A lot has been said in the last few months regarding “professional” photographers. Everyone it seems has their own (very) passionate opinion.
I have written and rewritten (erased and retyped) this in my head so often; I wish I had a mental Dictaphone to record, as I sit down to write.... blank.
I believe that yes, you should get a professional to document your story. It is your day of trials, tears (happy) and triumph. When all is said and done, the last of the cake is eaten and the last thank you not has been sent, what have you to remember your day? It may seem like oh, we can cut $1800 out of the budget, my friend has a camera that’ll do. Think for a sec on how much you spent on a deposit for your venue, how much was the deposit for your cars for half a day? The photographer will most likely be there on the day for 6hrs plus!
What are your memories worth?
Why do professionals seem so expensive? Well when you break it down they aren’t (in most cases) really. They need to pay for insurance, gear, backup gear, training, seminars, hours of meeting with you before hand and making sure everything is ready to go, the whole day of your wedding, hours and hours of post production work, meeting with you again to show you your absolutely fantastic images! Actually we work for probably a couple of dollars an hour if we are lucky.
A professional is someone that has a vested interest in their success. They spend a lot of time and money learning how to be the best they can – for you. This may not be formal training, but mentoring with other professionals, shadowing, learning everything they can. It is a brutally honest process. It is hard work. Awesome, but hard work.
I love my job. This is it. This is what I am. I am a photographer.
I think often of the time as photographers we get so caught up in the heated debate that we forget we have two choices.
- We can spend 10 minutes whinging about how can anyone survive on $500 a wedding, how bad their images are going to be, how upset they will be.... ect
Or
2. Embrace the fact, and do something positive about it. There will always be brides that don’t want to/can’t spend just under 2 grand on their wedding memories, and that’s ok.
We need to educate that, well, you could get your neighbour to fix your car, but chances are that unless they are highly experienced and you know their work your brakes will fail as you are driving down the highway. There is sooo much going on at a wedding, besides getting ‘the shot’, the photographer needs to be aware of everything going on behind. The flowergirl hiding in the bushes, the stolen kiss, the ever changing light. Crazy. High paced.
As a professional photographer I run my own business. I am in charge of marketing. I am in charge of making sure payments come and go. I am a jack-of-all-trades.
We all know how much product costs. We all know how much our gear cost. We all know how much insurance cost – public liability and gear.
Yes, I occasionally give away free shoots or prints. That’s ok, I want to help where I can. It is my prerogative. I do run a business and it can’t happen all the time, but when I do, I don’t expect anything in return. It is worth it to see the gratitude and the smiles.
It is okay to shop around. It is your right as a client. You need to find the photographer who you and relax and joke around, who has the style of work you love. Can you picture yourself in the photo? And it is ok not to book the first person that you meet (unless it is me – lol) But if you do meet and ‘click with’. Book, Book. Book!!! Chances are if you wait, someone else wont.
Ask questions. Ask lots. Do they have insurance? Do they network? If something goes wrong, do they have back-up equipment? Do they have someone to call if sick or break a leg?
I work with a group of professional photographers who I know would be there for me in a flash – and I them.
Your wedding will go ahead rain, hail, or shine. We will create and capture memories to treasure.
So I guess it’s your choice...
To Pro, or not to Pro...?
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