{"id":267389,"date":"2025-04-15T10:46:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T10:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/?post_type=story&p=267389"},"modified":"2025-04-15T10:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T10:47:07","slug":"running-a-business-wedding-photography-with-scott-johnson","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/stories\/running-a-business-wedding-photography-with-scott-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"Running a Business: Wedding Photography with Scott Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wedding photographer Scott Johnson details his key learnings after almost 20 years in business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For those who want to make a living as a photographer, there\u2019s more to contend with than simply making beautiful images. In fact, attests wedding photographer Scott Johnson, making beautiful images is the bare minimum. And no matter how much you\u2019re willing to work for the job, getting started is often a case of being in the right place at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started in the industry in 1998 \u2013 I was a hand printer in a professional photo lab, printing pro photographers\u2019 wedding work,\u201d recalls Scott. \u201cThat\u2019s how I got into it. I learnt about composition and how to make a good image by looking critically at these photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always had an interest in photography, so I kept bugging people to let me come out and carry bags for them, to see more about how it\u2019s done. Then I got a job as a photographer on a cruise ship. That\u2019s where I learnt how to do it because we were on commission. If you didn\u2019t make a decent image, you didn\u2019t get paid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On returning, Scott started picking up work as a second photographer at weddings. \u201cIt was a happy accident,\u201d he remarks. \u201cI came off the cruise ships and discovered that a photographer I used to print for had set up his own business. He said: \u2018Are you free? My second photographer\u2019s let me down. I know you\u2019ve done a little bit in the past.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter two years working with this one guy, I was starting to get more bookings than him. I thought: \u2018Actually, I can probably do this by myself.\u2019 So I set up the company I run now \u2013 and that will be 18 years ago this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2023 \u00a9 The Edge Photography | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR, 1\/320 sec at F3.2, ISO 200<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Striking a balance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, with almost two decades of experience running the same wedding photography business, Scott is a fount of knowledge for those seeking to enter the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter how good a photographer you think you are, learn the business side of it first,\u201d he suggests. \u201cOtherwise, you\u2019ll make a lot of mistakes at the start. I didn\u2019t know about VAT threshold, dividends, lost profit, that kind of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to know how to make money. You could be the best photographer on the planet, but if you\u2019re not making any money, what\u2019s the point? If I could have my time again, I would do that first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was naive about business when I started out. But you quickly learn where you\u2019re going wrong. It\u2019s all about speaking to your accountant regularly to keep a tally of the jobs coming through, and knowing what your figures are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest realisations of Scott\u2019s career came a couple of years in. \u201cIt was the evolution of discovering it\u2019s okay to say no,\u201d he explains. \u201cI set up in 2006 and, by 2009, I was pretty much saying yes to everything. In 2010, I did 115 weddings and it nearly killed me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou get so conscious of the fact that, if you\u2019re not doing weddings, you\u2019re not making money. But there comes a point where you\u2019re doing too much and burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2022 \u00a9 The Edge Photography | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1\/400 sec at F4, ISO 800<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Building a support network<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Scott will verify, photographing 115 weddings in a single year is too much work for a single person. \u201cAt the point I realised I was burning out, I needed to identify that I\u2019d taken too much on and it was okay to ask for help,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best thing now is that I\u2019m involved with the Society of Photographers, and go to their convention every year. I speak and judge there, and it\u2019s a great place to meet like-minded people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he became more embedded in this community, something clicked. \u201cAll of a sudden, you think: \u2018Actually, you\u2019re not too far from me. Do you want to come and be my second photographer?\u2019 And you lighten the load. During Covid-19, that was amazing because everyone was pulling in the same direction. If I got sick, I knew I had four guys who could come and cover for me \u2013 and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving a good network of photographers you trust is important because it\u2019s a lonely job. When I\u2019m sitting in my office at home, I\u2019ve just got the cat to keep me company for nine hours. So now, I\u2019ll regularly jump on a call with someone \u2013 and we\u2019re both editing, but we\u2019ll be talking like we\u2019re in an office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat level of relationship with people is so vital \u2013 not just on a business level, but mentally. This industry will beat you up if you let it. You need a sounding board to vent and share ideas with; where you can ask for help when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2022 \u00a9 The Edge Photography | FUJIFILM X-T3 and FUJINON XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR, 1\/1000 sec at F6.3, ISO 320<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Investing in equipment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the tools of his trade, Scott has to ensure his cameras and lenses are delivering images at the highest level. While he emphasises the importance of not spending beyond your means, he also points out that you can\u2019t get left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tend to go on a three-year cycle. Some equipment \u2013 like lenses \u2013 I\u2019ll keep forever because they\u2019re always going to be great,\u201d Scott explains. \u201cBut with cameras, there will come a point where your work is better than the camera you\u2019re using. It becomes essential to upgrade and invest in new kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be printing bigger albums, making larger wall art, and if you\u2019re using an APS-C sensor, it naturally evolves for you to go to a larger format. My FUJIFILM GFX100S is three years old this year, so I might get the new GFX System camera depending on what kind of year I have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He advises that, while your own usage may vary, what\u2019s important is a methodical approach to investing in equipment. Your business will not be successful if you can\u2019t justify your outgoings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI currently use a GFX100S. Just because the GFX100S II<\/a> came out doesn\u2019t make my current camera any worse,\u201d he points out. \u201cDon\u2019t get blindsided by it being shiny and new \u2013 what you\u2019ve got is still good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to putting down money for your first proper camera, Scott has the following to say: \u201cGet the best camera you can afford. Don\u2019t overstretch yourself at the start, that will set you up for problems down the road. But don\u2019t buy the cheapest, buy the best you can afford \u2013 if you can get a GFX System camera straight away, awesome, go for it \u2013 and then invest in training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2022 \u00a9 The Edge Photography | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR, 1\/125 sec at F3.2, ISO 160<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Getting the word out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Keeping a steady stream of work coming through is a crucial part of the job. This is where outreach and networking come into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWord of mouth has been key,\u201d asserts Scott. \u201cI\u2019ve done multi-generational weddings from families now! I\u2019ve had mums who got married years ago, and I\u2019ve now done their daughter\u2019s wedding \u2013 which is great. For that kind of thing, having a good, consistent brand is so important \u2013 I\u2019m not flipping styles between this and that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not online, it\u2019s career suicide,\u201d he adds. \u201cI have a website where I try to update the images every two or three years. And social media plays a huge part. Instagram is the way forward. I\u2019m trying to get on TikTok, but I\u2019m 44 \u2013 I don\u2019t know what it is,\u201d Scott laughs. \u201cBut I know that\u2019s where Gen Z are coming through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also work closely with venues around me. I\u2019ve got an open day on Sunday, where I can showcase what I do to new couples. Dealing closely with venues is really important because it\u2019s generally the first thing couples book. If you can get in at the ground floor with a couple just sorting out their venue, that\u2019s great. If you\u2019re further down the pecking order, they might have run out of budget by then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building professional relationships with other suppliers in the industry can lead to a constant supply of work. But it\u2019s not something you can expect to materialise the first time you work at a venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust be nice when you\u2019re turning up; don\u2019t start ordering people around,\u201d Scott advises. \u201cGet to know the wedding planners, do some free stuff. Get some photos of the venue and send them in: \u2018This wedding was cool; here, this photo was a bit different to what I\u2019ve seen on your website; have these images for free.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good way of getting in. You might start a relationship with somebody, then maybe you\u2019ll get a sample album at the venue. Now, for the venue I\u2019m at on Sunday, I\u2019m the first port of call when it comes to recommending a photographer because I do so much for them \u2013 so they do stuff for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so important to get these relationships, whether it\u2019s videographers, other photographers, venues, DJs. The more present you are, the more people keep seeing your name out there, the more it adds value to your brand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo 2022 \u00a9 The Edge Photography | FUJIFILM GFX100S and FUJINON GF23mmF4 R LM WR, 1\/3200 sec at F4, ISO 100<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As someone intimately aware of the need to surround yourself with a healthy community, Scott is only too happy to help others learn from his experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish there was more of this when I was starting out. Photographers were a bit unapproachable 20 years ago \u2013 it was such a secluded job,\u201d he recalls. \u201cNo one wanted to help anyone because why would I help my competition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s got a lot more helpful. Those guys are still out there, of course, but everyone is a bit more willing to bounce ideas off each other. We\u2019re all in the same boat after all.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wedding photographer Scott Johnson details his key learnings after almost 20 years in business For those who want to make a living as a photographer, there\u2019s more to contend with than simply making beautiful images. In fact, attests wedding photographer Scott Johnson, making beautiful images is the bare minimum. And no matter how much you\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":273,"featured_media":265693,"template":"","category":[2427,1202,1251,565],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-267389","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-type-stories","category-category","category-type-stories","category-stories"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"fujifilm_category_label":"Articles","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-21 03:40:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/267389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=267389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=267389"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/no-no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=267389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}