Student Photographers

 

As a student myself, I wanted to write about this subject. Like all professions, we start out as students—learning the craft and enrolling in educational institutions to be taught.

Student photographers need to constantly take photos; I know I do—I take photos of everything. Honing skills is crucial, which is why it’s not unusual for students to offer their services at a discounted rate to gain experience.

This could include offering to shoot events, family gatherings, and even weddings—the latter being the area of photography I am working on building a career in.

There is a lot of discussion online between established photographers and students, with suggestions that students are not suitable for shooting weddings because they:

• Lack experience

• Charge very low rates

• Provide poor service

• Haven’t worked as a second shooter or assistant

While some of these points are valid to an extent, here’s what I have to say about it.

Students gain experience by shooting. There is only so much you can learn in a classroom; hands-on experience in real locations is invaluable. This can be achieved through supervised learning, such as enrolling in workshops, or by taking real-time bookings.

Hiring a student photographer will, of course, be considerably cheaper than hiring an experienced professional. However, students have every right to charge for their services. Like established photographers, students invest their time, travel, equipment (which isn’t cheap in this industry), and insurance, so it’s not unusual for them to charge for their work.

Having no reviews, limited experience, or a “student” status does not automatically mean you will receive poor service. I’ve read posts and articles about long-time photographers providing subpar service. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Let’s talk about second shooting. A second shooter is an additional photographer working alongside the main photographer at an event, usually a wedding. This provides students with valuable experience, which is always a positive. However, in my experience, students often have to pay to be a second shooter and may not always be allowed to use the photos for their marketing and portfolio. I personally find this unfair. Of course, not all photographers impose such restrictions, but many do.

An alternative to second shooting is attending wedding workshops. I have attended some and found them to be very informative. They do come at a cost, but the advantage is that you can use the photos for your portfolio.

Life as a student photographer isn’t easy—it’s hard work, requiring constant learning and consistency.

I think it’s very important to stress that when choosing a photographer, whether they are established or a student, due diligence should always be done. The horror stories I have personally read and heard from brides are shocking.

No matter the photographer’s level of experience, when booking their services—especially for your wedding—you should always:

• Be given a contract or at least see their terms and conditions

• Ensure they have insurance

• Verify that they have a business or home address on their paperwork (most will use a registered address)

• Have a valid contact number and arrange a call, FaceTime, or in-person meeting if possible

• Check their online presence—even if they don’t have many reviews, their social media should be active

I hope I’ve provided a little insight into the world of student photographers—all my own opinions, of course!

Monroe x