The brilliant journalist George Monbiot unsuprisingly gets lots of emails from budding journalists seeking careers advice, and because he can’t reply to all of them he has written some great advice on his website. 

I get 2-3 emails a week from newbies looking for advice about how to become professional wedding photographers or how to ‘get into the wedding market’, and George’s thoughtful gesture inspired me to do the same for budding wedding photographers.

Of course, do take what I say with a big pinch of salt. What worked for me might not work for you. I can’t ultimately advise anyone on the way to progress their wedding photography career. But for what it’s worth, here are some thoughts I have formulated:

• Don’t try to emulate other wedding photographers. In fact, I’d go so far as saying, the less you look at other wedding photographers’ work, the better. Why? Because if your work looks just like everyone else’s, why would a couple choose you over and above them? Instead, find your own visual style and ‘grammar’. Easier said then done I know, but that’s nonetheless the challenge.

• I did an MA in photojournalism, which switched me on to documentary photography, and my aesthetic is still more inspired by great photojournalists like Robert Frank, Josef Koudelka, Brenda Ann Kenneally, Sohrab Hura and Eugene Richards. You most definitely do not need an MA, or even a GCSE to be a good or successful wedding photographer. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Indeed, you don't need to be at all academic. But I do believe you need to be someone who is interested in the visual arts generally, not just photography. So whether you watch arthouse films, like going to the National Gallery to see some of the finest paintings you’ll find anywhere in the world, geeking out on typography or Polish movie poster art, give your eyeballs a lot more to look at then what is often anodyne-Calvin-Klein-aftershave-ad-inspired-ersatz-‘art'-wedding-photography. 

• Build a great website. And that doesn’t just mean creating a pretty website with lots of great photos. You also have to learn about good SEO. And if you don't know what SEO means, you absolutely 100% need to learn what it is. This is probably the only thing on this page that I consider a MUST. Learn about SEO, and do good SEO. 

• So how to get off the starting block? If you haven’t got a wedding portfolio, why would anyone pay you to photograph their wedding? Good question. Just a suggestion - advertise on Gumtree or social media that you want to photograph people’s weddings for free so that you can build a portfolio.

• If you go down that route, agree in writing what couples can and can't expect from you. Manage their expectations - it’s only fair. Don't give them the impression that you can do what an experienced and professional wedding photographer can do.

• After that, keep your prices low to start with. Self-belief is good, but don't expect anyone to give you two grand to photograph their wedding if you've only got two weddings under your belt. Increase your prices over time, commensurate with your developing experience and growing portfolio.

• You don't have to spend time as an assistant to a professional wedding photographer. I never did. But I'm not advising against it either. It could be really beneficial (just don't let anyone exploit you!)

• Think about being a wedding photographer as a privilege. This might be the only time in someone’s lives that they are commissioning an artist. So focus on making good art for your clients. You will do a lot better in the long run if you have that kind of mindset, compared to the shysters that look at it purely in terms of tapping a lucrative market. And there are a LOT of wedding photographers like that. Yes, they’ll make money maybe, at least in the short term. But if you concentrate on being a great wedding photographer, you are more likely to be a greater success in the long term.

• Be business minded. That means have good admin systems, be organised, communicate clearly and transparently with (potential) clients - always, always, always.

• Be the kind of person that a couple would want to have around as part of their wedding day.

Best of luck out there! Being a wedding photographer is brilliant!