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EP: 111 - Getting started in wedding - Benny Chiu
149 Plays2 years ago
Happy Woo Wednesdays!
Today we are going to chat about Getting started in wedding photography with my friend Benny Chiu www.bycphotography.com
His fave HECK YES sales technique is Connection Connection Connection and providing tips that they may not have considered.
Benny never set out to be a full-time photographer. Sure, he loved documenting memories from the age he could first work a camera, but he always feared a career as a creative was too risky and not in the cards for him. He would go on to spend 15 years as an engineer and graduate with his MBA before he realized he wasn't happy in his profession. He decided he was finally ready to jump in feet first and pursue his passion in photography. In that moment, BYC Photography was born, but just as with anything worth attaining, the beginning was challenging and full of second guessing. Over the course of his career in photography, Benny had to start from the ground up and in doing so learned from some of the best in the industry. More than a decade since, Benny has won multiple international awards, taught at Canon Live, and has been featured and published in digital and in print regionally and nationally. Benny now serves as a brand ambassador for Imagen AI and maintains that success begins with a dream, a vision, and a choice.
- Getting started in wedding photography
1. Established a reputation within the photography community as a go-to 2nd or 3rd photographer or even as simple as being an assistant
2. Find a mentor
3. Hone your craft - photography techniques, sales and interview skills
4. Be yourself
Connect with Benny
Get 1500 Free edits to try Imagen Ai It will change your life like it has mine!
https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=bennychiu
Connect with Carissa Woo
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to The Triple Threat Program & Meet Benny Chu
00:00:00
Speaker
Happy Woo Wednesdays! So if you haven't heard, we have a new program called The Triple Threat. It's for all wedding professionals. And I have a 20-minute demo training on how to get 10 to 15 quality leads in your inbox every month. So go to my Instagram, at CarissaWoo, W-O-O, and DM me the word DEMO to get the free training.
00:00:28
Speaker
So today I have my friend Benny Chu from BYC Photography. He's such a great guy. I've known him for over a decade. Today he talks about leaving his engineering career after 15 years and taking the leap into the world of wedding photography.
Carissa's Journey in Wedding Photography
00:00:46
Speaker
So if you are a new wedding photographer, this episode is for you. Enjoy!
00:00:56
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host, Carissa, and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all. I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients. We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:01:24
Speaker
time-packed because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we'll talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey. I hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesday so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast.
Benny's Career Transition: Engineering to Photography
00:01:42
Speaker
See you guys soon!
00:01:47
Speaker
Hey, everyone. Happy Woo Wednesdays. Welcome back to Get It Heck Yes with me, your girl, Carissa Woo. I have my friend Benny Choo in the house. Choo and Woo. Choo. Hi, guys.
00:01:58
Speaker
Yay. And I'm known you forever. We've been in like the Southern California Wedding Photographers Association and now we're on like WIPA. And so we go way back, but he is BYC Photography. He was an engineer for 15 years and just didn't love his life. So he got into wedding photography.
Early Influences and Cultural Expectations
00:02:18
Speaker
So our hot topic today is going to be like getting started in photography because he had so many struggles. But before that, Benichu, take it away with your introduction. Tell me who you are.
00:02:28
Speaker
Hi guys, I'm Benny, I'm at the USC Photography. This is my almost nine and a half years in full-time for winning photography. Like Karissa had mentioned earlier, I was an ex-engineer, engineering manager.
00:02:44
Speaker
And I was so burned out in my old job. So my wife was the one that encouraged me to follow my true passion, which is diving right into photography. So with her encouragement, I went pretty much cold feet into wooden photography. And then here I am. Wow. How did your wife know that your passion was photography?
00:03:11
Speaker
Uh, I think, I think ever since we met, uh, I didn't before that, I always have, I always have a camera with me. So whether it's like church events or we go somewhere with the friends, uh, I always have a camera with me. So, uh, so I always want to do that, but then, you know,
00:03:31
Speaker
our parents have different thoughts about being creatives, right? So I didn't really go into
Networking and Mentorship in Photography
00:03:38
Speaker
photography. I just kept it as my hobby. And then I figured what's the closest to, my thought anyway. So I went into engineering because I like to draw. I like to, you know, I like to, I love architecture things. So that's kind of the route I went. But then when she met me, she was one,
00:03:59
Speaker
I was like, well, you wanted to do this. Like you can always go back because you have enough experience now in the engineering field. So she's like, she's like, just try it, you know, go for it. And then it doesn't work out, doesn't work out. But at least you tried. So that's a nice way because it's a big you lose your paycheck. Tell me you before this call, you asked me how far we're going to take it back in your life. So we're going to take it back. I'll just
00:04:29
Speaker
a little bit, but tell us how you were like as a kid growing up and just who you are. I don't know, just as a kid.
00:04:38
Speaker
Um, as a kid, I'm, um, that's a, that's a good question. So as a kid, I'm usually, I'm usually like, uh, I really like cars. So that was actually my other passion, but, um, but you know, uh, I kinda, so yeah, so cars was one, uh, was, was my thing growing up. And then I was, and then photography was my other one because my, I actually grew up.
00:05:02
Speaker
With my dad, my dad was always the one with the camera. So when we went out, family trips with, he had a group of friends that we would do road trips with. So I think there's like four or five families. So every time we had a road trip with the families, my dad was a photographer.
00:05:22
Speaker
So he would be the one documenting everything and then he would print back then his old film, right? So he would develop the photographs for each family. And if there's like multiple kids, there's like two or three kids, then he will make two or three copies of each photograph that they're in.
00:05:39
Speaker
So I think that's how I was brought up. Like, okay, you know, if I take a photo of somebody, then I'll make a copy for them and copy for me, right? So I'll document it. And so I think that's kind of my...
00:05:58
Speaker
my childhood all the way through my teenage years. So even when I have my little 35 millimeter camera during high school, whatever, I'll take pictures and then when I develop them, I'll do the same thing. I would make extra copies. So if there's 10 people in the photo, I will make 10 copies and then each person get a copy.
00:06:16
Speaker
Uh, and then, and then that really, that really transpired because when they got married and they did their slideshow, I noticed my photos was in there because they had scanned because those were all the memories, right? So they scanned it and they had put it in their wedding slideshow.
Challenges in Career Transition and Business Start-Up
00:06:31
Speaker
So yeah. I mean, that's a beautiful story about your dad. That's so special.
00:06:38
Speaker
I remember like, I remember printing them out, but I was, you know, I was like, you as always have the camera, but I would print them out at CVS and you're just, you know, hoping they came come out. Sometimes I'll be black. You're like, and I was joking with people. I was like, I said, before selfie was a thing, I did selfie with the 35 millimeter. Like, you know,
00:06:59
Speaker
You're the OG selfie homie. Before you can even see what it's really going to look like. I had it down pretty good. Then fast forward. Did your parents encourage you to become an engineer and did you feel like it was good for you in the beginning and then just not so good after?
00:07:20
Speaker
I think maybe it's because the culture we grew up in, you know? So I feel like I knew if I wanted to do photography or art in some way, it would have been hard to convince, which is, I later found out it was true. Because, okay, so I wanted to do two things, right? The photography or cars. So I actually went to, I took a summer class at Art Center, Pasadena.
00:07:47
Speaker
for transportation design. And I really loved it because it's drawing and it's drawing cars. But then I quickly realized the tuition was crazy. Back then already it was $60,000 a year. Oh, wow.
00:08:05
Speaker
This was like what, 20 something years ago? That's crazy. Back then it's already like, that's like triple the price of the college, right? So I gave that up real quick. And then I was like, well, okay, then next thing is like, I want to work to make my own money. So I went into drafting. So I did drafting for a long time. So back then,
00:08:28
Speaker
We did ink drafting, pencil drafting, and ink it, and then there's no plotters, no printers. So we have to hand print or draw everything. And then that's the engineering document for the manufacturing. How are they going to make the parts? So I started from the bottom up. And then as I got new jobs and stuff, that's how I
00:08:57
Speaker
Yeah, moved on. Interesting. What does your wife do? My wife is actually a college professor. Oh, okay. Smart.
00:09:07
Speaker
And when did you have the two kids when you were going to quit your engineering degree and start the photography? Because that's kind of ballsy. Are you ready for a wild story? Yeah, sure. Tell me, tell me, tell me. So I was in engineering, right? That's like my 14th something year, almost 15 year. I was always putting in like 18 hours, 16, 18 hour days.
00:09:35
Speaker
My job was supposed to be the engineering manager. I'm supposed to manage people, but I was also also engineering my own projects because the company I worked for, we had a lot of high-profile projects. Like if you ever fly out of Tom Bradley International LAX, I actually worked on some of the ceilings in there, like Levi's Stadium 49ers. I actually got the design and engineered the
00:10:04
Speaker
VIP lounge in the third and fourth floor. So projects like that, like the high-profile ones. So they wouldn't let me off those projects. And then on top of that, most people might know, but engineers and architects don't usually get along. But I was actually the person that can get along with architects.
00:10:23
Speaker
because I could see their vision and then I would break it down. I would break down their design so that it can be engineered. So that's how I support the estimating department because that's how they can give a quote up front for the project. So I was doing like three positions and then
00:10:40
Speaker
And on top of that, all the meetings, and I was so burned out doing that every single day for like three years straight. Ever since I got a position, right? It was like three years straight. And then I was so burned out.
Networking, Opportunities, and Mentorship
00:10:53
Speaker
And then so, so yeah, so that's, so I, my wife was six months pregnant.
00:11:02
Speaker
And then I was thinking, I don't want to do this. Because if I don't finish my work, I have to finish at home. And then I pretty much don't sleep. I mean, I don't sleep now. So anyway, that was the thing. So I quit when my wife was six months old.
00:11:31
Speaker
Yeah, and so I count my, however old my oldest is. Okay, so that brings us to our hot topic, which is, I read the questionnaire, you said that, yeah, it was a struggle. I mean, you, you know,
00:11:50
Speaker
put this jaw that was you're going, you know, leaps and bounds and you just kind of took the plunge, but there were struggles along the way and you're having a baby. So tell us the hot topic and why it's so near and dear to your heart.
00:12:06
Speaker
Uh, so I feel like, um, I think my problem was that I couldn't, I couldn't, uh, I couldn't quite jump, right? Because right. The pay was, the pay was decent. Yeah. I mean, for what it is, right? I mean, I should be paying pay, get paid more for that. But for what it is, it pays bills, it pays rent, right? Uh, it's, it's dear to my heart is because I want, I want to let other people that may be in my same position that when they feel like, um,
00:12:36
Speaker
but they didn't record, what was that thing? A rock in a hard place, right? So when you're stuck in that place where you didn't know if you should jump or not jump, and then I realized later that if I didn't just take the leap, I would always want to have my backup plan, right? So I think photography was my, at first was my backup plan, but then I didn't really want to
00:13:04
Speaker
go full in. I didn't really want to put all my effort into it because I got tied up in doing all these engineering things. But later, because I did the most dramatic fashion you can do it for any entrepreneur, I feel like I had to really
00:13:24
Speaker
dive in deep and then just put all my effort into photography when I started. So when I did that, I had already connected with a bunch of photographers at WPPI.
00:13:39
Speaker
So I was already, I was starting to assist, you know, assisting them or sometimes I'll do like third shooting, third shooting assisting, right? And then eventually they were able to, you know, I was, I was, I got promoted, right? I got to be a second shooter and then, and then I kind of woke my way up.
Finding Style and Authenticity in Photography
00:14:01
Speaker
Cool. Okay. So you have four tips for the audience today. Um, I was going to ask you like all the struggles of the first year, but we'll probably get into as a tips, but yeah, give us tip number one. Um, if you guys are listening and you're a wedding photographer, but you could be, you know, wedding planner, wedding, uh, DJ or florist, but these tips probably are the same. So take us away with tip number one.
00:14:23
Speaker
Tip number one, get yourself out there and network because I feel like this is the thing that my friends always, we always say is if you don't promote yourself, nobody else is going to.
00:14:43
Speaker
And then also, I feel like the most important part of my journey here is actually being able to get out there and meet people. And then I feel like I'm personally not a great person with words.
00:15:02
Speaker
That's why I really struggled blogging and stuff. I write stuff. But if I, if I meet people in person, I can, I can show that that I'm, you know, I'm personable and I, you know, I'm genuine. I'm, you know, that kind of thing. So I knew that was my weakness, you know, to really like be like myself on the internet. Right. So, so I put myself out there to meet new people, uh, to, to establish relationships, you know,
00:15:32
Speaker
So you went to, you mentioned WPPI, which is the Las Vegas conference for wedding photographers. You're in WIPA, you're in Southern California, wedding photographers. Tell me more about like where you started with networking and how did you even find these places?
00:15:48
Speaker
I think it started with, well, WPPI, it's actually a funny story. My wife, she was actually doing hair and makeup like on the side. And so she made a few photographers. So when I was, I went now to WPPI all by myself. And then so she's like, oh, let me call up like, you know, I don't know if you know Eric Chen. So she called Eric Chen.
00:16:12
Speaker
So she called Eric and she's like, Hey, uh, you know, my husband said that if you go out by himself, like, can you, can you like meet up with them, you know? And then, uh, so, so that's how I, so, so he, uh, you know, um, gradually said yes. Did you know, uh, did you know Eric was, um, the first person I ever interviewed on this podcast? Oh, really? He's my college buddy.
00:16:36
Speaker
Oh, that's so funny. I saw him at WPBI my first time. So we probably met that time, but we forget. Oh yeah, maybe. Cause we always joke about it now. So he always tell me like, Oh my gosh, Benny, when I got that call from your wife, she's like, I don't know if this, I don't know who this Benny is. Like, you know, some weird guy. And now you guys are besties, right?
00:17:05
Speaker
Yeah, so I actually really had to thank him because that's how he connected me with like Nathan and Serena. Yeah. And so from that group is how I, and Nathan became like my mentor pretty much. So he took me under him as an assistant. So when I was describing being assistant third shooter and second shooter, that was really all under Nathan. So that's how he kind of like guide me into this.
00:17:34
Speaker
world. Oh, yeah, Nathan's a great guy, Nathan. No, whack. No, Nathan. Yeah, no, whack. He's a great dude. Yeah. Come to come on this podcast. Okay, that brings us to tip number two, which is find a mentor.
00:17:55
Speaker
Okay. So you, your wife, he hooked you up. She seems like a really good person and just always has your back, but she hooked you up with you, rich Eric Chen. And then you got into this group. Um, was it hard to ask him to be mentor? Did you have to like blatantly be like, can you be my mentor or did you just start following him and like saying, I'll do stuff for you for free? It was.
00:18:21
Speaker
It took a while. So even after I met him, and I knew this from being in corporate, right? Like, you know, you're not going to build your trust, like, just because you met somebody. So we actually ended up doing, after WPPI, we actually did a lot of, we went to the badminton together. You know, hang out. Where did you go together? Badminton.
00:18:48
Speaker
Oh, badminton. I think he said badminton again. I was like damn. No, no, badminton. I think that's how we bonded in the beginning because we all play badminton. Let's go play, you know, so we actually we'll play like twice a month maybe. And then finally one day Nathan was like, oh, I need a, I think I need an assistant. I can't find somebody, you know. I'm here.
Professional Growth and Industry Advice for Photographers
00:19:18
Speaker
I'll go. Yeah. Oh, cute. What a cute bromance you guys have. It's like golf. It's like, you know, like playing golf, like shooting the shit about finances, but you guys are playing Batman Tim's talking about cameras.
00:19:38
Speaker
Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, for for some reason, like I never found a mentor, I just kind of did it on my own. But I feel like a mentor could have taught me so much and saved me so much time and energy and, you know, mistakes made. So that's a good one. I feel like I feel like when you started, you were like the forerunner for all of us, you know,
00:20:02
Speaker
No, that's how I see you though. No, it was funny when I went to WPI, he's like, you're a photographer. I was like, yeah, I book like, I just started by book like 50 weddings. He's like, oh my God, you're crazy. He's like, you just have like this target and then you just like go for it. And, you know, when I went to WPI and I saw the photographers, I was like so intimidated and like, who am I to, you know, book these 50 weddings? And, you know, it's just a mindset thing. So,
00:20:30
Speaker
yeah interesting um but yeah take it away with tip number three pardon this short interruption but guess what i have a new program it's for all wedding professionals it's called the triple threat we redo your brand messaging the homepage of your website part two is we do all your marketing we
00:20:53
Speaker
create a beautiful brochure so you could start getting on Prefer venue vendor list and we do all your sales so we actually make you a sales presentation leading your client to the heck yes so you get paid. I have a free 20 minute demo training. It's only 20 minutes. Go to my Instagram at Carissa Woo.
00:21:16
Speaker
and DM me the word DEMO. I will send it right over. It's how to get 10 to 15 quality leads in your inbox per month. Enjoy guys. Own your craft.
00:21:33
Speaker
There's a famous quote. I don't know who said it. I think it's Zig Ziglar. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. So throw that in your head because I feel like a lot of times that's how I was able to get my opportunity. So because I was doing a lot of assisting and second shooting and third shooting and second shooting,
00:21:59
Speaker
And then from Nathan, I also was doing for other people because I was able to have Nathan as a, like, you know, because some people always ask him like, oh, it's Benny good. Can we use Benny? So you have to establish that rapport, right? So I feel like...
00:22:14
Speaker
from that like you know and then so like being part of the Southern California wedding professionals group yeah so we did that was so whenever somebody needed a assistant or second photographer they would always post it up and I'm looking for somebody
00:22:33
Speaker
And then sometimes the good ones are always booked up, right? So if somebody got sick and they need somebody last minute and then nobody's available, then I feel like that's when I jump in and like, oh, I'm available.
00:22:49
Speaker
I can come, I'm ready, I have my gear and then that type of thing. So always be ready so that when the opportunity comes, you're not stressing out, you're already ready to go. Yeah, I love that quote. How long did it take you to like, or how long did you second shoot before you started first shooting for your own weddings?
00:23:12
Speaker
Let's see. Actually, I had already started shooting before I actually went, like my own wedding before I went full time. But it really took like a full year after I was like bived in full time to like started really picking up my own wedding couples.
00:23:38
Speaker
Nice. Just a little compliment to you. You shot the holiday event for WIPA, Wedding Industry Professionals Association. And you were just so kind and I saw you work and you're just so like, not in people's faces and you do your job and you smile and you're nice. And I after I was like, Oh, I wish Benny like you shot my wedding.
00:24:01
Speaker
And I saw the photos and they're just magical, perfect light. And you're just so effortless. So yeah, it was really, really nice watching you shoot. So flawless. Thank you. Yeah. But yeah, I like that quote a lot. Hone into your craft and luck is when preparation meets opportunity. So take us away with your last tip number, tip number four.
00:24:28
Speaker
Tip number four, and you're going to struggle with this, but it's okay. Uh, just be yourself. Uh, I feel like, uh, in the beginning.
00:24:37
Speaker
know, we all want to mimic somebody's style, you know, like try to keep up with the trend, that kind of thing. Eventually, I realized I just need to be myself. I think what you just mentioned really rings my head because I feel like
00:25:02
Speaker
In the beginning, I was trying to be somebody else. Now I can go to a wedding and I can just be myself. And actually, lately, for the last few weddings, I think, I had somebody walk up to me and be like, oh, you have a really good smile. I was like, oh, thank you.
Business Analogies and Client Interaction
00:25:20
Speaker
I didn't really realize that. But I just know when you're working, you definitely have to kind of... Hey, you got hit on. Shoot.
00:25:31
Speaker
No, usually it's the elders, but that's okay. I'm okay with them. That's cute. Yeah, you have a nice smile. Okay, so I saw you two nights ago at the WIPA event at the
00:25:46
Speaker
Newport Beach Renaissance and Terrika, she's like a business coach, wedding planner. She spoke and she told us this story at the end and she passed out straws and she said, McDonald's has the best Pepsi. And she tells us this whole process and why they used to use, you know, bags, but they change it to these like steel cans. So the temperature keeps and like the way that they process it and the way they like deliver it.
00:26:11
Speaker
And she said they actually invented their own straws and they're a little bit, the hole is a little bit bigger. So when you slurp it, you get more of like that ecstasy feeling of, well, this is so good. Yeah. So that's why they have the best Pepsi. And that's why McDonald's is thriving. And she ended it with what is your straw? So Benny, I would normally say what is your woo factor, but what is your straw?
00:26:36
Speaker
I feel like my straw is just being myself. And then when couples need help, just give them as much information as possible so that they can
00:26:52
Speaker
So they can, I mean, it's kind of like, it's kind of like turning a straw, I guess, but just keep them informed. I feel like that's the most thing that has helped me with my couples is that I would tell them things from experience like, oh,
00:27:09
Speaker
You might want to do this, might want to do that. And whether they ask or not, sometimes I feel like as a professional, we need to educate them too, as we're working with them, so they can know, oh, okay, this will help us later down the line, or on our wedding day timeline for photos and whatnot.
00:27:30
Speaker
Yeah, because it's their first time, right? They never done this before. And I always get couples asking me like, oh, we don't know how to pose, that type of thing. And I always tell them like, well, you don't need to worry about that because it's your first time. It's really our job to make you feel comfortable. And I always tell them my story too. I had this other mentor always tell me, he said, when you look at a photograph,
00:27:58
Speaker
and if the couples look like uncomfortable in the photo, he's like, that's not the couple's fault. He's like, you don't know how to pose, right? So it's your job as a photographer to be like, to make him feel comfortable, to have a little fun, right?
Balancing Work, Family, and Technology
00:28:13
Speaker
To kind of bring it out, bring their personalities out, so. Oh shoot, that never gives me chills, keep them informed. Okay, so this leads me to my next question, but what is your best
00:28:25
Speaker
Get a heck yes sales technique. How do you get that heck yes from your dream client?
00:28:30
Speaker
I just feel like just connecting with them. I feel like it's my biggest strength, maybe. So I would connect with them and hear them out and kind of see what are the things that they look for and photograph. And sometimes they'll tell me, oh, we just want candidates or personas. We don't know how to pose. So I was, OK, that's actually
00:28:59
Speaker
You know, that's my forte. Like, I'll, I'll post for you, you know? Oh, that's funny. Yeah, so I'll do that sometimes on Wednesday, and they'll start cracking up. And then in the loosen up, right. And as I see I told you, I told you I will pose for you. And then so I think I think I think I think the most important I think most important thing I think my, my common theme is just making them feel comfortable. I love that. Okay, we'll get into rapid fire questions. You guys are a little bit
00:29:26
Speaker
Quicker questions, quicker answers. Best dad boss time hat. Either work before they wake up or after you go to sleep. Oh, that's pretty hard.
00:29:47
Speaker
Oh yeah, that brings me to our next question, but you said you're ambassador for Imagine AI. So tell us about it and how it saves you time.
00:29:58
Speaker
So for Imagine AI, last season was pretty crazy, right? Where all the postponed weddings plus all the new weddings was combining. And for some reason, my busy season is always October, which is also my two boys' birthday.
00:30:18
Speaker
Oh, shoot. That's in October. So so last October, I was really stressing out because I had like eight weddings or something in like one month. And then it would end in, you know, November came and I was like kind of silently stressing. Right. Because, you know, you need to get through all that stuff.
00:30:36
Speaker
So I already heard of Imagine, so I said, okay, I'm gonna give this thing a try. So what it is, they take your Lightroom catalog. So however you've edited all the past year or something, I think they've just 3,300, 3,500 photos that you've edited in your catalog to create your profile.
00:31:02
Speaker
But if you don't have a consistent editing style, there's ones you can choose from so you can sample your photographs with their style. So in my case, I needed to keep my style very consistent to all my previous work. So I was able to build my profile within like 24 hours, probably not even 24 hours, maybe 12 hours.
00:31:24
Speaker
And then I had literally edited a wedding, a full wedding day within an hour. I mean, and I always tell people, you know, people think like when you use a tool like this, you're supposed to get like a hundred percent, but you don't. So usually, usually I always tell people like, just expect like 90%. Because you have the 10%, you have to go back in.
00:31:48
Speaker
and like you have to kind of look through the photos anyway, kind of double check your work, right? And then make sure things are straightened or cropped. So you have to do that anyway. So then when you go through, you can just fine tune that instead of like sitting there adjusting color for every single photo, right? At times a thousand, right? So what that really saved me like the bulk of the time just
00:32:14
Speaker
Like, especially like when we have photos in like reception, right? When there's different colors everywhere. And then like, then we sit there like, you know, thinking if our eyes are playing games on us. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So then, so then that, that really saves a lot of time. And then you can, so now I can focus all my, all my precious time on the actual couples portraits and then fine tune that right. And then so, so like, you know, a wedding that will take me like,
00:32:41
Speaker
a week, right, between being a dad and husband. I would do it down to like a couple of days of actual work time, you know?
Advice for Aspiring Creatives
00:32:54
Speaker
Yay, I love that. Yeah, so the whole story, so I gave the story to Imagine, because during Thanksgiving, usually Thanksgiving, I host my family, my side of the family for dinner.
00:33:09
Speaker
Um, but I usually I'm really stressed out because I have all these weddings back though. And folks for the, but last season I was able to, I think I submitted five weddings.
00:33:22
Speaker
five weddings that week and they were all done, like 90% there, right? So they're all done. And then I was actually able to like spend like a peaceful, quiet, like relax time on Thanksgiving day. Oh, that's a beautiful story. So imagine it's built I-M-A-G-E-N, we'll link it up and you guys get free, like 1,000- 1,500 free edits. So go take advantage. It could save your whole Thanksgiving.
00:33:53
Speaker
Yes, literally. So you could be present on the day you're supposed to be present and thankful. I guess last question, just because of the timing, but, um, you know, this episode is all about just getting started, you know, just taking that, that leap of faith, but say right now someone is on the fence, they're miserable at their corporate job working 16 hour days. They're not seeing their family. Um, what advice would you tell them? You could just speak to their hearts.
00:34:24
Speaker
Uh, don't give up. That's the, that's the first thing. And then, uh, and keep trying. So in the beginning, you're going to have, uh, you don't know people, so you're going to, you're going to run into people that will take advantage of you. They will, they will tell you that they want to hire. This happens to me. They tell you they're going to hire you for a certain day. And then they tell you the week of like, Oh,
00:34:44
Speaker
make us more of an excuse. So don't let those get to you. Those are really, really tough times to get through, but just stand. If you really, truly want to do this, just have a lot of patience. So like I said earlier, I started as assistant. And then oftentimes, we see being assistant as like a little brow jab.
00:35:10
Speaker
I'm not really doing photography, right? So why should I be assistant, right? But I always tell people being assistant is actually the most valuable thing you can do. It's because when you're a second photographer, when you're a third photographer, you're actually not really working with the primary photographer, right? Because you're getting sent out to do the groom's net or you're getting some details. You're not really hanging out with the primary photographer.
00:35:33
Speaker
So when you're an assistant, you're actually next to the primary. You're helping them out and then you can ask questions, right? Like, how are you shooting that? Like, you know, why do you need to set the lights like that? You know, that kind of thing.
Closing Remarks and Engagement Encouragement
00:35:48
Speaker
So a lot of times that's actually where you learn the most. That was great advice. Well, tell everyone where to find you on Instagram and how to work with you. I have some couples that are on here and just how to find you.
00:36:04
Speaker
Uh, so my website is, uh, uh, www.bycphotography.com. Uh, I think I need it. Maybe I need it. Can I explain why BYC? Yes. So, so BYC is actually my, me and my wife's initials. So I, I decided to leave her initial in the company names because without her, I wouldn't be doing this full time. So that's, uh, she's a connector. What's her name? Yvonne.
00:36:29
Speaker
Oh, cute. So, so bycphotography.com. And if you want to find me on Instagram, it's the same bycphotography, all one word. And then, and then you should be able to check the profile or just fill in the contact form and then in touch. Yay. Thank you, Benny Chu. This is a great conversation. Thank you.
00:36:56
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine. See you next time, wedding pros!