Thanks for your note and your sober reflections on the article. You do a lot of good work, and your perspective here is valuable both as an alternative perspective that sets some bounds on my suggestions that I would have thought were implied buy may not be.

Let me address some of these points.

On model shoots. I can see your point IF a person is going out, doing lots of model shoots and few real shoots, using those images as the basis of their portfolio, and deliberately misleading visitors to their site to believe they’ve taken the images in the context of a real wedding. Perhaps I have a less cynical view of human nature than you do, but my working assumption is that most people would not do that.

Using fashion-style model shoots as a supplement to a wedding portfolio, however, strikes me as not only OK, but as something that is fairly common in the wedding industry, particularly among photographers who specialize is artistic, fashion-style shooting that is characteristic of much of the best work being done today.

I hope my article emphasizes the importance of getting out and doing a lot of real shoots with real people as well – engagement shoots, weddings, portraits, working with established photographers as a second shooter, etc.

On Photoshop actions. Again, I’m not sure how you read what I wrote as “get some actions and that’s all you need.” As I wrote above, I believe the only way to really succeed is to achieve “technical mastery” of the craft, including post processing. My point on photoshop actions is two fold. First, you cannot overestimate the importance of quality post-processing today. I believe post processing is now as important as your ability to initially capture great images. Second, you can dramatically accelerate the road to mastery by learning from the masters. In shooting, that means taking workshops. In post processing, that means taking workshops and buying actions that allow you to see how the best in the field do it. To do otherwise is to unnecessarily re-invent the wheel.

On destination weddings. A few things here. As a photojournalist who’s spend a lot time working overseas, I’m well aware of the logistical and legal challenges. I consider those things to be surmountable obstacles for those fellow photographers who have the drive and determination to aim for the top. It is challenging, but if you can figure it out, and I can figure it out, and lots of others can figure it out, then I can’t see why another driven, up-and-coming photographer can’t figure it out.

I would agree that this is not necessarily the best step for a beginner. That’s why I put it last and said “as you build a larger client base, a better portfolio with great imagery, and a better reputation with stronger branding…”

In sum, I have the sense that you interpreted this in a much more simplistic and / or cynical way than it was intended. For me, it’s about achieving creative and technical mastery, more and more experience, excellent branding and advertising, engagement in the industry, and, finally, moving toward higher end wedding as soon as your proficiency justifies doing so.

Firstly, using photos of models dressed in wedding outfits as part of your portfolio is generally considered unethical among professional wedding photographers. Shooting a model in a controlled situation when you have plenty of time is very different from creating images in the pressured environment of the wedding day, when typically you have a very short time in which to get specific shots.

Secondly, just buying a set of Photoshop actions will not make you a “top wedding photographer”. There is far more to post-processing an image than just running it through an action.

Thirdly, I feel your advice to target destination weddings is misguided. The last thing that a beginner to this industry should be doing is taking on a job in a foreign country, where they don’t know the location, may get delayed in transit, lose or have equipment stolen or confiscated, and have limited or no backup if they fall sick or meet with an accident, or have an equipment failure.

Destination weddings may seem glamorous, but they are not a “fast track” to success in any respect. It should also be borne in mind that many countries require work permits for anyone coming from abroad and working in their territory, which can be difficult, expensive or impossible to obtain. Some destination photographers therefore choose to pose as a wedding guest, running the risk of arrest and deportation.

Some of your other advice is sound, but these particular ideas are not going to help the newcomer to the business to succeed.