Momtography School: Indoor Event Photography

When I was 18 years old I shot my first wedding for pay. I vividly remember taking the negatives (yes, you read that correctly) to my client’s house for delivery a few weeks after the event. Back then I had no clue what copyright meant and I was just making the whole thing up as I went.

When I arrived, it was 3pm and my client opened the door in just  her bathrobe.  She took one look at me and the contact sheets/negative sleeves in my hand, and screamed at her kids, “We’ve got company! Turn down the TV!” We had a brief and uncomfortable conversation before she made up an excuse about running late and I left.

On the way home I couldn’t help but wonder  “wasn’t shooting a wedding supposed to be glamorous job?”. I had this idea in my head that things would be, well different.  Then I started totaling up how much I made. For the two hours I was shooting, plus the time it took to develop the negatives, print the contact sheets, meet with the client, and drive around looking for their house in the middle of nowhere, I got $300.00. Before this job I worked at our local movie theater making min. wage. So even though I only profited $60 after all expenses, it felt like I had gotten a $1.25 raise per hour.

Despite all of this, I was un-detoured. I shot another wedding the following year, I doubled my rates and thought I was really hitting the big time. I think I kept going because with each job I saw how my images effected my clients.  Seeing their wedding photos for the first time was life altering! I had preserved a personal moment in a creative and descriptive way.  I impacted their lives for good and I felt great.

Fast forward 11 years later, my day rate is now 9 times what it was then and my clients don’t come to the door in their bathrobes at 3pm.  The best part? The couples I work for! Meeting these wonderful people who truly love each other, their families and friends is a blessing that will keep me shooting weddings as long as I can pick up a camera.

How does this tie into Momtography School?

The purpose of this Momtography class is to help people who were in my shoes 11 years ago gain the skills set and self confidence necessary to make any event they shoot a success. Though the class will be focusing on how to shoot a wedding, these same skills can be translated to a ballet recital, soccer game, or birthday party. Any event worth photographing really.

Here’s what we will be covering:

• Shooting with available light indoors
• Strobe indoors
• Mixing strobe and available light
• Achieving correct color balance in mixed lighting
• Creating a narrative for your images
• How to make a great candid image
• The best equipment for low light

The class will go like this. All attendees and myself will meet and tour The Manor. Together, we will create a shot list of what images we want to capture throughout the “event”.  Once we have compiled a shot list will we will begin executing each image in order. As we go though each area of the Manor will will be able to work with different lighting scenarios and practice each technique. We will have a bride, fresh flowers, beautifully set tables, and all the elements of a real event at our disposal.

Best of all, we will be able to work our way through different portions of the event at a decelerated, learning friendly pace. As with all my classes, questions are welcome and demonstration provided. Plus each participant will receive a detailed packet which covers all of the technical vocabulary and a step by step how to guide to recreate similar shots in the future.

As an added bonus, the Manor, and the shops providing our flowers and cake, would love to post your best images from our two hour shoot on their website! Photo credit will be provided. This is a great opportunity for some free advertising.

Oh and did I mention the buy one get one free? Pay for this class and you’ll also get the Outdoor Event class for free. The Outdoor Event class is a perfect stepping stone for any photographer wanting to add strobe on location to their photographic tool box.

For anyone reading this and feeling overwhelmed or that these classes are out of your league, please don’t worry. On purpose I’ve dedicated these classes to small groups. I want your questions to get answered face to face and you to grow as a photographer. If you’re struggling to shoot in manual mode, or even auto mode, there will be something in this class for you. I take that back, there will be A LOT of things in this class for you.

If you’ve been thinking about registering, now is the time.  Follow this link to take advantage of the buy one get one free offer now.

http://momtogrphyindoorevent.eventbrite.com/?discount=bogo

Once you’ve registered for either the Outdoor or Indoor class, I’ll send you an email with info on how to register for the second class at no charge.

Still have questions? Call me. 425.367.4781 or email irene@ijphoto.net .