So You Want To Be A Wedding Photographer?

James Day is a wedding photographer extraordinaire. His photos are often found gracing the pages of Hello May and every wedding blog in existence ever. He speaks at photography conferences across the globe and has won a tonne of awards. He’s basically wedding photography goals.

It was an honour to sit down with James and talk photography with him. Enjoy the beautiful images he’s taken that are featured here in this post. Gahd damn doesn’t it make you wanna fall in love?

What does an average day in the office look like?

In some ways there is no average day, just because the life of a freelance photographer is so varied. My office can be anywhere in the world–do you see my office as the wedding location, or do you see it as the place that I go to when I’m not working? I don’t have a set office–I have a place where I meet clients but I don’t go there regularly. I literally try to meet a whole heap of clients all in one go every couple of weeks and then head home and relax before I have to go away again.

What did you do to get where you are? 

Lots of things. Firstly, I surrounded myself with people who were where I wanted to be in the beginning. As a kid I would attend camera clubs with my Dad, after that I worked in a camera store where I was surrounded by people who were interested in photography, then I started working for a newspaper under an incredible photographer where I learnt about shooting news, sport, advertising and so on and so forth. From there I did school photos and eventually got into weddings within a couple of years of starting.

What do you love about your job?

I love the fact that I get to surround myself with people that are on top of the world. There is always so much positivity in my life with the people I am surrounding myself with. I am either surrounded by couples who are just about to get married or have just been married, or photographers or friends of mine who are at a really great point in their business–excited about growing their business and excited about the future. I think when it comes to the craft of my business, I really really enjoy just creating something. I love seeing something in front of me and working out how I can put all the pieces together to create something that will have lasting value.

What is the most challenging component of your job?

I think the fact that I’m selling a product that doesn’t exist yet and having to manage expectations along the way. Just because you’re working with people who have a vision in mind, you have your own vision, and you hope that the visions melt together beautifully. I think that’s the hardest part, managing the expectations and bring others’ vision alive.

Is the industry competitive, if so why and how did you navigate it?

It’s probably one of the most competitive industries out there, because these days it’s not hard to take a good photo, it’s hard to be consistently great no matter the obstacle. When you’re working in a market where you’re dealing with everyday people, not everyone knows the difference between good and great. How I navigate it is to try and market it to the people who know the difference between good and great and make sure I am the no brainer for them. And also to make sure what I do is unique enough, so that I am not directly competing with close friends. People come to me because they want me, not because they’re looking at you, you and you. Having that unique selling proposition, the niche, is probably one of the most important things to finding your way in a completely saturated market.

What are some common misconceptions about your job?

That I only work one day a week. A lot of people think that you go to work on a Saturday and the rest of the week you do nothing. But there is so much on behind the scene in operating a successful business. In my free time, I’m often doing things that will help me become a better photographer. People are not hiring me only for the ten hours on the wedding day, but because I’ve been obsessing over the last 13 years on how to be the best photographer that I can possibly be.

What would you tell your 18-year-old self?

Get more involved with other people who are where you think you want to be. While I did have a lot of help, I think I entered my own business too quickly. I didn’t invest enough time in making mistakes in safe situations–like helping assist other photographers in their clients’ weddings.