Monday, October 15, 2012

“Why should I choose a professional photographer?”


“Why should I choose a professional photographer?”

There’s nothing in the rule book that says you have to hire the services of a professional photographer for your special day, but there are some very important things to consider if you decide not to. When organizing a wedding, it’s quite normal to focus on the things that will add to the pomp and ceremony of the occasion, but sometimes, we can go a bit overboard with the stretch Hummer or the Sydney Harbour cruise and blow the budget.

It’s then that we start looking for cheaper alternatives for those products or services we haven’t yet booked, and often end up trying to cut corners. Wedding photography is a perfect example of a service that people try to get cheaply because they've over spent on something like a horse and carriage. Now, I’m not saying for a moment that a horse and carriage or a stretch Hummer are not great accessories to have on your big day, but they’re not going to be there for you to look back at in 20 years time like your photos will be.

You see, as unimportant as your wedding photographer may seem in the bigger scheme of things, it’s actually he or she that will be providing you with one of the most important services on your wedding day. Without a wedding photographer, you won’t have any memories of your special day, and of course, no one will get to see the horse and carriage or the magnificent view of Sydney Harbour either.

Having said all that, there might just be a way around it!!! There are many people who think that Uncle Bill can quite easily take the photos of their big day because he has “a good camera.” And, it’s true, a good quality camera will give you good photos, but the reality is, the camera is only as good as the photographer! So, whilst Uncle Bill will save you a few dollars in the short term, you might end up being very disappointed in the long term. Why? We’ve listed some reasons below:

-      It’s highly unlikely that Uncle Bill can edit your photos, so there could be a lot of red eye and other quality issues.
-      Uncle Bill probably won’t be able to capture those “special” photos that will create lifelong memories.
-      Uncle Bill probably won’t have extra lighting and accessories to improve the quality of your photos.
-      Quite often, Uncle Bill will only take photos of the people on his side of the family........oops!
-      And of course, as Uncle Bill indulges in a few beers, the quality of your photos will probably won’t be what you had hoped for.

In reality, owning a Porsche doesn't make you a racing car driver, and owning “a good” camera doesn't make you a photographer. Having said that, if you do decide to hire the services of a professional wedding photographer, it’s important to view some samples of their work before you agree to let them take your photos. We’ll talk more about that in our next blog.

Until then, prepare early, and remember, it’s the photos that will still be there in 30 years!

Steve Johnston is the owner of Studio8 Photography, Sydney. For any questions relating to wedding photography, contact him via email:steve@studio8photography.com.au or Ph: 0410 588 857.

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