They make cameras in cardboard boxes and sell them at the grocery store- why should I be spending thousands of dollars to hire a photographer for my wedding? True enough, they do make cameras in cardboard boxes and sell them at not only grocery stores but convenience stores! Not only that, but now, with the advent of the digital camera- you can see what you are shooting- so ANYONE can be a photographer without the expense of learning with film. So, why hire a Professional? As a matter of fact, virtually everyone knows SOME ONE who dabbles in photography. So, again, why the professional?
Well, if this is truly to become the most important day of your life, the beginning of a blessed marriage- how would you feel if you had not lasting images to commemorate it? The stories are endless...
"the camera was not set properly..." Hire a professional who knows the equipment and uses professional equipment.
"the photographer didn't show up..." Hire someone who does wedding photography for a living and this will not happen.
"the photographer took a better wedding and forgot to tell us..." Hire an ethical wedding photographer with an excellent reputation and the chances of this happening to you are zero.
"the photographer lost the film/digital cards (cf)" One card or roll of film could fall through the cracks and could happen to anyone- BUT, a professional has safe guards in place to ensure the safety of your wedding images.
"the photographer set the quality too small so he could put more images on the one card he had and I can't make images over the size of a wallet photo!" Hire someone who has double equipment and enough digital cards to shoot in raw mode (huge files) three to five thousand images.
"the photographer's camera failed and he missed the whole ceremony and reception..." Again, a professional will have double even triple the amount of equipment necessary to shoot your wedding.
Do any of these scenarios sound scary on the big day?
Now, what does being a professional wedding photographer mean? Well, what does being an attorney mean? You went to school to learn your craft, you have spent some time training in your field, you work full time in the field of law. Now... if you had a major legal crisis, would you hire someone to advise you who was pre-law in undergrad but decided not to pursue law school? Would you retain someone who likes to read law review and watches Court TV all day, but works as a manager of the produce department at the local grocer? NO- actually HELL NO!
So, in the planning of the most important day of your life- would you hire someone who cleans pools during the week and has shot a few weddings on the side with his cousin's camera? Would you hire someone who is in school for interior design but has taken some photography classes? Would you hire a woman who quit her job after having a few kids and decided to get into photography because all her friends think she takes amazing pictures of her children? OR- would you prefer to hire someone who shoots at least a wedding a weekend, who has been referred to you by your ceremony location, your reception location, your consultant and your decor designer- someone who may or may not have gone to college to earn a degree in Fine Art Photography, but still has a great deal of experience and has earned the trust of fellow vendors?
Now, in hiring someone who has invested their time, energy and expertise into creating and generating relationships in the wedding industry where you are planning your event, you are paying for security, comfort, artistry and professionalism.
As photography will be the most distinct memorialization of your wedding day (other than your memory and possibly your wedding video), I can not caution you more strongly to do the research, hire a professional and recognize you are paying for their education, experience, artistry and professionalism. Your photographer invests in his/her field- they do not do dry wall during the week to supplement their income. They pay for top tier (read expensive) equipment and multiple sets of it, advertising (to reach you), the best possible products in the form of albums and portraiture and framing, studio space, likely employees to help with photo editing and production, accounting and PR. Photography is like any other "business", if you are hiring a professional.
TIPS FOR RECOGNIZING AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
If the photographer you are meeting doesn't have a place of business to work in or shoot in, he likely isn't a professional.
Pay attention to the quality of the materials he is showing you. If they do not meet the standards of what you would like to show friends and family- they are likely not investing in the highest quality options available to professionals. Many vendors of albums will only deal with trade- meaning you have to be a professional.
It is critical you ask to see a website, a great deal of work and possibly a studio- most amateurs will have only done a couple events, have not invested in a website for marketing purposes and can not justify renting studio space as it is not their full time job.
Ask to see their equipment- make sure there are multiple sets of cameras, flashes and plenty of digital cards to hold your imagery.
Ask about education, experience and for some references in the form of churches, consultants or reception venues who might have worked with them. Often these are the best referrals other than friends and family. Anyone can run an ad in a magazine.
As far as advertising, make sure the magazines you are looking at are relevant to the scale of your event. If you are planning a wedding for $10,000, do not call the Hotel Adolphus and ask for a copy of their vendor list. The vendors on this list will likely be too expensive to accommodate your budget- instead, discuss with your reception location and ask for a trusted photographer who works with them a great deal. Additionally, if you are planning a wedding for $200,000- do not pick up the free magazines available at the bridal fair- they CAN be full of vendors who do weddings on the side- ask your consultant for referrals.
Age- which is not to say an eighteen year old person might not be an amazing artist- but, have the photographed weddings before? If so, how many? Weddings are a specialty like any other- they are fueled by emotion and conflict, fast paced, things change constantly and the unexpected will happen every time. A skilled and experienced professional will know how to deal with unusual or unexpected lighting, weather, equipment failure, conflict and so so with grace and preservation of the big day.
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