Aaron Courter

Aaron Courter

 Portland, OR // Wedding Photographer

     With my passion in wedding photography I wanted to interview someone in the local scene.

Aaron's family oriented ways make him not only an excellent wedding photographer, but a good 

family and senior portraiture as well. Out of all the replies I got back I chose his work and

responses over the other candidates because of his true love for what he does and his sense of credible knowledge.

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How did you get your first job in the photography field?

After I finally bought a DSLR camera, photography became an immediate obsession. I started a 365 project shortly after, taking at least 1 photo a day, every day of the year and kept it up years after. A few family shoots and a friends wedding made it clear this is what I loved to do, and I started hanging out and photographing with other professionals to learn from them. Now I do this full-time for a living, supporting my family under my own company name.

What do you find to be your most successful marketing source?

There really isn’t an easy answer to this question. The internet and advertising opportunities keep changing and adapting to customer needs, but the best thing I found is to only display GOOD work on your website and be consistent. Because I’ve done this, Google searches and a couple wedding directories (I only pay for one, the rest are free) seem to direct potential clients to me. Doing good work also creates referrals, which is another invaluable source of leads.

What advice would you give to those starting out a freelancing business?

I know it’s not for everyone, but if you are a freelancer able to do good work AND manage good business practices, it’s a good idea to just start your own company. You can learn from others to a point but I find you can be far more successful if you have your own artistic “voice.” There’s nothing like being your own boss, and though scary at times, I find it so much more fulfilling than working for someone else. Be exceptional with people and connect with them, and then pay attention to good business rules, charging the right amount to the value of your work to keep your business going.

What equipment do you feel is a “must have” for wedding photographers?

Equipment is one of the most overrated parts of a photography business. Taking actual pictures is probably only 10-15% of having successful wedding photography. Being good with people both before and on the wedding day with all guests and clients, making smart decisions, and showing consistent work is so much more important. If you have to obsess about equipment, your style will dictate what you need. I operate light and efficiently so that means having two small camera bodies and 2-3 prime lenses on me. I bring a flash but use it only for specific circumstances. The newer mirrorless cameras can pretty much do everything you need or an inexpensive DSLR and 1-2 prime lenses is enough to do fantastic work.

What inspires you?

Great artwork of all kinds, diverse music, and non-wedding photography from portrait artists like Richard Avedon, Annie Liebovitz, to photojournalists, to street photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Gary WInogrand. I try to follow as little actual wedding photography as possible, since it has a high frequency of short-term trends that I’d like to avoid.

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There is such a strong consistency within these photos. His style holds a "fairy tale" vibe while still fitting the wedding theme. I hope you've enjoyed his work as much as I.

,Kathleen Grudle.