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Phil Ebiner, William Carnahan, Video School, and Sam Shimizu-Jones

You're here because you want to become a wedding photographer, right?

Great idea, my friend.

Read more

You're here because you want to become a wedding photographer, right?

Great idea, my friend.

Average wedding photographers make over $3,000 per wedding. Great photographers can make $10,000+ per wedding. And money isn't the only reason to be a wedding photographer. It is an important job that helps capture a beautiful day and preserve memories for a lifetime.

What makes us qualified to teach you?

My name is Phil, and I'm co-teaching this course with my good friend Will Carnahan, a professional wedding photographer. I'm the creator of some of the world's most popular photography courses - with over 150,000 students and thousands of 5-star reviews like these ones from this course:

Amazing course- I love the fact that it covers every aspect of wedding photography. - Gergana Tzoncheva

The instructor gives a clear explanation on the topic that is good sound advice and I have learned quite a few things that will make life easier for me on my next shoot. - Peter Dee

I'm obsessed with weddings (after having my own), but this is bringing a new view to it from the photographer's perspective of the day. Very good tips and I appreciate the examples with the camera data. Thank - Aubrey Kvasnicka

Our Promise to You

We'll be here for you every step of the way. If you have any questions about the course content or anything related to this topic, you can always post a question in the course or send me a direct message.

I want to make this the best course on wedding photography. So if there is any way I can improve this course, just tell me and I'll make it happen.

Get Ready to Jump into the World of Wedding Photography

If you're interested in using your photo skills to make people happy (and make money), this is a great course for you.

Here are just some of the things you'll be learning in this course:

  • Setting up your wedding photography business
  • Creating a brand, website, and portfolio
  • Putting together wedding photography packages and pricing them to make sales
  • Getting your first clients
  • Putting together an awesome equipment kit for shooting weddings
  • Knowing exactly what goes on during a typical wedding day and how to navigate it
  • Shooting beautiful photos of every moment (with a walk-through of two entire weddings)
  • Posing and interacting with couples (with a live demonstration of 5 basic poses)
  • Editing photos to make them look amazing in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
  • Succeeding with your business and being a happy photographer
  • Using aerial photography in your wedding photography with DJI drones (coming soon)
  • much, much, more.

Please check out the entire course lesson plan below.

We promise that if you follow all of our lessons and exercises, you'll have a wedding photography business up and running by the end of the course.

With our 30-day 100% money back guarantee, there is nothing holding you back from jumping in right now and trying the course out.

Go ahead and click the enroll button, and I'll see you in lesson 1.

Cheers,

Phil

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Become a successful wedding photographer
  • Start a wedding photography business and build a brand
  • Price and create photography packages that sell
  • Create a wedding photography website and portfolio
  • Get your first client
  • Shoot amazing wedding photos from pre-ceremony getting ready to the last dance
  • Know how to pose and interact with couples and big groups
  • Make money as a wedding photographer
  • Edit photos in lightroom and photoshop to make them look better
  • Shoot engagement photos
  • Build the perfect equipment kit with cameras, lenses, lights, and extras
  • Grow your business and be a happy photographer
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Introduction to Wedding Photography
Welcome to the Wedding Photography Course
Join the Official Student Photography Group | Wedding Photography Course
Read more
Why should you become a wedding photographer/ Making a living as
Download the Key Moments List

An illustrated guide with over 100 poses for photographing couples, women, men, children, and groups.

Starting Your Wedding Photography Business
Business Section Intro
Building your kit
Where You Should Invest Your Earnings
Will's Wedding Photography Kit
Choosing Your Business name
Action Item - Choose Your Name
How to build your Wedding photography package
Setting Your Wedding Photography Prices
How to Get Your First Clients
Talking with Clients
The Importance of Contracts
The Wedding business workflow
Good Accounting Practices
The philosophy of a well run business
Wedding Day Overview (COURSE UPDATE COMING SOON)
Wedding Day Overview - Schedule of Common Events
Taking care of Business before the shooting day
Tips for working with a wedding coordinator
Action item - List out the key moments - Try to memorize
Know what you will be photographing ahead of time
Conclusion to section/ recap
How to Photograph a Wedding
Introduction - The meat of the course
Equipment checklist/ cleaning lenses and cameras
Do you need an Assistant/ 2nd shooter?
Being a second shooter
What to wear as a photographer
How to shoot: Getting Ready/ Hanging out
How to Shoot: Dress/ Rings/ Bride details
How to Shoot: Groom Portraits & Posing
How to shoot: Groomsman
How to shoot: Bride Portraits & Posing Interior
How to shoot: Bride Portraits & Posing Exterior
How to shoot Bridesmaids
How to shoot: First Look
How to Shoot: Posed Couples Portraits
How to shoot: Walking down the Isle
How to shoot: Ceremony Coverage and vows / ring exchange
How to shoot: First kiss and walking out
How to shoot: Formal family and group Photos
Action Item : Save your fav pose
Action Item: Find inspiration
How to shoot: Reception intro and Grand entrance
How to shoot: Reception Details
How to shoot: Reception Speeches and toasts
How to shoot: Reception First Dance
How to shoot: Reception Bouquet and Garter toss
How to shoot: Reception Dancing and Partying
Recap of “How to shoot”
Editing Wedding Photos
Introduction to Editing Section
Photo applications and Professional Apps
Organize Rate and Cull
Editing Demo: Editing a Detailed shot
Editing Demo: Editing Bride getting ready
Editing Demo: Editing Editing Outdoor Ceremony
Editing Demo: Editing Single portraits
Editing Demo: Black and White editing
Editing Demo: Stylized Editing/ Finding your editing Style
Advice on how to edit hundreds of photos efficiently
Exporting your photos for client/ portfolio/ print
Delivering Digital images to your client
Succeeding with Wedding Photography
Intro to Succeeding in Wedding Photography
Being happy as a wedding photographer
Making it as a business and sticking with it
Getting Testimonials
Using Social Media and networking to expand business
How to deal with unhappy or difficult clients
Competing with mobile phones and family/ friend photographers
Working with other wedding vendors
Section conclusion
Conclusion
Thank you!
In this section, students will learn what this course is all about, a bit more about the instructor, how to succeed in this course, and some great initial tips for taking wedding photos.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE REST OF THE LESSONS

Welcome to this course! In this video, we cover what this course is all about and how we'll be teaching it. Thank you so much for enrolling!

There are many reasons to become a wedding photographer. Some of ours include:

  • taking beautiful pictures of people & emotions
  • having a flexible business where you're the boss
  • making A LOT of money per weekend (we're talking up to $15,000 if you are really good at it)
  • and much more!

Let's get to know Will Carnahan a bit more! Where did he go to school? Why did he start shooting weddings? Lots more inside!

Here are Will's top five tips for getting better wedding photos. Throughout this course you will get hundreds of other tips - but these are ones that Will thinks are most important!

In this video, Will does a live photo session with a couple (Phil and Isabel) to show us how he interacts with clients and poses them. During the video, we'll cut away to the photos themselves to see how they look. This is a great way to get started with posing a couple for a wedding or engagement shoot.

Here's a quick start guide to help you shoot engagement and wedding shoots with two people. Download the guide to help you when you're starting out.

Taking an online course isn't easy. It takes a lot of effort to stay committed. And you are about to embark on an epic journey starting your own business - so it will be even harder. But you can do it! And here is how!

In this section, students will know how to choose a name, launch a website, build a starter camera kit, find a first client, and much more!

In each section intro, Phil goes over what Will is going to be teaching in this section. This section is about setting up your photography business - the first steps.

There are three main types of wedding photographers - journalistic, fashion, and traditional. Within each type are sub-styles and combinations. Will goes over why it is important to choose a style early on.

To start a wedding photography business, you'll need certain equipment like a camera, memory cards, flashes, and other basic gear to get started. Here Will covers the basic kit you'll need to start out.

Canon vs. Nikon, Fuji vs. Sony - these are age-old questions that Will tackles in this video. Which brand is best for you? Find out inside!

In this video, Will suggests a few great websites for buying new and used camera gear.

Picking a name for your business is very important, and there are a few ways to do it. In this video lesson, Will gives some advice on how to pick a name.

When starting any business nowadays, having a great website is key to success. While it would take an entire course or two to learn the ins and outs of web construction and design, we want to give you the basics that make a great wedding photography website.

If you want to dive further into web design, hosting, themes, and everything else you need to get started, take our free Building a Website with Wordpress and Bluehost course.

It's time to take action! Our first challenge is a big one. We want you to pick a name for your company and start building your website. Only by taking action now will you be able to successfully build your wedding photography company. So take the time you need to get this action item done before moving on to the next lessons.

In this video, we show you how to purchase a domain name with Godaddy and Squarespace.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Covers the basics of wedding photography, such as choosing the right camera, settings, and composition
Will Carnahan, the co-instructor, is an experienced wedding photographer with more than 20 years of experience
Provides step-by-step instructions on how to shoot different types of wedding photos, such as portraits, candids, and group shots
Includes helpful tips on how to market your wedding photography business and attract clients
Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee

Save this course

Save Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography to your list so you can find it easily later:
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Reviews summary

Highly positive wedding photography course

Students say Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography is an engaging and informative course that matches the needs of those new to photography or looking for new ideas. Reviewers note the instructor's expertise and practical demonstrations as highlights.
Suitable for beginners in photography
"Easy to understand for beginners"
"The course is interesting!!! The Instructor is GREAT!!!"
Practical lessons and demonstrations
"It’s very engaging so far"
"What I like the most is that the instructor goes directly into coding working apps"
High-quality learning materials
"Very clearly explained"
"Thorough course with lots of useful information"
Knowledgeable and friendly instructor
"knowledgeable and easy to understand"
"I love this instructor's teaching style"
Well-received by students
"Great information as always"
"Easy to listen to and engaging"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography with these activities:
Create a mood board or inspiration album
Assembling a mood board or inspiration album helps you define your artistic vision for wedding photography. It serves as a reference point for capturing images aligned with your style and the couple's preferences.
Browse courses on Visual Storytelling
Show steps
  • Gather images from various sources (magazines, websites, social media) that resonate with your aesthetic preferences and inspire you.
  • Organize and curate the images into a digital or physical mood board.
  • Review the mood board regularly to stay aligned with your vision and communicate your style to clients.
Learn about using lighting equipment in wedding photography
Mastering lighting techniques is crucial for capturing high-quality wedding photos in various lighting conditions. Studying tutorials can help you gain a comprehensive understanding of equipment and techniques.
Browse courses on Photography Techniques
Show steps
  • Identify reputable online tutorials or workshops on wedding photography lighting.
  • Follow along with the tutorials, actively taking notes and practicing the techniques with your own equipment.
  • Seek feedback on your lighting skills from experienced photographers or mentors.
Practice posing techniques with couples and individuals
Refining your posing techniques is critical for capturing flattering and captivating wedding portraits. Deliberate practice through drills can help you master the art of directing couples and individuals.
Browse courses on Photography Techniques
Show steps
  • Find willing models (couples and individuals) to practice posing.
  • Study different posing techniques and experiment with angles, compositions, and lighting.
  • Give clear and concise direction to your models to achieve desired poses.
  • Review your results and identify areas for improvement.
Two other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all five activities
Start and manage a wedding photography website
Creating and managing a wedding photography website provides a practical outlet to showcase your portfolio, connect with potential clients, and build your brand.
Show steps
  • Choose a website platform and domain name.
  • Design and develop a website that effectively showcases your photography and services.
  • Create and publish high-quality content that highlights your skills and provides valuable information for potential clients.
  • Promote your website through search engine optimization, social media, and other marketing channels.
  • Maintain and update your website regularly to ensure it stays up-to-date and relevant.
Practice shadowing and second shooting
Shadowing and second shooting provide an excellent opportunity to refine techniques, gain hands-on experience, and build a more robust understanding of the wedding photography process.
Show steps
  • Secure an opportunity to shadow or second shoot an experienced wedding photographer.
  • Observe and assist the photographer throughout a wedding day, paying close attention to their techniques and workflow.
  • Take your own photos while shadowing or second shooting, seeking guidance and feedback from the experienced photographer.

Career center

Learners who complete Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Wedding Photographer
As a Wedding Photographer, you will be entrusted with capturing the joy and wonder of a couple's big day. They will turn to you for a set of images that not only capture their wedding, but help preserve their memories and legacy. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role, especially through its emphasis on establishing an independent business. The course discusses topics such as pricing, establishing a portfolio, and attracting clients.
Event Photographer
Event Photographers work at many different types of major events, including conferences, parties, award ceremonies, and product launches. Many may specialize in particular types of events. You will play a key role in building hype for an event as well as ensuring that its key moments are captured in vivid detail. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be especially helpful for enhancing your ability to interact with clients and capture images in fast-paced settings.
Portrait Photographer
Portrait Photographers specialize in capturing images of people. These are often used for special occasions such as family photoshoots, senior photos, and engagements. The focus is on using lighting and other tools to bring out a subject's best features. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be helpful for Portrait Photographers, especially through its in-depth coverage of posing and lighting.
Photojournalist
Photojournalists have a responsibility to inform and engage the public with visual stories that use truthful and compelling imagery. Many focus on capturing key moments of a story, including people, events, and places. Photojournalists must possess a strong understanding of journalistic ethics and best practices. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be helpful in this role through its instruction in capturing emotion and storytelling through photographs.
Fashion Photographer
Fashion Photographers work in conjunction with designers and other fashion professionals to capture images of clothing, accessories, and models. They are experts in building sets, working with a team, and using props. Fashion Photographers often publish their work in magazines and catalogs, or online. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role, especially for its in-depth coverage of lighting, composition, and posing.
Product Photographer
Product Photographers take photos of products for use in advertising, marketing, and e-commerce. These photos must help visually communicate a product's key features in a persuasive manner. Product Photographers must possess a keen attention to detail and an understanding of what will drive sales. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by introducing fundamentals of lighting, composition, and editing.
Photography Teacher
Photography Teachers educate students about the art and techniques of photography. They may work at a variety of levels, including high school, college, and community center. Photography Teachers must be passionate about photography and able to communicate their knowledge clearly and effectively. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing the in-depth knowledge and techniques of photography.
Freelance Photographer
Freelance Photographers are self-employed photographers who work on a variety of projects for different clients. They must be highly organized and self-motivated, with a strong understanding of photography and business. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing guidance on business structure, marketing, and interacting with clients.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers are responsible for designing and executing marketing campaigns that help promote business. This role focuses on market research, brand management, and advertising. Marketing Managers must possess strong communication and analytical skills. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing insights into pricing, building a client list, and marketing a portfolio.
Photographer's Assistant
Photographer's Assistants help photographers manage the technical and creative aspects of a photoshoot. They assist with tasks such as setting up equipment, managing light, and assisting with camera operation. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by giving you an in-depth overview of the skills and equipment used by professional photographers.
Editor
Editors use their knowledge of grammar, spelling, and style to correct and improve documents. They ensure that documents are clear, concise, and free of errors. Editors may focus on a particular kind of document, such as academic articles, website content, or marketing copy. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful for learning about visual storytelling, image sequencing, and how to convey ideas through images.
Web Designer
Web Designers create and maintain websites. They work with clients to determine the website's purpose and audience, and then design and develop the website accordingly. Web Designers must be creative and have a strong understanding of web design principles. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing an understanding of visual storytelling, image sequencing, and presenting images in an attractive, user-friendly manner.
Public relations manager
Public Relations Managers build and maintain a positive image of organizations. They work to build relationships with the media and other stakeholders, and they manage the flow of information between an organization and its public. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be helpful in this role by offering insights into personal branding, building relationships with clients and stakeholders, and managing the flow of images to the public.
Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers are responsible for managing the online presence of businesses and organizations. They create and publish content, engage with followers, and track results. Social Media Managers must be creative and strategic, with a strong understanding of social media platforms. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing insights into visual storytelling, image sequencing, and communicating ideas through images.
Art Director
Art Directors are responsible for overseeing the visual style and presentation of marketing and advertising materials. They work closely with graphic designers, photographers, and other creative professionals to ensure that all creative projects are consistent with a brand's image. Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography may be useful in this role by providing an in-depth understanding of lighting, composition, editing, and image sequencing.

Reading list

We've selected ten books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography.
Great resource for wedding photographers who want to take their skills to the next level. It covers advanced techniques such as posing, lighting, and editing, as well as tips for dealing with difficult clients.
Provides a step-by-step guide to posing couples, groups, and individuals for wedding photography. It's an essential resource for photographers who want to capture beautiful and flattering images.
Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the work of a wedding photojournalist. It offers tips and advice on how to capture the emotions and story of a wedding day.
Great resource for wedding photographers who want to improve their lighting skills. It covers everything from basic lighting principles to advanced techniques, and it includes a variety of case studies to illustrate the concepts.
Provides a practical guide to the business side of photography. It covers everything from marketing and pricing to managing your finances. It's a great resource for photographers who want to build a successful photography business.
Contains hundreds of wedding photos from different photographers. This books helps with learning about light and composition.
Provides a comprehensive guide to lighting for photographers of all levels. It's an essential resource for photographers who want to learn how to use light to create beautiful and dramatic images.
Provides a visual guide to the art of photography. It explores the elements of composition, light, and color, and how to use them to create beautiful and meaningful images.

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