Training new photographers

In the past 20 years running my own wedding studio, I have had many photographers come to me looking for work, and I've enjoyed the process of training them, or guiding them, or simply watching their work. What I've found is that virtually anyone who enjoys photography can learn to take good pictures. But that doesn't mean that they can photograph a wedding! As a second photographer, most of the photographers I've worked with can produce excellent pictures. But there are very few who have graduated to being the main photographer. THAT takes time and experience. When a couple comes to me looking to hire my studio to photograph their wedding, I need to make sure that the team that I send out is going to produce what they expect. And that doesn't mean just taking good pictures! Photographing a wedding means taking on a LOT of responsibility and making sure that certain pictures are done right AND done at all! It doesn't mean just snapping away! That is the worst mistake that a photographer can make when shooting a wedding. There needs to be SOME conscious understanding of what to do when, even in the MOST photojournalistic of weddings.