I was in participating in a concurrent thread, and the topic of age/experience came up. There was some interesting discission and in order to not hijack that thread I thought I would follow others suggestions and start a new thread.

In that thread I asked another young wedding videographer (I'm 23 myself, and shot my first wedding when I was 20) whether their age and experience has ever come under question. Mine has, to which my reply has always been that video is a relatively new and fast-changing artform (compared to photography for example), so I don't see youth as a disadvantage. I know we are all constantly learning (isn't that the point of DVinfo?) so I see myself as having the most to gain.

So I had a few questions I wanted to ask to my fellow wedding videographers...

Has your age and experience ever been questioned? If so what is your response?
Do you find that (perhaps even subcionciously with your marketing) you attract couples of a certain age or demographic? ie If you're younger do you find your clients are mostly younger couples too or vice versa?
Do you feel as though you've been on a steady learning curve throughout your career? Or perhaps an exponential learning curve? Or do you perhaps cruise along for periods and then realise you have catching up to do?


As always, I'm looking forward to some interesting answers...

In so many ways this is a "life" question of "youth and ambition" vs. "age and wisdom". That question is something I realized quite some time ago. It also is a universal question as it translates to life and all careers/industries.

In my life it translated to getting into the day job and seeing all "the old guys" who had been at it forever. As the years rolled on, I saw plenty of "new kids" come and go, but those "old guys" were still there. Lots of times the "old guys" didn't have to follow whatever management was dictating that week, they just sat back and continued doing what they always did. I always wondered about that, why two sets of rules? As time went on I learned it was because the "old guys" were consistent performers and week in, week out they always came through.

At some point in time very early on it was pointed out to me by someone that "the old guy over there..... he's already FORGOTTEN more than YOU know!" I understood the words that were said to me but it was years later before I "grasped" it.

To try and explain to you the difference, it has nothing to do with editing. It almost has nothing to do with filming either. It's about having been in a situation several times before and because of that experience you instinctively know what to do and how to handle it. The experiences have also taught you what works and what is a waste of time. The biggest thing an "old guy" knows that "youth and ambition" doesn't know yet, is how to handle the people involved during all the various possible situations. That starts with intitial dealings to booking to mother of the bride to bridezilla. They've all "been there, done it" in fact more time than they ever remember.

Where "youth and ambition" can kick an "old guys" butt is being able to relate well to the bride and what is current in the lives of the younger adults today. As far as the quality of your work, if you are good no one knows if it was done by an "old guy" or some kid in high school. They are looking at the filming and edting then, and as someone with "youth and ambition" that is what you should be stressing. Even after all of that, you are still going to lose some deals to the "old guy". As you sit back and wonder why, the answer is he most likely already knew the type of person he was dealing with, what her hot buttons were, and how to close the sale with her.

NOW. the SCARY PART !!!

Someday when you least expect it, something will come up and someone will come to you on what to do. You will instinctive know, YOU pull it off and afterwards figure out OMG...... I'M NOW ONE OF THOSE "OLD GUYS" !!!

I'm 64, doing vid for 27 years. Started as a still photog back in 71. Roughly 2100 weddings. I guess I'm experienced. Of course experience is something that happens to you that you wish had happened to someone else. <sigh> BUT age and "experience" has worked both ways for me. Every once in a while I lose out because "I'm too old" not that they say that but you can hear it in their voice. Other times I get the work BECAUSE I have age and experience which to some means "wisdom". I've never figured that one out but I guess it means that you've seen pretty much everything and very few things phase you.
Have I ever thought I didn't need to learn anything more? Nope, but there have been times when I've slowed the learning curve, like now. I keep thinking that retirement is close at hand back off the learning for now, I have a technique and workflow that work for me why get all tied up in a knot right now? BUT I've kinda of been saying that for a while now and I'm still here.
Funny this topic came up because it made me think about when I was 25 or so thinking the very same thing and asking why the old guys were still around and how the heck they kept doing so well in the photo business. It translates to video as well of course.
Today with all the new innovation in gear, shooting styles, business practices (internet, email with very little face to face until the day of unlike years ago) one has to keep up. Someone once said "you're either moving ahead or falling behind but you are never standing still"
I'm kind of rambling now as my brain is in OD mode so let me end by saying this. One day someone will be asking you the very same question. ;-)

I'm a year older than Don (well almost) and started weddings in 1990.

Do I attract older brides??? NOPE ..they range from 19 to 90 and my age is never questioned. I think as long as they like your work and you have a professional business approach then age is not an issue.

Go and see a client and go into their home with a walker and yes, you will probably be rejected...again get dropped off at the bride's house by Mummy cos you are too young to have a drivers licence then you may also lose a client.

Then again if you are 23, 43 or 63 and only have 2 weddings under your belt bride's might feel "safer" with someone with a more comprehensive history.

Chris

When I was in my late teens my ambition was to be a writer. Such scholastic success as I'd had indicated that I might have the basis for that wish. Then I read Paul Gallico's "Confessions of a Storyteller". It was both inspirational but also utterly depressing. The nub of Gallico's argument is that the key to telling stories is your experience of life. Pretty damning for a boy of 18.

And yet, 50 years on I understand what he means. Chip's response captures part of it; the greater the experience the more likely it is that we've faced and solved the problem before.

But I think it's more. I deal with my youthful competitors by telling potential clients that when I was their age and still learning my craft, part of me was still experimenting, pushing the boundaries. Sometimes the experiments worked, on others they failed. Do they want THEIR once-in-a-lifetime programme to be an experiment or made by someone whose experiments are long behind him? Biased? Certainly. Brutal? Perhaps but this is business. Does it work? Well like Chris Harding (I almost wrote young Chris Harding) I don't seem to have any trouble satisfying 19 year old brides - though I admit I could have phrased that statement more elegantly.

What I can't tell are how many 19 year old brides didn't choose me because I was older than their fathers. That's the imponderable.

I always chat to competitors at wedding fairs, commiserate with the old-timers about the state of the business and try and encourage the youngsters. I have to smile when, quite regularly the youngsters will say something like "we're doing weddings for a few years but our plans are to then move on to real programmes". Some of them may well end up with their name in lights but as I tell those willing to listen, wedding programmes are some of the most demanding I've ever produced. Minimum crews, minimum time, minimum planning and minimum budget, amateur on-screen talent and no control over the environment, the lighting or the sound. Only a madman would try and make a professional programme under those circumstances. It would be unthinkable trying to do it without 30 years of professional programme making and an additional 20+ years of enthusiasm for it as a hobby.

This all begs the question , "Then why do we do it?" It's undeniable that weddings are a great environment in which to work, but that's not it all. Maybe it's the ability to create memories so intense that they evoke the most basic emotions, or maybe when you get to my age the ability to satisfy a 19 year old bride in even the most prosaic way is enough in itself.

I've tried talking to young guys. I find them impatient, and they expect instant results. If they come across an obstacle, they google it, find a solution on forums like these, then proclaim to be an "expert" in their field. I tell them that what they think they know and what they actually know are two different things. I tell them that a great majority of their knowledge will come with lots of practice over time. Sadly, they think that owning a Canon 5DII, steadicam, and slider will automatically make them a professional videographer. An analogy I give them is if I gave them a Stradivarius violin, they could watch all the youtube videos on how to play it, and read all the forums about proper technique, but there is a world of difference between playing notes and MAKING MUSIC. Anyone can play notes, but only through practice and experience can you make music.

Beautifully put Warren!!

Sadly the photog scene here is much the same..girls leave school, Daddy buys them a couple of 5D's and they attend a quick 6 month course at the local college and VOILA they are wedding pros!!!!

What worries me the most is that in both fields the basics are never attained by younger and very eager enthusiasts.... "What is the rule of thirds?? Never heard of it!!" You just cannot get experience off google, YouTube and forums..it has to be done the hard way. It seems that technical expertise and knowledge is now a substitute for experience.

Chris

I've tried talking to young guys. I find them impatient, and they expect instant results. If they come across an obstacle, they google it, find a solution on forums like these, then proclaim to be an "expert" in their field. I tell them that what they think they know and what they actually know are two different things. I tell them that a great majority of their knowledge will come with lots of practice over time. Sadly, they think that owning a Canon 5DII, steadicam, and slider will automatically make them a professional videographer. An analogy I give them is if I gave them a Stradivarius violin, they could watch all the youtube videos on how to play it, and read all the forums about proper technique, but there is a world of difference between playing notes and MAKING MUSIC. Anyone can play notes, but only through practice and experience can you make music.


Very well said. Although it's not always the rule (I mean the above behaviors), those guys, regardless how much gear they're loaded with, they start shaking when something goes a bit off schedule during a live event (a wedding for example). Patience and ability to listen and learn, that's what is required. Steadicams and DSLRs? Just tools.

...but there is a world of difference between playing notes and MAKING MUSIC. Anyone can play notes, but only through practice and experience can you make music.

And some manage to play all the right notes, but not in the correct order...

[Aplogies to Eric Morecombe]

:)

Instant sucess as Warren put it is IMO a by-product of todays society. Instant everything, coffee, oatmeal, images and sucess. Ever watch a photog take a photo then check their LCD for proof of sucess? That's what I call it. Look at the LCD I see the image I just took so therefore I am sucessful. Hmmm try shooting 220 film.
Anyway, I digress...Philip you ol' rascal you. Still satisifying those 19 year olds ;-)....a lot can be read into that. What I read into that is this. Philip, like Warren, Chris, other "more experienced" folks including myself get hired by a wide variety of people for a variety of reasons including the fact that we all have a solid track record to go on. While we may have differing styles of shooting, editing etc we all have the experience to deal with literally any issuse that arises at a wedding simply because we've either run across it before or our "experience" (read age) gives a bit more of common sense/knowledge than say someone who is in their early 20s. Not to say someone quite young couldn't deal with a particular situation just saying that I know when my children were in their early 20s..well lets just say that there is a pretty big difference between 23 and 33.
Now while this all maynot be true in all cases we are talking generalities. Keep in mind also that it can work the other waay. Just because someone has age doesn't mean they always act or look it. People fall over when they learn my age because I don't look it, mostly don't act it either. I've had people peg me for about 12 to 15 years younger than I am. Flattering. The point is I try not to let my age come into play. Why mention it? Shooting weddings can be and is a physically demanding job so at a time in life it becomes harder to do. Maybe those of us who a a bit more mature need to exercise more (yeah right) or get to bed earlier or eat better or whatever to keep up with the 20 somethings but regardless of the fact that I do none of those thing I have never and I mean never missed any event regardless of how I felt.
What I'm getting to in the long way is that we are all going to reach a point of "age and experience"-can't get around it so use it to ones advantage, embrace it, keep learning, and simply put out the best product you can everytime. Then it won't matter how much grey hair you have (if you still have hair).
A great man once told me, "Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter" How true that is.

O|O
\--/

, wedding programmes are some of the most demanding I've ever produced. Minimum crews, minimum time, minimum planning and minimum budget, amateur on-screen talent and no control over the environment, the lighting or the sound. Only a madman would try and make a professional programme under those circumstances.

I may copy/paste this to my Facebook! This is great.

Thanks for the memories Don

Shooting weddings (when I still a photog) with 220 roll film and a Mamiya RB-67 ...gosh you got 16 exposures out of a roll and the only way you could check shots on site was to have a Polaroid back and shoot on that first before loading the film back (no I didn't have one!!) I had to wait until I got back to my lab (yeah guys we used to process our own negs and prints too!!) to see if I had messed up or not and by then it was too late.

I must admit when I get back from a wedding more things ache than 10 years ago but it keeps you fit and I'll continue until I have to skip weddings because the last one laid me flat on my back for a week!!

I think Philip is keeping a dark secret from us??? He is older than both of us so making chasing 19 year olds is the way to keep fit for your wedding shoot?????

We both know we will keep on going for as long as we can!!

Chris

Chris, maybe we're brothers from different mothers...twins. I too had a RB67. What a great camera. EXCEPT when you pressed the button the thing sounded like a canon going off in a church. That damn mirror was so big my wife could have used it for a makeup mirror. I actually never used it a church because of the sound it made. I continued using my GraflexXL (6X7 rangefinder cam-what a wonderful camera it was) in the church and used the RB for the formal portraits after the ceremony. I had the 80mm standard lens, the 55mmWA and the 150 tele. Brings back memories.
Funny I can remember some of my still gear like it was yesterday but blank completely on some of my video gear. Either it's selective memory OR I need to start chaing 19 year olds like Philip! (just kidding Philip-don't want to get either of us in trouble)
O|O
\--/

Michael, that is a great saying. how true it is.

Chris- today EVERYTHING aches when I get home. My best friends these days is a great pair of shoes and the bottle of ibruprophen! ;-)

Michael, I'm sure that everything here is public domain so use the words as you will. Now you'rve drawn attention to it I wish I'd added "but we do." at the end of it.

Don and Chris re 19 year old brides; I fear you have misread or are indulging in fantasy. On the other hand my wife is 22 years younger than me so maybe your imagination harbours the seeds of a truth.

Re the whole topic, wasn't it Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) who wrote that when he returned to Hannibal after a period of time away, he couldn't believe how wise his father had become?

I'm 27 and my wife is 25 and we totally use the "we relate to you and know what you're looking for" line :)

You all make such excellent and wise remarks. Just goes to show that in this business there are so many different ways that work and none of them are necessarily wrong.

I"m 28, been shooting wedding videos (dvds, films, wedding cinema; whatever you want to call it) for 8 years (part time for the 1st 3 while I was at uni, studying film n tv)

I had a pretty steep learning curve for the 1st few years, more of a steady one since then i'd say.

As far as I know, my age / experience has never been an issue, I consider myself (relatively) young, yet (relatively) experienced.

In the past few wedding shows ive had a few new young guys come up to me for advice, I found it very strange, as I never thought of mysself in that position, but then I thought about it (8 years in after all) and I had one of those “life / career appreciation " moments :)

So i consider myseslf young, but experienced. I like my job, i lke to shoot, i like to edit, i LOVE being my own boss and being a one man band. I love new technologies, new cameras, new toys, learning new techniques (from both the young upstarts and the seasoned vets)

At 28 an in relatively good shape, I still ache after a long 12 hour wedding, and this will only get worse with age! Comfy shoes are thee most essential bi of kit!

Will I still feel the same when im 65? I'll let you know ;)

(i'm pretty sure I will)


James

(sorry for the grammar and spelling, getting used to one the new toys, iPad)

James, thanks for expressing the view of the younger worker in what was in danger of becoming a retirement home thread.

I'm sure that spelling and grammar aren't judged in forums etc amongst friends but you raise a serious point that everyone in business of any type should be aware of. When we're communicating with our public, spelling and grammar do matter.

In a technical and legal sense bad punctuation and grammar can change the fundamental meaning of a contract.

In basic communications many people will be concerned that a letter or brochure badly spelled and incorrectly punctuated may be evidence of the same lack of care in the product.

Probably the most common failing is not checking for errors - or more probably typos - in the titling and what makes this potentially the most serious is that they're errors which will be presented every time the programme is shown.

None of us who were never taught to type can be immune from typos yet they can leave the most damaging and possibly false impression about us. Ironically most word processors incorporate spell- and grammar-checkers yet they often seem to be the least-used features, not least amongst newspapers. In fact here in Britain one otherwise highly regarded daily newspaper earned such a notorious reputation for typos when technology did away with typesetters (traditionally the correctors of spelling and grammar) and put the journalists' writing directly on to the page, that it became known in some circles as The Graunaid, an anagram of its real name.

James doesn't make me feel so bad now!! Aching all over at 28 means that we are indeed doing a pretty physical job!!!

Yes Philip regardless of age, correct spelling and grammar is critical to portray a professional business image ... I had a brief encounter with a 2nd shooter (not your 19 year old sort of bride!!!) who had absolutely no idea of spelling, grammar and also dress sense!!! She was basically a slob and how she got clients as a photog beats me!!

I was actually quite pleased a few weeks ago when a member of the band said to me "You are the first videographer I've seen who dresses correctly" "Most arrive at a formal wedding in torn jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers" .... Professional business also extends to your own personal presentation not only your communication and sadly a lot of new entries to the market seem to think that because they are "artists" they can dress as they feel!!

Chris

I've tried talking to young guys. I find them impatient, and they expect instant results. If they come across an obstacle, they google it, find a solution on forums like these, then proclaim to be an "expert" in their field. I tell them that what they think they know and what they actually know are two different things. I tell them that a great majority of their knowledge will come with lots of practice over time. Sadly, they think that owning a Canon 5DII, steadicam, and slider will automatically make them a professional videographer. An analogy I give them is if I gave them a Stradivarius violin, they could watch all the youtube videos on how to play it, and read all the forums about proper technique, but there is a world of difference between playing notes and MAKING MUSIC. Anyone can play notes, but only through practice and experience can you make music.

Some of these guys are what the words arrogance and hubris were invented to describe. Because they are new at it, they feel the need to put on a show to cover their lack of experience which can be really, really hard to be around.

James, thanks for expressing the view of the younger worker in what was in danger of becoming a retirement home thread.

Oh Philip, it wasn't getting that bad...was it? :-)

I went through the dissertation I did because for 29 of my 42 years on my day job, I got to work side by side with one of the best of "the old guys", my Dad. I saw how he approached things and how we would often differ on which way would be more correct. Along with working with my Dad, I would daily have other opportunities to interact with others of his generation and stature in the industry. All of that was rolled into my other work related experiences to formulate what knowledge of my industry that I have.

As we have seen here from the three posters I was thinking of when I wrote my post, one trait I have often found the "old guys" all seem to have is they are most often "ever the gentleman".

When it comes to video, heck I'm still wet behind the ears. I have been lucky enough to get to know Chris who has given me volumes of advice and the benefit of his experiences. I have one other "mentor", Gary happens to be half my age.

But from what I have seen that is severely lacking in this video industry, is a large local contingent of "the old guys" for the "young bucks" to talk to, learn from and experience. It really is an industry in its infancy that sure looks to have many more involved who are under 40 than over.

John's OP stated he has 3 years in the field at 23 and as we know, three years filming, creating and getting paid for it, is nothing to sneeze at !!! James has 8 years experience to draw on, again, very admirable to say the least. Aaron also chimed in about how he is using his and his wife age and experience to relate well to their clients. My guess is, anyone one of the three of these could "clean my clock" when it came to knowing anything about weddings. So they have the right to think "their experience" might be to a point of "beyond reproach".

I say this because, again I will guess, none of them has a Chris, Don or Philip they can hang with locally on a regular basis and pick up on some of the vast wealth of experiences. During my earlier years on my day job, I pretty much felt the same way. I KNEW lots of things about my job, but it was only later on that I realized there is "knowledge and experience"......and then there is "wisdom".

In my day job, when I hit that point, only then could I really see how much I really knew and how much I still had to learn !!!

Dress code is something that suprises me a lot!

I wear a suit ( no tie ) and while that might be at the upper end of the dress code, but it routinely suprises me how (a'hem) a LOT of other wedding suppliers just role up in jeans and trainers

I'm guilty of letting grammar and spelling slip on here ( is there a spell check on ipad?) but when corresponding with clients, its all a ok proper English!

I would have loved to have had a mentor (s) when I started, but the reality is, that didn't even come close to happening (to be fair, i never sought out such a thing)

When I started, my local scene just seemed very 'closed' off, existing shooters were more interested in literally stealing a copy of my demo dvd at wedding shows rather than starting a conversation (ironically I would have gladly given them one of my dvds in exchange for one of theirs

It's only in the last year or two that i've started to develop relationships with other local shooters ( both in their mid 30s - I think) one who I think started the year before me, and another who just started a year and a half ago.

Its been great, we have different styles, but respect each other and each ohers work, we refer potential clients if we are already booked, we share stories (bitch) about troublesome weddings, talk about gear etc , I was in the unusual position foffering advice to the new shooter when he started (it did feel a bit odd given he is older than me) but that's the reality of the situation, he's older, but I'm more experienced.

Creating and building these relationships with other shooters has been nothing but good, I wish I'd done it sooner.

Ah, the dreaded dress code! Like James, we've seen our fair share of photographers dressed for a day at the golf course, totally out of keeping with the rest of the guests let alone the wedding party, but the best of them are, like their work, smart.

Our objective is to merge into the background and to do that we find the best way is to look as much as possible like the wedding party whom we'll be around for most of the day. That means morning dress if they're wearing morning dress or black suits if they're less formal. For the benefit of US colleagues we don't have many dinner jacket weddings in the UK.

But it's all a matter of degree and to a certain extent personal style; I'm not critical of those cameramen who only wear dark suits. Recently we recorded a wedding at which the men all wore white tie and tails - again unusual in the UK if you're not a concert pianist. And at our next wedding the entire male party are wearing kilts - and the groom reminded me at our last meeting that they were "real" Scotsmen. That's a second reason why I'm happy to discover that there's no Scots tartan for Welshmen or Lancastrians so the men of the video crew will be in black suits.

In general, if there's any doubt, we'd err on the side of formality, for example I would never shoot a wedding without some sort of neck tie. I've never felt uncomfortable being "over-dressed" but it's very difficult fitting in if one's too informal.

The other consideration is cost. An ex-rental morning dress is considerably less expensive than a good quality black suit and, like all "uniforms" it means there's less wear and tear on the regular suit.

Finally, we've dropped out of the trend of recent years of wearing "scrunch" cravats. Taking our leave from the recent Royal wedding at which, oddly, the only notable wearer of a scrunch was David Beckham, my third shooter and I wear matching ties - my second shooter's my wife and she isn't into ties at all.

Could I add a note to Chip's posting? In think wisdom" is what we hope we call on when "knowledge and experience" aren't enough!

I shot my first wedding when I was 17 -- on an SVHS camera as a favor for a relative whose photography business was expanding to include video. I've been shooting in one form or another since then (that was half a lifetime ago), and not once was my age/experience in question. I was shooting and doing 3D-animated accident recreations for the DA when I was 20, on top of TV, commercials, weddings, events, etc. . . .

I guess I've always delivered, and have always been able to give people the impression that I know exactly what I'm doing (even if I don't).

There is no substitute for experience, but more importantly, there is no substitute for skill, tools, and taste, none of which is guaranteed with age.

(Ten minutes later...)

Hi John. I neglected to answer any of your questions directly! I did once have my age and experience come into play. I was told outright by a client that they went with someone else for a project because "he has more experience and the rates were close". Short story, short: the project was never finished.

I shot my first wedding as a high school junior at the age of 16. While taking tv classes (we had a very advanced tv program at my hs) I was recommended by one of the hosts of a live weekly show in our town to work with a photography company. My second wedding I shot the client wanted to inspect my gear, check my tapes and ask me a million questions before I was allowed to continue shooting. I guess being only 16 he didn't trust that I had quality gear but I was lucky enough to have had enough money at the time to buy an XL2 and some nice accessories... from that point on nobody has ever questions my experience or age even though I'm still much younger than the average wedding shooter in my area (I'm still only 22) but having 6 years of wedding experience and 8 years of media creation experience, if my age and experience would ever come up I think I have enough to still secure the job.

I think a lot of it has to do with a persons attitude. I have seen it both ways for both young and old.

I have seen younger people that have incredible knowledge, are humble and always willing to learn and then the ones that think they know it all and that other people have nothing to teach them.

I have also seen older people that are just going through the paces and unwilling to try anything new. Then the ones that are a wealth of knowledge that they love to share and yet are still open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

It is unfortunate that a growing majority of younger people these days (at least it seems to me) seem to not be willing to learn and when they do learn it is just on the surface and they don't really dig deep to really see how and why things work the way that they do.

I am in the young group, but I feel (I am a little biased...) I am different from a lot of other people my age. I am 27 and have been working full time since I was 14. I think that because I was young and worked mostly with adults that my ability to relate to older people was cultivated early and quickly. I had to learn how to interact in such a way as to not be "written off" as just being young.

I also am always trying to learn new things. I joke that when other boys were looking at porno I was reading manuals :) I have always loved sitting and talking to people who are more knowledgeable than I am. I try to glean as much as I can and to not only know the surface but to follow it up with my own research and learn the whole picture.

I also have had the benefit of working on a large variety of projects from early on and learning the "right" way to do things in real world situations from very smart and talented people.

I don't have people that think I am to young or inexperienced in fact I regularly have people think that I am older than I am. I think a lot of that comes from the way I present myself and interact with people and also the fact that for my age I have a lot of experience.

I think it really depends on the individual person, young or old, and how they carry themselves. I think most people can recognize a motivated, talented, confident, and knowledgeable person from one that does not have those traits, no mater how old (or young) they are.

... An analogy I give them is if I gave them a Stradivarius violin, they could watch all the youtube videos on how to play it, and read all the forums about proper technique, but there is a world of difference between playing notes and MAKING MUSIC. Anyone can play notes, but only through practice and experience can you make music.

Hi Warren,

That is a great line. May I quote you?

Neither age nor experience guarantee professionalism,
my clients never ask me how old I am, and just a few geeks asked me how long I've been shooting,
90% of my clients make their decision based on my demo reels, highlights and full wedding videos;
and of course the price :)