Why a Professional? (or “Choosing THAT Photographer” cont.)

 

So, we talked about choosing a Photographer for your Big Day, but now I would like to touch upon WHY you really should hire a Professional Photographer to begin with.

A Wedding is a costly event. No matter how big or small and what the economy is doing a Wedding is not cheap and most of us have a budget.

So why allocate such a portion of that budget on a Professional Photographer? After all aunt Mary, cousin John, our friend Mike have “good” camera’s, why not use them?

Well, simply put, this is what we do Our profession is Photography, we live, eat, sleep and breath taking Photographs. Now this may not seem much in itself but experience counts.

When choosing your Photographer (as I wrote before) I suggest looking for certain things and asking certain questions. Also, with a Professional Wedding Photographer you need to make sure of some other points and check that some things are indeed correct. Getting back to the relative/friend who has a “good” camera. Does that friend not want to be part of the joy of your Wedding Day? Because as a Professional we are there for YOU! Not to participate and join in with your celebrations per se, but to capture them for your treasured memories! Also, we have more than just a “good” camera to use (and I strongly urge you to check this upon initial contact with the Photographers you interview) we have several. Camera’s, especially digital ones, are electronic and very complicated tools. We hate to think it but they can and do go wrong at times. With this possibility (however remote) we carry several camera’s to any event to ensure that in the unlikely event that something happens to one, we have plenty of backup. It would be terrible for the equipment to break down/malfunction and in so doing  loose all those precious moments. Most relatives/friends do not have or indeed want this burden, they may volunteer and be excited but do they really have the right tools to make sure it is done correctly? Let alone the experience.

Hmmm, experience you say, aren’t Weddings just like taking photographs of anything else? Basically NO! Wedding Photography is quiet specialised both in it’s work-flow and it’s specifics. For instance, many Churches do not allow flash Photography. Now does this negate capturing images of your actual ceremony? No it doesn’t, not for the Professional as we have the right equipment. We use the latest camera bodies that can capture photographs in very low light without a flash and use lenses that gather enough light to negate the need for a flash also. I have taken many photographs of services in Churches which do not allow flash but due to the Pro lenses I use and the spec. of my camera bodies it really is NO Problem!

Experience is also needed in when and what to do. This is YOUR happy day and I am sure you would appreciate things to be as effortless as possible. As professionals we know what to do and when to do it. When we need to be here and there and what positions to take to be able to capture that precious moment. Basically we take the stress of capturing those memories upon ourselves, allowing you to just enjoy your Wedding as you should.

Also, think about what happens after the Wedding. The software and skills to process and get your photographs ready is not a cheap or easy task either. It takes experience and investment to have the ability to deliver the finished images to you and allow you to have those treasured memories. So it’s really not just having a “good” camera. A top line computer and software is required as much as the camera equipment itself.

And, when the photographs are processed to your satisfaction, what about an Album or Printing? Professional Print Labs and Album companies do not deal with anyone other than a Professional with credentials. Really? yes really. So even if someone you know with a “good” camera were to take your photographs for you (maybe surmising you will help your budget) then what? You will have a tough time getting them presented in a Professional way to be able to keep and cherish for many years to come.

Basically a Professional is just that, Professional. We make our living doing this and have the experience, equipment and resources to provide you with the very best service we can and one that you deserve. Letting a friend/relative photograph your Wedding really is “false economy” most times, as although they may appear to have the right stuff and attitude, they really cannot even approach the level that  a Professional will bring to your Big Day!

So what have we learnt here?

1.Well, make sure that whomever you speak with/hire has redundancy in their equipment. That is they bring with them more than one camera and lenses that can do they job in any conditions.

2.Make sure they have the best computers for the task and latest software to be able to process the photographs taken.

3.And make sure they have the correct contacts to make sure your Photographs are printed Professionally and/or are presented in a Professional and Quality album (whether “coffee table style or mounted”).

You only do this once, it may seem a little costly at the beginning, but truly, these are memories you will want to cherish and by hiring a Professional you will have a wonderful way to keep that special day Forever

Choosing THAT Photographer

I touch upon this in my Wedding Website “DraigWeddings” in the tips section, but thought I may explore this more here for you Brides and Grooms to be

Your Wedding is one of THE biggest days of your life. It often has a long lead up, takes much planning and preparation, requires alot of time to organize and often includes alot of people from family to friends. And so all this is “captured” making sure you can relive and remember it for years you need a Professional Wedding Photographer.

Now, are all Photographer’s created equal? Easy answer, NO.
Photography is part science and part art. the former is the easier part. A Photographer (at least a Professional, which I truly urge you to hire) will know about the techincal aspect of the job. They will know about the camera equipment and rules/laws governing light (which is what Photography is ALL about, using light). This they have learnt from experience, study etc. But ART, this, just like ANY art such as painting and drawing and music is truly PERSONAL.

So, lets assume you have found a few Professional Photographers (so they KNOW the science part of their craft) now you have to choose whose “art” you prefer. What I mean here, and maybe more easily understood, is their “Style”. Every Photographer, no matter their experience or past have their own distinct “style” (we will refer to the ART as “style” from now on).
The first step here is obviously to look at their work. Check their websites and look at every single image they have. Check to see if they have other (non-wedding related) sites ,ours for instance is www.draigphotography.com ,showing their Photography. This is the easiest part as you can do this at your own leisure,in comfort and also anonymously.
When you have found a few whose “style” you like then I would urge you to make “first contact”, probably with an email. Ask questions, how long have you been doing this? Whats your background? What do you bring to a shoot? Just a few questions to give you a guide. Another good one (and one I think can be quite telling) is What do you LIKE to shoot most? This should give a better initial understanding of their personal tastes and somewhat character. For instance, Portraits are somewhat more rigid and technical, whereas receptions are more of a Photojournalist thing.

“He just mentioned Portraits and Photojournalism, what is he talking about?”.
Well, Wedding Photography generally lends itself to two distinct styles. Portraiture and Photojournalism.
Portraiture is the more traditional type of Wedding Photography where the shots are carefully posed and staged and more technical in their composition. This was the approach by many for years and years but slowly we have developed another style, that of the Photojournalist.
Without going into too much historic detail, think of the Photojournalist approach as the exact opposite of the Portrait Photographer. In Photojournalism the goal is to be completely unobtrusive to the Wedding party and capture completely natural moments.Basically to “freeze frame” a moment in time and let that image “tell a story” no matter who views it.

Now which style you prefer will differ greatly upon what you want your Photographs to look like and say to you. Personally I recommend a Professional Photographer who provides BOTH styles, often called a Portrait/Photojournalist. You may think you do NOT want any posed photographs (and indeed this may be the case) but remember Mum/Dad, Aunt/Uncle, Gran/Gramps etc. MAY indeed like their picture taken with you at the event and it may mean a great deal to them. It can take but moments to set up the “formal/posed” shots and take them so everyone is happy, but to miss them and wish after the fact, ahhhhhh.

Be careful of people saying that they are Only/100% Photojournalist style. I have been around awhile and can honestly say that VERY few Photographers take a 100% hands off approach to shooting (which a PURE Photojournalist would have to do to satisfy the title). Most do indeed pose some shots which makes them Portrait/Photojournalists and they should acknowledge this.

So, now you know what to look for and what style you are interested in (hopefully Portrait/Photojournalism as this will provide the full gamet ). So now how do you choose?
Well, I would at this point “talk” to your prospective Photographer. You can call them, but I would also encourage you to arrange a meeting at this point (often times a coffee shop works well as it is a calm and pleasant surrounding and not stressful).
See what they act like, are they calm/relaxed (you probably don’t want a hyper/stressed Photographer at your wedding). Do they communicate well? Do they seem attentive of your needs/questions? Are they well groomed (an untidy/badly dressed Photographer is probably not wanted at your Big Day either). It is hard to explain ALL the things to look for when “interviewing” a Professional Photograher as that would be almost a Psychology lesson. Being comfortable with them is the biggest thing, after all, they are going to be around alot on your Wedding Day

I will give more tips on “Choosing THAT Photographer” in the coming days but for now lets summorize what we have to start;

1. Look at friends/colleagues Wedding Photographs, surf the web, check magazines/books and find the type (i.e. Style) of Photography YOU like and want to have as memories.

2. Find a Professional Photographer who not only advertises that “style” but has work to show what he/she does.

3. Ask questions to narrow down the “character” of the Photographer.

4. Interview the Photographer in person to make sure you are comfortable with them.

This is a GREAT start to your Photography Journey and the true beginning to making sure you have visual memories of your Wedding Day that you treasure for years to come.