About 2 years ago, after much thought, I decided to divert a bit from documentary into wedding Photography.
On paper, it seemed perfect, rhyming with my love to travel, love for love, love for good party, and there was potential for good income given the fact that I had a lot of free time.
Then I did a few weddings and I learnt more about them.
Now, I think wedding photography is the most high pressured job in the industry because of the amount of time, skill, pressure, speed and knowledge it takes all wrapped in one day! You cannot miss a moment and somehow you need to be everywhere at once for up to 15 hours, for the Ugandan case.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. Much as I know photographers that won’t come near weddings, one thing is for sure, I love wedding photography.
I can’t count the number of amazing people I have met at wedding receptions. Wedding photography being a people profession, I get to meet some pretty incredible ones. They are of course my clients, but some have become friends. This year is going to be exciting as I have some truly amazing couples to ‘work’ with again and I cannot wait to see their days come together, the joy, excitement and tears in their eyes … truly exciting. On top of the clients are other vendors we work with, like planners, decorators and DJs. They are usually amazing sources of connections and advice.
Another thing I personally find humbling is how Valuable the wedding photographs are to the owners.Not many shooters can guarantee that the work they produce will be looked at in 50 years. Wedding photographers can. The albums that I produce for my clients become treasures that are passed down from generation to generation. Grandchildren love to look at their grandparents in their wedding photos and sometime make fun of them. That means that I get to impact people for a very long time. This value is becoming more and more recognized, as wedding photography is evolving to focus more on capturing the feeling of a wedding day, and the real personality of the couple. As such, many brides now state that the photographer is one of the top most important purchases. Isn’t that just beautiful?
Of course, wedding photography as a business is not a piece of cake. Anyone who has worked as a photographer could probably share about the stress that comes with the job. Like any other, Iam often challenged in dozens of areas. I can go a number of months without booking a single wedding job and then, the following week, three or more clients want to book me for the same date, something I can never do as a freelance Photographer. However, that and many others considered, there is this problem, which I think is the biggest for many wedding photographers of our era. That is competing for attention with Cell Phone Photographers and unofficial photographers that just want to take over the whole wedding.
These are usually the couple’s brother, sister or cousin. They never miss a moment. They will shoot everything, even that which you would consider unnecessary. They will stand right in-front of you, the official photographer as you wait for the right moment to take a shot. They don’t care to know if you’re shooting from a long range. Once they see empty space, they just jump in. This limits output to the maximum. In case you’re the Kind and you find your self reading this, I just want to pass-on this kind reminder that WE NEED OUR SPACES. I can’t count how many shots I have missed from people of the kind. I don’t know any wedding photographers who haven’t had to face the above but surely, the job gives back so much more than it takes.
Julius says:
Need l say more? You hit right on the button my brother.
Jjumba Martin says:
Owange! Abatuuze balumya head. Atleast I have experienced it in your presence before.
Jeff says:
Webale Mukulu. Oli mutuufu nyo.
Jeffrey says:
Mbaddeko wano.
Jjumba Martin says:
N’olulala oyitangako wano. Mbeera nkulinze.
Kung'u Kiuna says:
Your work is great!!
Jjumba Martin says:
Thank you, Kipawa.
Shawn says:
I was here…
Ssozi says:
Cell phone photographers, ab’enganda n’emikwano balya supeesi
Mugabi Samuel says:
I love this Jumba. As a wedding photographer, I’ve learnt something from this experience. Thank you.
musa mayanja says:
Great work. .
Macc says:
Gwe guy your work is on point. It’s inspirational and eye catching man. Shoot more and more always…
Joseph says:
Jjumba Martin a real professional who enjoys his job. His work is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! He has eye for detail and creativity. He can literally make any image you have in your mind a reality.
Arthur Kato says:
So imaginative yet very real. I, don’t just like but, LOVE YOUR ART. The stories behind all those photos, the contrast in the pics…i love everything………….
Jjumba Martin says:
Thank you, man. Much much appreciated.