How to supplement your income as a wedding photographer in Cyprus

Sep 7
07:11

2010

Lizzie Palmer

Lizzie Palmer

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A quick guide to various ways you can earn money as a photographer during low wedding season, with particular emphasis on wedding photography in Cyprus. Weddings play an important role in Cyprus' tourist industry with the most popular destinations including Ayia Napa, Protaras, Limassol, Paphos, Paralimni & Larnaca. November through to March is low season for weddings in Cyprus and it is important to think of ways to keep working and stay afloat during these months.

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During the months of May,How to supplement your income as a wedding photographer in Cyprus Articles June, August, September & October, Cyprus is a bustling hive of tourism with the majority of visitors coming from the UK.  A lot of these people come to Cyprus to get married, not only is Cyprus the birthplace of Aphrodite (the goddess of love) it is also an absolutely stunning and idyllic destination to celebrate the most important and special day of your life.  This is good news for photographers because there are over 1500 weddings in Ayia Napa alone with other favourable destinations including Paphos, Protaras, Limassol, Paralimni and Larnaca.  Until recently, quality and contemporary wedding photography in Cyprus was very much an uncovered market, but since a few entrepreneurial photographers caught on there is been a competitive boom in this area.  Photographers looking to get into wedding photography in Cyprus now face a lot more competition than maybe even only 2-3 years ago.

It is clear that a comfortable living can be made as a wedding photographer in Cyprus, however it is important to remember that the volume of work during the low season will reduce to almost nothing in the area of weddings in particular.  Therefore, I have come up with a few suggestions that will help you to make a bit of cash (and possibly expand your company) over the winter months.

The first and most obvious area would be in real estate and architecture.  As Cyprus is full of prolific developers and real estate agencies, there is a lot of scope (and money) in this market to employ the services of a professional photographer to produce quality interior and exterior shots.  More and more real estate agencies are starting to realise the impact that some great promotional shots can have on their business.  If you are interested in real estate photography it is important to use a tripod and the widest-angle lens possible so that you can include as much of each room as possible and this also makes it look more spacious and therefore more inviting.

A further idea would be to extend to other events including christenings/baptisms, religious events, anniversaries, engagements, maternity photography, important birthday parties, work/corporate events, sporting events, festivals and concerts.  It is true that for some of the above you may not be able to earn too much money (if any money at all) but it will help you network and get your company name out there.  You can also show people your great skills as a professional photographer and your ability to make people feel at ease in front of your camera.

It would be a logical step to move towards portraiture from wedding photography, as essentially the majority of the shots taken at a wedding are portraits.  If you do not have studio equipment this is not a problem, offer on-location family portraiture (down at the beach, up on the hill etc) or social portraiture.  Alternative reportage pet portraiture is another option, instead of the stale and standard posed studio shots of a puppy or a kitten, instead you can offer to come to the owner's home and take some intimate and natural shots which will inevitably produce more relaxed and happy photographs of their pet.

You could also contact local newspapers and magazines and offer promotional and editorial shots.  Again, this should be an easy transition from wedding photography as it demands a photo-journalistic eye and approach.

With all of the above ideas in mind, be selective if you feel that some are more relevant to your style than others.  I hope that this article helps for those who live in Cyprus but also elsewhere in the world.  It's amazing what you can do when you have a basic camera kit and developed photography skills! Good luck...