Back in March I was given the honor of being featured in Professional Photographer Magazine. I have worked so hard to create this niche’ market, that it was nice to see it in print. Special thanks to Jeff Kent.
Here is the atricle, in case you missed it. enjoy!
Gene Higa
Favorite destination: The Philippines. “We shot seven locations in six days. It was the most exotic wedding I’ve ever done.”
Like the other photographers in this article, Gene Higa kick-started his destination wedding business through vigorous word-of-mouth marketing. The San Francisco-based wedding photographer began with his existing client base and worked outward in concentric circles. He promoted his desire to work destination weddings to brides. Then he asked them to mention him to their bridal parties, their friends and their families. The more he pleased his local clients, the more they were willing to talk him up amongst their social circles. Before long, Higa was booking events from Hawaii to Hong Kong, from Tuscany to Thailand.
Since beginning his emphasis on destination work in 2004, Higa has increased his non-local bookings to about 25 percent of his total workload (roughly 10 destination events a year out of 40 total wedding jobs). In 2006, Higa hit nine countries and every major U.S. city. In 2007, he scaled back the travel by about 50 percent and began using his destination wedding work to lure a more high-end local client. “There aren’t a lot of photographers in the Bay Area who really focus on destination weddings,” says Higa. “That sets me apart. I show exotic destination images to everyone, even people who are planning to get married in San Francisco. You walk into my studio and see large photos of Greece, Peru, The Philippines, et cetera. That gives clients the impression that if I’m trusted enough to do these big destination events, then I can definitely handle their local event. My perceived value goes up significantly.”
For Higa, destination weddings have provided the additional benefit of filling up his traditionally slow periods. Many of his destination couples get married in warm-weather locations during San Francisco’s winter months. So when Higa would normally be tidying up the studio and filing his income taxes, he’s off in tropics generating more income.
Higa’s destination packages begin in the $20,000 to $25,000 range. Like Claire and the Nudds, he creates a custom quote for each job that includes his services plus travel expenses. Higa books his own travel arrangements so that he can accumulate frequent flier miles and hotel points, but he asks to be included in the group lodging and travel rates his clients negotiate for their guests. His fees include an associate photographer, Ann Hamilton, who accompanies him on all destination jobs. Their jobs range from single-day wedding coverage to serving as week-long personal photographers who follow the clients around during all their destination wedding adventures.
“The experiences are second to none,” says Higa. “I’m going out there, seeing the world, and getting paid to do it! The best part is coming home with all those beautiful, exotic images. From a photographer’s standpoint, it is pretty amazing.”
For more from Gene Higa, including information on his destination wedding workshops, visit www.genehiga.com.
SIDEBAR:
Tips from Gene Higa: Things people don’t always think about when planning a destination wedding job
Safety and stability. Look at the news and learn about safety issues in the area you’ll be working. It’s important to insure your equipment and take plenty of precautions. Before leaving for a trip, I photograph all my gear and write down the serial numbers. I make backup copies of my passport and travel documents. I carry one copy with me and leave another with someone back home.
Getting in and out. Make sure you research visas, entry documents and exit documents for your destination. Sometimes these documents need to be arranged weeks or months in advance. If you show up without them, you’re out of luck.
Staying in touch. We carry a World Phone so we always have cell phone access. Or you can buy a new SIM card for your mobile phone that works in that country. Mobile phone access is useful for keeping in touch with the bride and groom, as well as the business back home.
Getting acclimated. The hardest part of any destination wedding is getting there. I like to arrive a couple days before the event so I can get acclimated, recharge and get in the groove.
