Surant took the pictures, and I wrote social media posts.
Its fair to say Surant and I were not fulfilling our deepest passions in 2014.
But because he needed the steady paycheck, Surant was never really all-in.
Wedding photographer Zac Surant says he loves his work, but acknowledges that it can be challenging. His weekends are almost always compromised. Photo courtesy of Green Couch Photography
Heres how he got there.
Photography just kind of fell into my lap, he explains.
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That meantlong nights and weekends working on his companywith Malmstrom, which they rebranded and calledGreen Couch Photography.
OK, so I used to own this gnarly-looking consignment-store gem of a green couch, Surant says.
We played with so many ideas [for a name].
But in our delirium, we joked about the idea of calling ourselves Green Couch Photography.
We chuckled, said a few more names and finally came back to Green Couch.
Did you know?
Our skills behind the camera are probably just as quality as the next team.
I doodled a little picture of a couch on a napkin with a Sharpie.
And that became our logo.
We went all-in with it.
I had two kids at home and was spendingjust as much on their child care as I was earning.
But quitting his day job didnt mean sleeping in and eating cereal on his gnarly green couch.
I had to hustle to get the business moving, Surant tells me.
I mean, many years of just wondering what in the world I was doing.
Sometimes that actually worked.
Eventually, Chris and I started to find our groove, Surant says.
We established a unique brand and a voice that seemed to click with our target market.
Green Couch Photography was born.
They stay so busy that they are even planning to hire associate photographers this year.
Being a wedding photographer is no walk down the aisle.
Think you’re able to handle the chaos?
Here are Surants best tips for becoming a successful photographer.
Weddings Are Where the Money Is
I did the whole senior photo, family shoot, etc., thing.
Weddings are the fastest way to be in the black and take a profit.
My brides become my No.
I become the jack of all trades on the wedding day.
I do everything for her, Surant says.
Meanwhile, Chris is a master with a camera in his hands.
It just makes sense to him.
I have no issue saying hes the better photographer, and thats what makes us a solid team.
And thats what we take a stab at market to our brides.
We bring far more to the table than an artistic eye.
Learn how to listen.
Pay attention to how they respond to one another.You will learn how to make people comfortable around you.
Surant adds, Become the brides greatest advocate.On the wedding day, she is always right.
Even if she is wrong.
I promise when the bride is happy, every other person around is happy.
And when everyone is happy, the pretty pictures become much easier to come by.
It went far beyond picking yet another perfect location.
They fixed my hair and makeup, put my shoes on and even bustled my wedding dress.
My favorite thing about them was how lighthearted they made it.
But being a photographer, especially a wedding photographer, can be challenging.
His biggest challenge?He always has to be positive even when he feels the opposite.
You essentially become the face, the voice, the number, the everything, that the client sees.
Thats not always easy.
I cant take a sick day.
I cant show my disgust for some displays of wealth.
My opinions, beliefs and comfort go out the window when Im talking to anyone involved with the wedding.
I am a commodity on the wedding checklist.
Yet I still pour every bit of empathy and care into the wedding experience.
So why does he do it?
Timothy Moore is an editor and freelance writer living in Germantown, Ohio.
He still stands by those photos.
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