Five Red Flags for clients looking for a wedding photographer

1. They will charge you under $1,000 in L.A. for 6 hours of coverage and all the digital images.

2. Their website is not well written.

3. Their website is wordy.

4. They are evasive.

5. They do not provide you with a clear delivery date.

On August 13th, 2011, my cousin Tiffany was married for time and all eternity to fellow Californian David P. in the Logan Temple. I was privileged to attend the beautiful ceremony with other family members.  Here are a few of the photos taken on the grounds of the Logan Temple.

On Saturday, August 27th, I had my first photo viewing and networking event at BLANKSPACES LA. It was so fun to see old friends and not so old friends. Many thanks to all who attended and all who helped (especially my wonderful parents!). Many thanks to Jerome Chang — owner of BLANKSPACES! For a link to a description of the event please click here.

(Photo by Frank Wu)

(Photo by Frank Wu)

(Photo by Joy Yang)

 (Photo by Frank Wu)

(Photo by Frank Wu)

(Photo by Frank Wu)

I photographed Susana and Tim’s wedding with photographer Charles Fretzin on Saturday, July 23, 2011.  The ceremony took place at the historic St. Vincent DePaul Church on Adams and Figueroa, near USC, with a reception at the splendid Grand Long Beach Event Center (the staff were top notch!).  Congratulations to the lovely couple!

I recruited my friend D’Janko for these shots.  For the headshots, I set up a C-stand (secured with a 25-pound sandbag) holding a white reflector in place to bounce sunlight back into his face.  I noticed that his facebook profile picture needed replacing. The golden light brings out the best in his naturally handsome face.

I photographed two lovely couples’ weddings over the weekend with photographer Charles Fretzin.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from Friday, July 22, 2011. More to come!

As an emerging photographer, I have a lot to learn about the business of photography.  But after 10 formal classes, and over 100 internship hours, I’m ready to give this a go.  Let’s start with a top 10 list of things I’ve learned this summer.

1. Networking is key. Everyone is important.

2. Gaffers tape is not for astroturf.

3. Business cards are good, but a follow up phone call and email is much better.

4. Sandbags are essential equipment.

5. Volunteering can open doors.

6. Simplifying things helps me get more done.

7. Persistence pays.

8. Scheduling time for personal shooting projects keeps me motivated.

9. Stay hydrated.

10. Photography is not a “one man” show.