Why a Professional Wedding Photographer?

June 13, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Howdy, folks! Today I'm starting a 3-part series of blog posts discussing some of the most common questions regarding our profession. Cost is certainly an issue with most aspects of the wedding, but the wedding photographer's price tag seems to garner the most questions. Do I need to hire a professional? Why the high price? Is it worth it? How can I save money? The answers to these questions aren't complicated, but they are important.

For this first blog post, we're going to discuss value. Or, simply put, we'll answer the question, "Why should a couple hire a wedding photographer?" Here's a few reasons.

Experience. A wedding photographer's experience is probably his or her best asset. Experience has taught the professional not only a list of helpful dos and don'ts, but also a host of practical solutions to wedding challenges. For instance, if the power goes out making the reception an hour late and literally candlelit, a good photographer will know how to compensate for the lighting and still give you the photos you need in the time you have left. Experience makes photographers efficient with your time and ready for the unexpected.
Technical skill. How did the photographer in our imaginary situation manage to capture great photos in horrible lighting? Professionals know their cameras inside and out, meaning they have the technical skill to respond to photographic challenges. Those foreign concepts like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance-a professional will clearly understand these and be able to use them to your advantage. Let's say that at our disaster wedding the officiant decides that the photographer can't use a flash or move anywhere near the front of the church. While it sounds like a nightmare, anyone who'd shot at least a few weddings has faced it and survived with the skills necessary to overcome it in the future.
Creativity. Frankly, no one stays in this business without a certain level of creative skill. A professional photographer will have developed this skill by trying new things and developing a unique style. He or she will spend hours simply thinking about new ideas, ways of photographing, poses, etc. Wedding photographers offer you the most creative ways of telling your wedding's story.

Quality. Your overall quality is going to be much higher with a professional, for a variety of reasons. I'm sure you can see that everything we discussed above has a huge impact on quality. However, also take into account the amount of money a professional will have invested in proper camera and computer equipment. A lot of money and time are also spent ensuring we can accurately produce beautiful colors, in focus, at the right time. Tools don't make a professional, but a professional will have the right tools.

One last tip I'd like to share from my own experience-choose a photographer with the right personality for you. In most situations, the photographer will be your constant wedding day companion. The variety of professional photographers in the industry provides you with the chance to choose someone who will be fun and encouraging for you.

A wedding photographer will bring you the experience, technical skill, creativity, quality, and personality you'd expect from a professional. Come back next time and we'll look at the cost of wedding photographers!

Until next time.

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Why a Professional Wedding Photographer?

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