•What was your photography background before you started shooting weddings?

•How did you get into wedding photography (did you second shoot for an other photographer first?)

When I was 13, my Dad bought 2 Pentax K1000 bodies and an f1.4 50mm lens from a work friend. I took ownership of the equipment and ran with it. After a short four year break from photography (I was making bucks as a computer tech) I moved to San Francisco to work with a friend who was graduating from Academy of Art with a degree in Music Video Directing. I worked with him on projects and starting shooting wedding videos for a guy named Thomas Hughes. Soon after, I started editing for Hughes and was working 60-80 hours a week on weddings. I shot around 400 wedding videos and edited a few hundred and worked all over California, Hawaii and Mexico. Since then I’ve moved back to LA and work a 40 hr. week job producing, shooting and editing for E! Entertainment. Now I’m getting back into photography with the plan to go full time as soon as possible. Even though I’ve only photographed a dozen happy couples’ big day, I have been working weddings and photography for over a decade and I consider myself a pro. It should be noted that I’m retired from wedding videos now. I have a new website displaying the handful of weddings I’ve photographed. www.chrisvicariphotography.com


• Who was your very first wedding for / how did you book the job, and how did you feel about it?

• What was in your camera bag? What do you think are the 5 most important things to have in your camera bag?

• How much did you charge your first couple / how many weddings have you shot before you asked for getting paid for your services?

My first wedding was a friend’s sister’s wedding, a big Indian wedding with lots of colors. I turned out ok, I was paid $300 but I paid for film and processing. I have never shot for free, there always needs to be a payment of some sort.

I travel light and keep pretty much everything on me: two bodies, 24-70, 70-200, flashes, cards, and batteries, the LightSphere works great. I rarely shoot on stix. I still shoot film at every wedding and couples love it! Film keeps me on my toes. I would love to shoot only film for a wedding, but I am conscious of what the client wants.

What was included in your packages / how many packages did you offer & how did you come up with them?

“The Wedding Day” $3350
Unlimited time (but hours are discussed in advance) one or more assistants/2nd shooters depending on wedding size. Private online gallery of color corrected digital files, ready to print. One set of single 4x6 prints of all the finished photos for the B&G. Fine art books start at $1500, magazine style starts at $300.
That’s it, one package to start from. I show sample books before hand to give the B&G some vision for the end product.

• What was the biggest mistake you did?

I have made a few. More than I care to admit.

To avoid mistakes it’s important to slow down. I take an introspective breath at every opportunity, and then I feel more engaged with my surroundings. Its how I stay centered during a busy wedding shoot. I remind myself where I am and why I’m there and that once this wedding is finished the picture may be around forever.

Which wedding photography resources (links / books) did you find helpful?

I scan through blogs like Strobist, Cambridge in Color, photographers’ websites (not just wedding photogs) and I also look at YouTube for industry related videos like LR, PS tutorials. I talk with fellow wedding photographers; see movies on the big screen read books, visit art galleries and museums, and surf.

Other photographers have taught me the most. As a videographer, I had the chance to become friends with many prominent San Francisco wedding photogs. I got to see them photograph full weddings all the time while I was shooting beside them. I was requested by photographers all the time and almost never heard a complaint. When I transitioned into photography, I asked to shoot with them. Todd Rafalovich , Bambi Cantrell, Alisha and Brook, Silvia Steinenger and Jeff Smith were all very sweet to me. Also, visiting their websites to see the pictures they had made from a day I was working with them has been very helpful.

What I’d like to add to this is:
You are representing the B&G in front of the most important people to them in the world. They chose you for what is one of the most significant days in their life. Be respectful. Be especially kind, gracious and most of all graceful.

When you combine these traits, you will go virtually unnoticed and that will allow you more freedom to photograph with little influence. Let the wedding happen naturally.


Chris

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http://www.chrisvicariphotography.com/