Why it’s important to hire a professional photographer
These days everyone is a photographer. Digital cameras are cheap and most point and shoots provide good enough results that you can produce, from time to time, a straight out of the camera shot that’s stunning. But when it comes to having a portrait session or having a wedding shot, do you want to take the chance that perhaps none of them will be just what you wanted?
“But Kate,” you may ask, “my friend will take my wedding photos for free and her photos looks pretty good on Facebook! Why would I want to shell out the cash for a professional photographer?”
Let me respond:
1. Professional photographers have shot other weddings and done many other portrait sessions before. They know how to make your event or portrait look awesome. Provided that the photographer has represented themselves correctly on their web site, what you see is what you’ll get. With a casual photographer, you may not receive consistent results, and they may not compose your photos as well or as artistically as a professional might.
2. Professional photographers use DSLRs, which allow them to use their own lenses. Most professional photographers invest in expensive lenses to ensure that your photos are crisp and the colors are accurate. Although some nonprofessionals use DSLRS, many never invest in lenses beyond the lens that came with their body. This lens, known as a kit lens, does not result in the best of images. It provides mediocre results and does not compare to the results that expensive lenses can deliver.
3. Professional photographers have experience using image editing software. Most use Photoshop and possibly Lightroom. It takes years to become skilled in these programs, but the end result is worth it; photographers who know how to use Photoshop well can really make an image pop. Let me show you an example below.
The photo on the left is straight out of the camera (SOOC) while the photo on the right has been processed in Photoshop. Do you see the difference? The picture on the right has warmer, more accurate colors and is sharper. I was also able to remove the concrete in the bottom left hand corner of the image and any blemishes have been removed. The end result is much better than the image I began with.
Can your friend accomplish results like this in Photoshop?
When hiring someone who isn’t a professional photographer, it’s important to ask the above questions to ensure that you’ll get pictures that are timeless. Photography is an expensive profession, which requires the purchase of lenses that cost at least several hundred dollars, expensive camera bodies, and requires a lot of experience actually shooting and working with editing programs. It’s worth it, in my opinion, to spend the money and feel confident in the fact that you will be receiving a solid product that you will treasure in the years to come.