What's so special about professional photographers? Is it worth the investment? Everyone has a camera nowadays!
While its true that we all carry objectively powerful cameras in our pockets, there is a lot to photography that most people don't know or understand. Your sweet Aunt Linda might offer to take your wedding photos, but that doesn't mean that you'll love those images enough to hang in your home or print for an album.
Photography takes not only skill and knowledge, but also an artistic eye and the experience to know where to be and when; especially on a day as fast paced and special as your wedding. So let's break down some of the important differences between pro photography services and your aunt with her iPhone.
Gear
A good professional photographer is not going to show up to your wedding with one camera and a dream. My minimum set up for all sessions includes two, dual-slot mirrorless cameras, 3 lenses, a high-powered flash, an LED panel light, and backups, batteries and chargers for all of these things. Each of these are vitally important: two cameras reduces the risk of equipment failure causing me miss a moment, dual-slot means your photos are backed up in real time, my lenses help me cover both wide angle shots and those flattering close-up portraits, and flashes and panels allow me to offer sharp images in any lighting situation. It's not cheap to build up all of this equipment, and it takes time and patience to learn the settings inside and out to be prepared for anything.
Skills & Knowledge
I have been practicing photography since 2018, and have poured countless hours into professional development so that I know how to properly operate my camera, how to compose a photo, how to handle various lighting scenarios, and how to operate the software to edit the photos post-session. I am constantly working to improve myself and learn new things to provide more value to my clients. With every session also comes added knowledge about how to help people from all walks feel confident in front of the camera. I focus heavily on empathy and patience with all of my clients, and this is something that I have developed over time and with much introspection. It helps me tease out all those beautiful candid moments.
Be In the Moment
If your aunt is taking your wedding photos, you might be worried about wrangling her to make sure she gets all the pictures you want. If you are taking photos of your kids, you'll have to rely on a self timer if you're going to be in them as a family. Having someone there to do it for you takes so much pressure and worry off your shoulders. I am there to guide, to pose if needed, and to make sure I get all the important memories so you can focus on enjoying your loved ones.
The Final Product
Editing is such a massive part of any photography experience, yet it is one that is probably thought about the least by clients. It takes time and effort after our session to cultivate the best images and edit them to a high standard. This requires sophisticated software, such as Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop or Capture One, and as I mentioned, you have to know how to use it properly to get the desired results.
Artistic Eye
I pride myself on seeing the little moments of love and connection in life. The side glances, the hand squeezes, the tears welling up; that's what I live to document. Of course we will get all the important group photos and beautifully posed portraits, but I am most interested in bringing emotions to life so you can enjoy them for years to come.
Still on the fence?
Let's talk! I'd love to share more about what I do and why you should hire a pro like myself for your photos.