We love to work with our Nikon D3 and the fitting lenses. We switched to D3 because it offers exactly what we need for or work: a very high and proper ISO range, filesize not too large for an effective workflow and an excellent rendering of colours.
We were working with Canon for a long time and cannot say anything negative about these cameras, quite the contrary. In our workshops, we always carry Canon cameras as well to answer all the questions asked by Canon-Users.

A professional equipment is not really necessary. (Many of our assistents work with consumer SLR cameras, equipped with very good lenses. And they conjure perfect pictures.) But: Professional equipment makes your work much more easy. An ordinary camera will never have the technical possibilities of those professional cameras, and that's what causes the "Ahs" and "Ohs" in the end.

But no equipment is able to take pictures without the photographer. The picture occurs behind the camera.

So, if one clicks one second too early or too late, if he doesn't feel the right moment or isn't able to stage it, he won't have any use for even the most expensive camera. Because he will never get great photos.

Furthermore, a lot of people are very interested in photography. And we're in a thight spot because of that: What should a client think if he's owning a more sophisticated camera than you do?

 

 

Whenever I've asked my wife why we're more successfull than others, doing the same job, she always says: "Many photographers do the same we do, honey, but not the way we do!"

This may sound arrogant at first, but it's not meant that way, because Nicole isn't that mean.

Everybody is doing "the same", but always in his own style and way of doing it.

Our style is authentical and sincere, and we are reaching a certain type of people. We grow with them over the years and our fees reflect this.

But our clients are not only upperclass couples, who can afford every photographer in the world. They have different social backgrounds, but have certain wishes in common: Affections, sentiments, dreams and plans for their future.

You're really welcome to ask every question and we will answer it. But if you try to copy others you will find out very soon, that you can only be really good by remaining true to yourself.

That's why everybody has to get to the bottom of his own personality. To get perfect results, everybody has to find the right kind of people for his way of work. They must grow together - in the perfection of the pictures as well as in the question of fees. It's like raising children: Everybody will tell you what to do, everybody will know better. But in the end, like Mama Cass sang: "You gotta make your own kind of music, sing your own special song, even if nobody else sings along."
[Make Your Own Kind Of Music, Mama Cass Elliot, 1968]

We'll gladly help you to find your own way, help you realize your wishes and put them into practice, step by step. We cannot do it for you, but we can guide you on your way. We like to do that, because we think that we all have something in common: We all do one of the most beautiful jobs in the world: We're taking pictures of happy people!

 

 

If you're really honest, such a question taken out of its context is totally silly, isn't it? But we're asked this question exactely in this manner. As if there would be a list, which must be ticked off. And if you've made it down to the end, you'll become successfull - congratulations!

That's not the way it works!

Of course we'll discuss your equipment, we philosophise about technical or marketing neccessities. Sure, we always find things to amend, change and optimise. This is what you're expecting when you get in contact with us! But don't forget, you're working for human beings! Your personality and your sensitivity are at least as important as your equipment!

 

 

This is the questions we get asked most, and to answer it we had to face up to ourselves very intensely.

We didn't take part in any competition so far (at least not in Germany), because for us the perfect picture is any picture, which leads to a reaction by the viewer. A future bride being moved to tears by the picture of another bride she doesn't even know, a father getting goosepimples seeing wedding pictures not showing his own daughter or son, ...I could continue for hours.

Because it's not the technical perfection but the emotions of the moment captured in a way it moves third parties. Pictures that make you smile or cry because you can feel the atmosphere although you didn't take part. Get rid of tecnical restrictions and abstract ideas of perfect pictures - perfect but without soul isn't the idea of wedding photojournalism. You have to become a dream catcher! You translate the dreams of your couples into pictures. If you are able to capture the special moments and wonderful situations in a perfect technical way, all the better. But not the other way round: Technically perfect, but without the moment.

Because wedding photojournalism was neglected in Germany, the opinion of supposed "experts" wasn't that important for us than the opinions of our couples.

But we're aware of the changes in this field of photography. Slowly but surely the wedding photojournalism gets the attention it deserves.

 

 

If you feel this job being sumptously or taking the pictures on site gets on your nerves - stop it! Immediately! If you don't feel the passion for photography you are not doing anybody a favor, neither you nor the couples.

If you don't live for the the magic of a wedding day, don't let yourself get carried away by a beaming bride, don't feel the importance and glory of the ceremony, you will suffer every single hour, and every minute you cannot invoice will be a torture.

Don't get us wrong: Every job should be done by conviction, but you really have to live the wedding photojournalim.

The moment you do something driven by passion, you start to be good. If you feel called upon working in this part of photography, if you don't feel the time go by doing your so-called "work"...

Yes, we moan about the flood of pictures on our desks, which nearly cripples our workflow sometimes and we do not have any wonder weapons against this part of our job. But the shooting itself, to attend the weddings, meeting the couples and the magic of the bride always regains our strength.

Don't forget - it's the first marriage for most of the couples. They cannot and need not know how much work their wedding is for you. But you must give them the chance to learn about and appreciate what you're doing.

By this time many couples know what they are looking for. They list the photographer on position 4, 3 or even 2 - right after the location and the dinner.

The remainder need good and elucidating photographers, who give sincere advice without just thinking about money.

But you have to let go of old schemes, too. Be honest with your fees, stick to your word, so the bridal couples can calculate. If you don't do that, you're unreliable.

There are cheap cars and expensive cars (and quite a lot in the middle). At first glance, the price doesn't tell you anything about the value of the cars or the work which was spent on them. But it tells something about the target audience. For every range there are "lovers", "interested parties" and "buyers"!

Let's look at people who are buying a Volkswagen Golf. They grew up knowing the brand over the years, across all sections: prestige, expectations, character, value...

It's the same in every other field, and so it is with wedding photojournalism.

It is most important to be honest with oneself and with the couples. It is important to measure your actual position and the position you want to reach. If you have clarified your purpose and lined yourself up to it, you're on your way to reach it - but of course not all at once.

 

 

What is "good" or "successful" is often subjective. We may like photographers, that you cannot cope with at all, and the other way round. We think, it starts where we ended our last item: at self-evaluation and purpose according to your personality.

This is the basis for your appearance in public and for your inner workings - always referring to the zeitgeist ideas of design. There are professionals for everything, and if you're not a professional yourself, work with somebody who knows how the wind blows. Because you want your clients to choose you, being a professional, don't you? Somebody who does his job frequently, regularly and with love is simply better than anybody doing the same every now and again.

Nicole has a marketing background, and for this reason we do our design by ourselves. But the parts we're not familiar with we gladly give other service providers, who are able to work much more effective in less time than we could.

The digital files you hand over to your clients should fit to your advertising material and to your Internet presence. The style should be the same and correspond with your personality. Thereby it is important never to stop and always to keep on evolving, suprise and indulge. It is not enough to present a DVD labeled with a pen. The glamour of the wedding day must find its analogy in those aspects as well.

Do not play an act, but appropriately modify to the needs of your clients, be a helpful and honest counterpart to your couples - communication skills are important and can be learned easily. Many photographers are artists behind their photo cameras, but they are no entertainers. Others are excellent entertainers, but maybe that's already too much for a festivity at which they're not the centre of attention. The right way lies somewhere in between.

 

 

Having a blog really is a nice thing, if you have the time to take care of it... Look at our blog and you will see that we have been quite sloppy now and then. That's not good! Many couples subscribed to our blog via RSS and are on the lookout for news - and if we don't post anything new, we make our visitors angry. We do not like that, but the point is to show you how much time is really necessary to care regulary for a blog.

On the other hand it's great to have the chance to be private in a way. To show the persons who want to book you who you are, how you are, what you like and which kind of picures you prefer showing. Search engines too respond positivley to constantly updated websites.

Blogging nowadays is a kind of "must have", but be aware of the effort!

 

 

Usually our participants decide what they want to know, and we create our trainings on the basis of your topics, so you can get as much individual input as possible. General trainings we offer are:

Selfmarketing / Selfdiscovery

• Where do I want to go?
• What do I need?
• How important are albums?
• How can I reach my goals?

Workflow / Editing

• Lightroom
• Photoshop
• NikSoftware

Photography Workshops

• Using available light
• Shooting without flash
• The art of the moment - Topics around weddings (or other events)
  • "on Location"
  • "Trash the Dress"
  • "After Shooting"

Equipment: Options, Tipps

• Nikon
• Canon

 

 

Well, what shall I say - usually our clients find us.

We are present on a few exhibitions (solely "TrauDich"-wedding exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich), we have a website and a new magazines published annually, a newsletter and a blog and we advertise in two magazines.

Time and again, there are couples who have been so thrilled by our work that they never stop recommending us. Or their guests do remember us. And that's our best reference, because this kind of enthusiasm can never be reached by an advertisment.

 

 

HFD (Hochzeitsfotografen Deluxe), which is a network of very special wedding photographers who attract attention because of their excellent work in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

These investments are worthwhile as long as you present yourself as good as possible and as long as you get inquiries. If that's not the case, you should not hesitate to leave the platform for testing another one - it's your money! Every platform has its own target group and you have to fit into that. For goodwill advertising it's much too expensive.

 

 

NO, that's completely wrong. Let's go back to our car comparison. I'm not a potential customer for every car company just because I need a new car! If I prefer luxury cars I will never be interested in a Volkswagen Golf. If I care for the environment I will never choose a cross-country-rover. If I'm a family man, Porsche doesn't have a chance. All the cars have one thing in common: they drive - but that's already it!

It's the same with your target group. What they have in common is, they are getting married. But that's not enough to make them compareable. Therefore you have one important task: Clarify your target group on base of your personality, your work, your workflow, your standard, your prices - please!

 

 

That depends on your offer and on your couples. We can imagine everybody screaming that this is wrong to say...
Nobody should sell oneself "under price". Bridal couples have to appreciate the amount of work. "Low-budget"-photographers destroy the market...

But that's wrong. Nobody loses a client because of a relaive who's taking only EUR 300,- instead of the EUR 3.000,- you would cost - Only if the EUR 300,- photographer shoots pictures as good as yours, or your work is on the same level as the relative one's...

The couples decide - in the same way they buy a car - what they want and what they budget for it.

Back in the day, all was easier - there were less wedding photographers to choose from, and so the fees were accepted quite fast.

Now the couples have a wide range of photographers and because of that one or two have to face stagnation or a decrease of assignments. In such a case it is important to reposition yourself! No copying, or trying to do the same as somebody having more and more jobs - don't do wedding photojournalism if you don't feel doing it by heart - but get aware and improve your skills and specialities in doing wedding photography! Everybody is able to do something somebody else is looking for. And if you push this to the fore you will be found.

We are pretty sure that real "black sheep" won't have a chance in this range on the long run. And we hope that the harm they do mainly for the couples will keep within bounds. We can change our job - but the couples cannot celebrate their wedding again.

 

 

Well, we prefer working with "Keepsakes", as we prefer Nikon cameras. But this is a subjective advice. There is a hand full of really excellent album producers worldwide and at least ten times as much doing less well. There are cheaper alternatives, which are ok in their cost effectiveness, others aren't. You are welcome to ask for more information in a personal talk. Or albums are from Australia, Italy, Switzerland, the United States and actually we got in contact with a german producer, who lifts his standards to a high level slowly but surely.

 

 

Every cooperation you can get and which fits to your portfolio. We work with only a few and it'll stay that way. You have to work for cooperations - the ones you get for free are needy themselves. You don't do yourself a favour in linking or recommending randomly. It all comes back to you - all the good and all the bad things. You should think about that.

 

 

We want to cherish the "here and now". We're not looking for the technically perfect picture - what we're looking for is the emotion, the exitement and the moment which is memorizing deep into the heart. Present light is elementary for that!

If it's woozy, you should find this mood in the pictures, if it's beaming and bright, you should see that as well... If the disco-lights are glistening in the evening, you have to find the glitter in the pictures.

If we use the flashlight in churches, only to get a technically better picture, we destroy the magic of the moment. Flashlights always get noticed by the bridal couple, the reverend and the guests. The view is deflected from the actual event, and thoughts are deflected too... That's not what we want. If possible, we would even silence the clicking of our cameras. The moment is sacred and we don't want to destroy it by photographing it.

Sometimes we play with very scanty natural light sources - we are "torturing" our equipment and are delighted about the functionality of the Nikon.