ISPWP Member Spotlight - Chad Winstead

1. How did you get your start and why did you chose wedding photography as a career?

I started out taking photos of cars as a hobby. One day I just woke up and decided I want to try my hand at portraits, so I set up a few senior sessions. Once I shared the images on Facebook, I started receiving more and more inquiries leading to my first inquiry about photographing a wedding. During that first wedding, I fell in love with the concept of wedding photography and started following other wedding photographers to see what they were doing. I started up my website and Facebook page and before I knew it, I was capturing 25+ weddings a year full time as North Carolina Wedding Photographer.

2. What advice would you give a bride who is looking for a wedding photographer?

Determine which style of photography you want your wedding photos to look like. You will want to look back on them in 40 years and still love them. Also, be sure to request a full wedding day gallery from the photographers you are looking at to make sure they can be consistent throughout the day.

3. What's your favorite part of the wedding day to photograph?

This is tough, but I would say the reception is probably my favorite. Everyone is having a good time dancing and laughing. It’s fun to get out in the crowd with the guests and capture all of those moments.

4. How important is it to hire an experienced wedding photographer?

Once the wedding day has passed, all that you have left are your photos and memories. The photos help you relive all of those memories, so I would say it is very important to hire a professional. Hire someone who won’t miss these moments, will not lose your images due to carelessness, and is professional through the entire process. You only get one shot at your wedding, so you want to enjoy it!

5. What do you find is the biggest challenge in wedding photography?

I find one of my biggest challenges is the balance between photography, the business side of things, and having a social life. We spend our entire weekends all throughout the year photographing, and then spend all week editing, emailing, and running a business. It can be tough to find time to spend together with your spouse or friends if you can’t find a good balance. This is especially true during the busy wedding seasons.

6. What do you do for fun when you're not shooting weddings?

When I am not shooting weddings you can find me doing quite a few different things. I play guitar when I can. I also love to work on and modify cars. I also enjoy video games, movies, and playing with my dogs in the backyard.

7. How would you describe your style of photography?

I would say it is a dramatic, documentary style of photography. We blend natural light with off camera flash work to create dynamic photos during all portions of the wedding day. We also love to take the couple out and create beautiful portraits, both posed and candid, when the time allows.

8. What do you offer to clients that is unique? What is your Unique Selling Proposition?

I think what we have is a very unique style and approach than what other photographers in our area offer. It is what a lot of people tell us that sells them on us from the start. We also do not limit our wedding day to hours of coverage. Our couples pay a flat rate for the wedding day instead of having to choose how long they want us their based off the package. We believe in capturing everything from start to finish and don’t want to miss anything. Plus it gives our couples one less thing to worry about.

9. What are your top tips for brides to help them get great photos on their wedding day?

 
It is easier said than done, but just relax and trust your photographer so you can have fun and enjoy spending the day with your friends, family, and new spouse. Make sure you hire someone you feel comfortable around as they will be with you throughout the day. Meet up with them and do an engagement session before the big day so you know what to expect. This helps you get comfortable in front of the camera, and just let loose so that your nerves are nice and calm on the big day when you see the camera pointed towards you.

10. What is the biggest challenge facing wedding photographers today?

I think just standing out from the crowd is probably the biggest challenge. With so much talent and so many photographers out there these days, it can be tricky to stand out. Staying true to your style is important, but finding and mastering what makes you unique can be tough.

11. What (or who) inspires you?

When I first got my start, I was inspired by the work of some of the well known wedding photographers. I took influences from TwoMann Studios, Daniel + Davina, and Ryan Brenizer. I would say those 3 have been the biggest influence in my work and who I aspire to be as a photographer.

12. Have you found any products, services, or seminars that have made a difference to your photography or your business?

The only “seminar” I have ever attended has been the Fearless Photographers conference in Charleston, SC over the last two years. It has helped reshape my thinking, business, and photography in ways that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

13. What's the best photography-related advice you've been given?

This was my motto already, but “Never Settle!”
I always am pushing myself to be better, try new things, and get more creative with each photo I take.

14. What would you say was the biggest reason for your success?

This kind of follows the above statement. I do not settle for being average and set a high standard for myself and my business. I think my friendly personality, approach, and photography work has helped me succeed fairly quickly in my short career.

15.  What future plans do you have for your business for the next year?

I want to continue to get better at delivering the best experience possible. I also want to ensure that all of my clients have amazing wedding photos and albums to show off and pass down.

16. What are some of your favorite local venues?

Some of our favorite venues that we photograph a lot of weddings at are the following : 
The Watson House in Emerald Isle, NC 
Copper Ridge on the Neuse in New Bern, NC
The Brooklyn Arts Center in Wilmington, NC
The Crystal Coast Country Club in Atlantic Beach, NC

17. Do you do "destination weddings?"

Yes, we do offer destination weddings. We are actually in a destination spot here on the coast of North Carolina, however we have traveled as far as Jamaica for a wedding. We would love to travel more!