Wedding Photography Workshop

Wedding Photography Workshop Training course

This 4-day course is aimed at the enthusiastic photographer looking to improve their skills or change of careers. If you want to earn a serious income from your own home or small inexpensive Studio, then here is a 100% guaranteed way for you to learn how in the quickest time possible. We focus on practical hands-on shooting with a strong emphasis on camera handling, not sitting in a classroom learning theory.

There's intuitive instruction on every aspect of photographing a complete wedding from the Pre-Wedding shoot and Bridal prep through to the first dance. Everything you need to know about running studio sessions and how to take stunning portraits. We cover the business aspects in great detail too!

Learn how to...

• Gain knowledge to shoot a complete wedding
• Photograph a Bride & Groom (gorgeous models) at Hazlewood Castle
• Improve your own photography skills
• Use Lightroom/Photoshop
• Master your Post-Production skills (Lightroom/Photoshop)
• Master lighting
• Master Flash
• Master combining Flash & Ambient creatively
• How to get work. Business Know-How
• Earn a serious income
• Manage a wedding from start to finish
• How to get letters after your name

• Max 6 Students

• £695   (4-Day)

Shot into a mirror using natural light complimented with a strong pose

4-Day Wedding Photography Workshop Training course

Mission Statement:

Wedding Photography Workshops - In brief, our aim is simple; we will teach you everything you need to know to help get you up and running as a Professional Wedding Photographer. We will teach you every aspect of shooting a wedding from start (Bride-Prep) to finish (First dance). This includes posing the Bride, Groom, Best Man, Bridesmaids, and Groups etc. We will teach you how to get the best out of everyone on the day but most importantly how to take pictures that sell!

Take your skills to the next level or turn your hobby into an opportunity to earn a real income through wedding photography

This course is very hands-on. The theory is kept to a minimum so you get to spend optimum time with your camera.

Shot using a Speedlite off-camera

>> NOW INCLUDES A LIGHTING MASTERCLASS DAY <<

GREAT NEWS I have changed the original 3-day course to 4 days. I have added a lighting masterclass day to the course. I believe that if you want to stand out in this industry then being creative is definitely the way to go. The free extra day's tuition is all about how to use flash, video lighting and ambient lighting creatively in both, indoor and outdoor scenarios. Having the ability to be creative with lighting is an art form, but it's an art form that can be taught, easily!

Shot just using just ambient light

Posed or natural?
This is an interesting question. We shoot both. Looking at the pictures we display however probably speaks volumes. Whilst we shoot both it's the posed/naturally posed shots that really hit the mark. We would never steer you in a direction you prefer to go in but if you think you can just buy a decent camera and turn up to every wedding to shoot candidly, you're very, very wrong!

Candid photography is excellent but you must always be prepared for when candid photography isn't an option. Just take the weather for instance. If you've got 100 guests all crammed into a bar, what do you do if you only shot candidly?

This is why we teach you not only your camera skills but how to control people on a wedding day!

Storytelling is so important for a wedding photographer

Wedding Photography Workshop - The only course you'll ever need!

Shot mixing ambient light and flash

General Course Outline

Shot mixing ambient, flash and video lighting

Wedding Photography Training course

DESCRIPTION:
ShootSmart Wedding photography course is intended to impart a high level of proficiency to the enthusiastic amateur and semi-professional photographer looking to start a career as a Professional Photographer or wishing to shoot weddings and Portraits for fun.

Wedding
Shooting a wedding is a huge responsibility. You are in charge of capturing a historic day in people’s lives. You need to be a proficient camera user, technically sound and be creative and able to handle the pressure of the day professionally.

Silhouettes are easy to capture but powerful to look at!

Wedding Photography Workshop

Wedding photography demands people skills, being able to work under pressure, to handle any scenario, any weather condition, be versatile, flexible, adaptable, personable, engaging and well organized. It’s about summing up a scenario quickly for the best backdrop, working the light and implementing the nuances of lens perspective, depth of field and exposure options.

ShootSmart wedding photography course teaches you the skill-set to shoot at a professional level, to capture the flavour, the mood and the magic of the day. The course is a real hands-on, and we cover every aspect of a typical wedding day, from the pre-wedding shoot and Bride prep right through to the first dance. The group will be limited to a maximum of 10 for a highly personalised training experience using models and set props to re-create real-life wedding scenarios.

Shot using ambient lighting only. No post-production required

Photographing people in all walks of life is hugely popular yet it is usually done poorly. We train you to recognise the quality and direction of the light, to implement creative composition, to understand poses, backdrops, lens perspective, but most of all what sells!

No previous experience necessary

Course Objectives:

Wedding
During the Wedding Photography Course, you will shoot a mock wedding with gorgeous models in real-time at one of Yorkshire's prestigious wedding venues like Hazlewood Castle or Ripley Castle. You will learn to pose the Bride the Groom and of course both together. Not only do we show you how to pose the B & G but we will show you how to use "Power Poses" that really hit the mark!

Our objectives for the course are:

• To turn your amateur skills into professional ones
• Boost your confidence levels and gain practical experience
• Shoot a mock wedding in real-time at a prestigious venue (Full-day on location)
• Shoot contemporary/traditional images of the discerning Bride and Groom
• Learn posing techniques for Bride, Groom and Group shots
• Start to create a stunning portfolio that you can submit to a professional body e.g. the MPA (Master Photographers Association) in order to apply for your licentiate.
This will allow you to use the prestigious letters "LMPA" after your name.
• Learn how to present your work
• Photoshop (practical and theory)
• Insight into the business side of a professional photographer

Shot mixing ambient, flash and video lighting

Theory Sessions of Wedding Photography to include:

• Equipment
• Insurance
• Suppliers
• Consultations with prospective clients
• Timeline & planning the day
• Photography presentation to include: Workflow – Presentation – Photoshop & Album choices.

Improve your skills

Learn...
• Post-wedding workflow and production
• Tricks of the trade that make your images really “STAND OUT”
• How to prepare the images for Print
• How to create albums that sell

Learn how to...
• Shoot in "Manual" and take full control.
• Use your camera features to get the best results.
• Be creative and use depth of field
• Compose photos
• How to use your flash
• How to use your flash Off Camera creatively
• How to use video lighting creatively
• How to mix ambient, video and flash together and creatively
• Choose the best camera/lens combinations for portraiture work
• Unbiased advice on what camera gear is best suited for you

Get letters after your name
Is it important? Should I bother? Does it matter?
The answer to all of these questions is simply YES!
Letters after your name will give confidence to your customers that you know exactly what you're doing. It means that you have been recognised for your skills by other professionals.
You will learn how to produce the work necessary for this. You can see a panel of work which has been produced for this purpose.
More importantly, you don't need to attend a boring University for 3 years to get them either!

1-Year FREE SUPPORT AND MENTORING!
Starting your own business won’t always be a smooth process, especially in the current climate. This is why we offer 12 months of free business support and mentoring.
What’s the catch? There isn’t one.
The success of start-up businesses is crucial – we want you to succeed. It’s as simple as that.

City & Guilds Certification?

If you want a pretty Certificate to hang on your wall, you're in the wrong place!

If you think a City & Guilds Certificate hanging on your wall will help you to gain bookings, you're very, very mistaken!
In the world of wedding photography, there are only two things that will help you get work:

1. Can you take a good picture?
2. Are you a people person?

If you say yes to both of the above then you're most of the way there.

Potential clients will always look at your pictures long before contemplating making contact to ask about availability and prices.
So far so good... It's now time to meet your clients. At this point, they will nearly always look at your work further, albums or prints etc. During this process, the potential clients will be getting a feeling about you. Are you a nice character with a warm personality? If you pass on both accounts then you're good to go!

Never in my many years as a Professional Photographer have I been asked to prove my credentials. Never before have I been asked for certificates. Never before have I been asked If I have a degree!

Two of the world's best Wedding Photographers Yervant & Jerry Ghionis have both openly admitted to having no photography qualifications. Jerry Ghionis started a Photography degree at University but famously walked out after just 12 months. A year later he's shooting over 100 weddings. Book him now and won't get much change from $27,000

"I attended the three day Wedding training course in October 2015. Firstly I would like to Thank both Gary & Paula. I have learnt so much from Gary in 3 days, his easy approach to teaching is second to none, he makes learning so enjoyable and very informative, it is fun and fast-paced, and not sat at a desk all the time, it is hands-on and a fantastic way to learn. Paula gave me an insight into having an assistant/second shooter at a wedding to capture the shots I would not be able to, great help. I can only say if you are thinking of taking up wedding photography, then training with Gary & Paula is a MUST. I guarantee it will be money well spent. Our Mock wedding was held at Hazelwood Castle, this was spectacular, learning how to pose the Bride & Groom and making sure you get the shot is just one of the things Gary Teaches, also the use of a light meter that I have never used before, I now have purchased one and I am converted in to using one. I cannot express just how good this was in a few short words, it was Excellent. Thank you both Very Much, Look forward to seeing you soon"
Graham Fearnley

The following video is a 3-minute snapshot and insight into our "HANDS ON" Wedding Photography Training.
This particular Day was at Hazlewood Castle. This day forms part of the 3/5 Day course.

A massive thanks to Lee Call of Lee Call Photography for the above video production - Cheers Lee

"Practical 'hands on' shooting - not sitting in a classroom learning theory"

Requirements:

• Any DSLR (Pro Camera available to hire £10 per day)
• Memory Card(s): (at least 16GB of memory cards for each full days shooting)
• Spare batteries.

The following are all 100% genuine testimonials left for us by our Customers

""I recently completed the 5 day wedding course run by Gary and Paula, the experience from start to finish was superb, and very professionally run. The tution given was done in such a way that everyone in the group was relaxed and this enabled everyone to learn with ease. The course content was structured in a way that both experianced and beginners could learn together without any problems. The wedding venue of Hazelwood castle was the icing on the cake. I can recommend this course to anyone out there wanting to get into the photography business, as it not only covers the photography aspect but the business and processing sides. As a direct result of the course i have 4 wedding bookings already over the next 6 months. THANKS Gary, Paula and the rest of team""
Steve Evans

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"Just completed the 5 day course and loved every minute of it, this couple ooze inspiration, so being a complete beginner on the technical side of photography I came away with a wealth of knowledge and buzzing with inspiration, Gary and Paula couldn't have crammed anymore information into five days and couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating, I am now hoping to book the five day landscape course, I honestly can't believe how far I have come and delighted I stumbled across this training course to explore my passion for photography"
Amanda Moore

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"Just returned from 5 Day Wedding and Portrait Workshop, run by Gary and Paula Gough, at Shootsmart. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the information was presented in a light hearted manner, with plenty of jokes and stories from Gary and Paula, which helped get the information across.One day was a mock wedding, held at the lovely Hazelwood Castle, with two lovely models, and plenty of posing and setup advice, and I've come away with some fantastic pictures, which if they hadn't come off my card I would never have believed they were mine.Other days were spent in the studio, outside with off camera flash and some amazing Photoshop sessions.I've come away with a lot more knowledge, and look forward to attending other courses. Definitely recommend the courses if you want to do more than point and shoot with your camera"
Peter Simpson

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"5 Day wedding & studio course WHAT YOU WAITING FOR ??? BOOK THE COURSE NOW Seriously what are you waiting for? I wish i booked the course last year. Since I've got back from the course I’ve done nothing but plan for the launch of my own photography business. One day i might be able to make the switch to full time pro.Gary and his team are great, very welcoming, great lunches provided and plenty of drinks available. The Studio is excellent. I could go on, The photoshop actions sessions were amazing.if you are thinking about turning a hobby into a business give this course ago"
Michael Scott

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I have done several courses with Paula and Gary ,all were conducted in a friendly light-hearted environment in which Gary got all the points across to enable me to understand the course and techniques  required ......fantastic studio and the out of studio venues will blow your mind ..... For me the best there is
Ian bower

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I did both the Love Your SLR (15th March) and the 5 Day Wedding/Portrait Course (2nd - 5th March) and both were excellent. I bought my camera sometime last year and pretty much never used it as I didn't really know what I was doing. I'd read a couple of books in the past but nothing beats hand on experience and Gary give you that experience in droves.From photographing items such as shoes, flowers, wedding dresses etc, to people in poses in a mock wedding at Ripley Castle (North Yorkshire), to people in a studio, to off camera flash location shoots around Elland, to using and understanding light meters, The list goes on and on.I had a fantastic time at shootsmart and I would like to thank Gary and his wife Paula who kept us well fed and everything running to schedule, And Kelly who is their assistant/stand in model.I can't recommend them highly enough.
William Callister

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4-Day Wedding Course