is actively working not only in Moscow, Samara and St. Petersburg, but also in Europe. Grateful customers do not skimp on good reviews and in huge number publish Anton's works in various social networks under the hashtag #varsobabozhenka.

How do you think working in Moscow differs from working in the region?

The number of hours spent in the sky. First of all, a change of scenery, new acquaintances, some discoveries and, consequently, new emotions.

How are meetings with young people going?

Openly, cheerfully, I almost never fit into a certain time frame, I want to tell everything and explain why it is so.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

We must have the same tastes, views on life, on some things. They must understand and perceive my work.

What professional regalia and successes are you proud of?

I cannot say that I am definitely proud of the titles that I have been awarded on the wedding portals. The recognition of colleagues and clients is sometimes much more important and valuable.

What trends, in your opinion, set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

This is a very broad question: sometimes Europe dictates fashion to us, sometimes design and art, sometimes specific events and personalities. Sometimes the public just gets fed up with something and there is a demand for a completely opposite trend. It's also about who gets inspired by what.

Anatoly Bityukov

Anatoly is a versatile person: he graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics and the Faculty of Law, has been fond of various types sports. Still, his main love was photography. I have spent more than 10 years with a camera in my hand - I studied photography at LOMO College for four years, worked as a sports journalist, and, of course, a wedding photographer. During this time, he managed to earn himself an impressive track record of titles and awards. Here are just a few:

TOP-50 fearlessphotorgaphers, 2014
- Best Photographer of 2015 according to SPBWEDAWARDS
- The 150 best international wedding photographers for 2016
- multiple finalist for MyWed Award, WPPI, WPJI, WPS, ISPWP

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

I really like to look at people's emotions, pure, sincere, which can only be caught without interfering in the situation and foreseeing it. I was once told that the most important thing is to have something to remember in old age, and you always want to remember what really pleased, filled your heart and made an emotional explosion. It seems to me that the most important thing is the atmosphere, the atmosphere of that day: light, color, emotions, loved ones, everyone who surrounded me. That's what really matters to me in my work.

What do you remember most from your first wedding in the capital?

To be honest, I don't remember my first wedding in Moscow. For me, all weddings are equally important, so I don’t see the difference in which city it takes place. Moscow, Russia, Europe, and at least any other corner of the planet - photography in every corner of the world gives the same pleasure.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

For the most part, my clients are those for whom it is important to have a good time, arrange a fun wedding for themselves, and not for someone else.

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets do you have in your working collection?

For a good shot, the number of kilograms hanging on the photographer during the shooting is not important. But at the same time, as a good collector, every camera and every lens is precious to me. Every season I update equipment.

Evgeny Shamshura

Eugene studied at the Medical Academy for 6 years, and then whole year worked in a pharmacy. He was so bored that he bought himself a Sony Alpha camera, took the first thousand shots, fell in love and changed his life forever. Today Evgeny Shamshura positions himself as a family and wedding photographer. Everything that he does in his life, he tries to do with soul and love. Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Crimea, Italy, Georgia, Spain - for the sake of good shots ready to go anywhere in the world.

First place in the TOP5 rating of photographers in Nizhny Novgorod according to the Gorko portal.
- Winner in the Nizhny Novgorod annual wedding award "Frontiers" in the nomination "wedding series".
- Repeated finalist in international competition MyWedaward 2014, 2015.
- Winner in the international competition MyWedaward 2016 in the nomination "Group portrait".

What is the most important thing in wedding photography? What result should you strive for?

The history of the day is very important to me. So that not only my newlyweds can remember their day in great detail, but also their grandchildren can fully see the day through the eyes of their grandparents. It is necessary to strive for such a full-fledged story, to make it beautiful, bright.

During the meeting, I always work positively, share my experience with the guys and sincerely wish their day to be as cool as those 250 couples whose wedding I have already photographed.

Who are your clients? What unites those who choose you as a photographer for their wedding?

My clients are couples who truly love each other, those who make a wedding not only for themselves, but also for guests, those who add zest to their wedding.

What trends, in your opinion, set the taste and style in wedding photography today?

Trends? It's hard for me to answer the question. These are just my observations, some may disagree. For example, a few years ago a tilt-shift lens was popular, then the fine art style, a little later more attention was paid to reportage shooting. What awaits us in 2017 - I can not say yet. We are waiting for the season, and we will see.

How many cameras, lenses and other gadgets do you have in your collection?

I have more than 5 cameras in my collection and twice more lenses. Sometimes I myself wonder why I need so much, but I understand that everyone is needed, and every year I buy something new.

Kirill Zorin

Kirill is a photography teacher, a workaholic and the owner of 30 kilograms of professional equipment. Kirill's photos made it to the finals of the annual MyWed Award competition, became the photos of the year on the same portal, but he himself is modest and says that best reward- satisfied customers.

The services of a photographer at a wedding are indispensable: even professional videography will not be able to capture all the nuances of the day that will be reflected in photography. Since even a modest family celebration requires significant expenses, newlyweds need a cheap photographer who can work every shooting day to the maximum.

It is believed that wedding photography cannot be cheap and high quality at the same time. Our catalog refutes this theory. Professional photographer inexpensively can shoot the bride and groom in nature, arrange a photo essay dedicated to the wedding, think over a fashion photo session, and all this for less than 20 thousand rubles. You can find photography services in the right price range in just a couple of clicks.

How to use the catalog?

If a photographer offers his services inexpensively, is popular in Moscow and creates beautiful photographs, then his offer will be posted on our website. To access all relevant options, use the handy filter:

• Choose a price. The “up to 20,000 ₽” category includes professionals requesting from 3,000 to 20,000 rubles per shooting day. If you need a photographer for an hour, the actual cost of photography may be lower than the price of a shooting day.
• Choose a date. A good, cheap photographer is more likely to be busy on popular wedding days. To get the opportunity to order a service inexpensively, it is better to negotiate in advance. Explore the options offered. Our catalog contains examples of works from which you can get a comprehensive idea of ​​the artistic style of each photo artist.

Contacts of photographers are available in the portfolio. If you are not sure if the master is free on the right day, be sure to contact in advance and clarify this issue.