30 Years of pre-wedding Photography, and Going Strong!
A Sharing by Chris Ling - How did Chris manage to stay in the pre-wedding photography business for three decades?
(PASSION) My interest in photography began when I was a teenager at the age of just 13 years old. I have come a long way since then, and this is my story.
(LEARN) Right after I completed my National Service, I followed my instincts and pursued what I wanted to be. I opted to study photography under the tutelage of expert photographers rather than attempting to acquire the craft on my own. For sure, in current times, there are many talented self-taught photographers in the market due to the easy access of tutorials and photography materials online, but back in those analog days I had to start from zero. There was no internet! My generation calls this to “eat salt” before we can strike out in the world.
For slightly less than three years, I worked and learned at a well-known commercial photography studio. They honed in me the technical art of camera and lighting, “hard skills”. I gradually climbed up to work directly with expert photographers and art directors, and this was how I was able to develop my "soft skills".
(APPLY) I started my own pre-wedding photography studio and chose to use what I had learned from commercial photography to wedding photography. I found it more enjoyable to capture people than products, which is why I made the transition.
(IDEA CREATION) The introduction of a new shooting approach helped me break into the wedding photography industry. In a relatively short amount of time, my new photographic style with a fashion approach gained widespread acceptance and demand. I've established myself as a well-known pre-wedding photographer in the wedding photography industry.
(BUILDING AND BRANDING) I then formed an international team of photographers in Singapore and Hong Kong who will carry the "Chris Ling" shooting "DNA". I turned my passion into a viable and sustainable business by developing the brand "Chris Ling" rather than just me, a photographer. I shifted my focus to becoming a teacher, a leader, and a team player who can guide a full suite of professionals who will bring a couple’s wedding vision and story to life.
(SHARE) It is important to share and explain the significance of pre-wedding photography since at this stage in the process, everything revolves around the wedding couple.
What is the best way for me to utilize the image language to create pre-wedding photographs that are meaningful?
What is the most fascinating component of each wedding couple's storyline?
What would the couple like from their shared past to bring to the present?
If you believe it or not, the background of a wedding photo is completely secondary. Let’s focus on YOU!
To do that, let my 30 years of industry experience and my team of professionals focus on the “how” while you be YOU.
