Why A Pro ?

Why a pro ?

With the advancement of digital imaging you might be asking yourself why photographers can get away with charging what they get away with for turning up and taking a few photographs. The current popular perception of wedding photography is that anyone can turn up with a digital camera and get fantastic results just by clicking away. After all you probably have a friend, friend of a friend or relative who had ‘done a bit of photography’. In this little article I want to help you decide if you want a professional looking after your wedding images. Here are a few things to consider.

A Plan – A professional will have a plan – they will have a shot list and a range of ideas in their head. More importantly, they will have a backup plan. What if it rains ? What if it snows ? What if the location you really wanted to have your photographs taken in suddenly isn’t available ? What if someone runs late and the schedule goes out the window ? A good photographer can work around these things.
Been there before – Experience is what you are really paying for – the ability to get on with the photographic job whilst at the same time offering solicited advice on all sorts of matters utterly unconnected with image making.
You only get one chance – Each moment of your wedding day will only happen once. You need someone there with the tools and experience to capture that day for you – it goes so fast and the photographs are the one thing that frame your memories for years to come. They should be the best they can possibly be.
Professionals carry all the tools they need – A good professional photographer will have backups of backups – two or three cameras, lenses for every situation and enough lighting to make it all look as natural as nature intended. Sometimes technology fails, and a pro will be able to carry on without anyone even noticing.
A critical eye – The photographer you use should have to only pay attention to your needs. They will not be distracted by friends of friends or people they once met ten years ago who fancy a chat at an inappropriate moment. They are there to do one thing well rather than juggle being a ‘guest’ and an ’employee’.
A well worn path – Many an aspiring photographer has agreed to take on a friends or relatives wedding and regretted it later. It is a lot of pressure to put on someone and many Brides and Grooms don’t fully appreciate what they are asking for. Your friend probably won’t enjoy your big day as much as you would like them to. Ask yourself how comfortable you would be working alone and for nothing in someone else’s office for the day (with a lot of responsibility and without the advice of anyone else) just because they are a friend of yours ?
Post Production – Being in the right place at the right time to capture the right image gets the photographer most of the way to the finished product. The last critical little bit is a gentle hand in post production to really make your photographs jump out from the page. Also you can have all sorts of advice on presentation – web galleries, books, albums prints …………………….. Make use of the experience. After all, why pay professional rates for your photos to gather dust at the bottom of your wardrobe ?
In the worst case, should things go wrong for whatever reason, professionals are insured. We carry both professional indemnity and public liability insurance to cover the worst of situations.

Marc Henry – March 2013