For Photographers

Q & A

1. Do you have associate photographers: Yes! We have 2 primary associate photographers. I use these photographers for weddings I am double booked on or if a client wants a lower priced wedding.
2. Are you looking for any associates right now? Not right now but that all depends on how busy we become this year and next year.
3. Are you looking for an assistant? Not at this time. But please send me your information because sometimes we get booked up and I need someone to assist.
4. How many weddings do you shoot per year? Currently we have over thirty weddings.
5. Do you shoot on manual or automatic? I always shoot on manual. If you are not shooting in manual mode then you need to start!
6. Raw or JPEG? RAW all the way!

WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG?

Below is what I carry with me to most weddings and engagement shoots. Every event is different so I may not use all of these but this is what I have found works for me and my business. You will also notice that I photograph Nikon. I have nothing against Canon and absolutely love the back toggle and skin tones that canon offers. I simply bought my first camera and it happened to be a Nikon. Canon is great! Nikon is better in low light and I’ve found that this helps at receptions. Choose what you will! Melissa Jill shoots in Canon and if you want a list of Canon bodies and lenses you should check out her page!

Bodies: I have three cameras. If you are a serious photographer you should ALWAYS backup your gear. You have absolutely NO idea what will happen at a wedding and making sure you are on your toes at all times is very important.

• D4s, D3s
• Backup D700

Lenses: I’m a lens junkie so this list may seem a little longer than most professional photographers. I still don’t have every lens I want.

1. 50mm 1.4:  If you don’t have this lens you need to stop what you are doing and get it now. It is the cheapest lens I own but one of the most beneficial. I absolutely love photographing details and portraits with this baby. It is lightweight and fits easily into any bag I own. I also take this to family sessions.
2. 85mm 1.2: To say that I love this lens would be an understatement. I don’t go anywhere without it. It’s a little heavy but the outcome and the bokah it produces makes me tear up a little.
3. 70-200mm 2.8: The Beast as I like to call it. If you want to shoot weddings then you NEED this lens. I use this lens mostly at ceremonies. It is crisp and I can be at the back and to the side of ceremonies and capture those moments people sometimes miss. Having this lens is very important if you want to photograph a wedding. For Canon users I suggest the 135mm.
4. 24mm 1.4: This wide angle lens is great for reception and large wedding parties. It gives me just enough range. It is extremely sharp and provides a great range.
5. 35 mm1.4: As of right now this is my favorite favorite lens. I never go anywhere without it. It stays on my camera a lot of the time! It is an amazing portrait and wide angle lens. I am kicking myself in the side for not purchasing it much sooner!
6. 10.5mm 2.8 Fisheye: This lens is so much fun! I don’t use it very much but during above ceremony shots and reception dancing pictures it provides a great variety for my clients! I would only buy this lens if you have everything above first.
7. 24-70mm 2.8: When I started my business this was my first major lens that I purchased. I can’t honestly tell you when I last used it though. I love prime lenses for their quality and this lens just doesn’t cut it for me. The only reason I would use this again is if my 24mm or 35mm broke on me.

Flashes: We use stands for a couple of our flashes for OCF

1.  (2) SB910
2. SB900

MENTORING

If you are interested in purchasing a mentoring session with Stephanie email your interest to stephanie@steponmephoto.com

I have been in the wedding industry for five years now and when I first started out there was little to no information on what it took to become a photographer. There isn’t an instructional guide on how to be on your feet for hours at a time or how to truly market yourself into an industry that I like to refer to as high school. It’s hard to be a newbie in this business. The wedding industry is an EXTREMELY tight-nit group of people who refer to one another because in a sense we are family and for this reason it is somewhat difficult to break out as a trustworthy wedding photographer. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am today and it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. I’ve made some mistakes and I’ve learned some valuable lessons. That being said I want to SHARE my knowledge with those just putting their foot in the door. I want people to succeed and to do well.

1-ON-1 ONLINE MENTORING: $500

I will help you brand and help you choose the right steps for your business. We will go over your images and show you ways to improve your craft. I will give you tools to succeed and share programs that I have used that help me in my own business. This video online mentoring is for 3 days and will happen over Skype for 2 hours each day.

1-ON-1 IN HOUSE MENTORING: $1500

The in house mentoring includes everything from the online mentoring class and more. I will not only go over everything to start your business but we will have 2 days where we are shooting. We will be photographing a bride and groom and I will show you how to pose, the lighting, and camera settings. After we photograph I will show you post processing and what has worked for me and my business. This class is for 2 days for 4 hours each day.