I mean, everyone has a camera these days, right!? What makes a wedding photographer worth the price tag? Well, let me tell you the top 5 reasons why hiring an experienced professional is worth the price tag. You’ll thank me later!
1. Photography Experience
You are paying for the experience that person has worked hard to accrue. Photographers attend workshops, take classes online, practice with different kinds of gear in different kinds of lighting situations.. We second shoot other weddings and learn from other experienced pros. We work hard to gain the experience we need to feel confident working in any situation that comes up on your special day. I have been working in the wedding industry since 2010 and I have been in ALL KINDS of lighting and weather situations, dealt with all kinds of personalities and worked with MANY different vendors. I know how to put together a thoughtful and successful timeline, how to keep people calm and how to make the day run smoothly so that YOU can enjoy yourself and I can provide you with the best images possible.
The trickiest cisrumstances to work in and be prepared for are:
1) Tiny spaces with limited natural light that require some creativity and thinking on your feet. Some venues provide no natural light whatsoever throughout the event OR perhaps your event is taking place at night! It’s important that your photographer has experience in working with off camera flash to capture these moments for you.
2) Working in direct and harsh sunlight. Knowing how to position your subjects to get the best skin tone and light during peak sunlight hours takes practice
3) Harsh and consistent RAIN! Let’s be real- rain happens and learning to work WITH the weather is essential. Having the comfort and experience to quickly pivot and having the gear you need (like rain sleeves!) to protect your gear and keep the day rolling is all part of being a pro!
2. Gear & Insurance
Yes. Gear. Every photographer has their own level of gear geek-ery and that gear is what can help give you peace of mind at your event. A good photographer has multiple lenses, multiple camera bodies, back up lenses, back up bodies, memory cards, flashes, tripods, external hard drives, a good editing system and dependable computer… The list goes on. This gear is not cheap, my friends. And the better gear you have, the better your images turn out and the more dependable and “safe” your files are. Plus, this gear needs love. It needs special bags to travel in, it needs to be sent in for yearly check-ups and cleanings. It needs to be taken care of and occasionally replaced. A good, clean, dependable toolbox is essential to a successful, stress-free day. On top of all of that, a good photographer is INSURED. Both personally while at your event as well as carrying protection for their equipment should something happen. All of these things add up and are rolled into that bottom line price you pay for a safe, professional experience
This is my typical wedding bag! What’s missing? Reflectors, more batteries, a Godox flash… There are so many things that go into a good set of gear!
3. Consistency & Style
You hire a wedding photographer because you love their style and because you can spot their “look” from a mile away. It takes time to establish and perfect a style and you want to feel confident that the images you will receive from your big day match that style you fell in love with. Take the time to look through MANY examples of the photographer’s work and be sure that the style really speaks to you. Ask to see samples of FULL galleries that they provide to their clients after the big day. Nobody wants surprises here and this will get you excited about your photographer capturing your day just as you’d imagined.
4. DETAILS – All the Little Things!
It doesn’t matter how far into wedding planning you are at this very moment, you already know that being detail oriented is INCREDIBLY important. Your wedding photographer should care just as much about those little details as you do and should know how to capture them in a way that tells a story. Details are one of my very favorite things about each and every wedding I shoot. These little details are what make every day unique and I am SURE to build in time to capture them. Below is just a smattering of various details from many weddings over the years, but you will find a solid collection of detail photos in every one of my wedding collection.
5. Time + Thoughtful Energy
There is an incredible amount of time, thought and energy that goes into successful wedding photography. Many people think that the bottom line is too high for the number of hours they receive face-to-face contact with their photographer, but the fact is there is so much more that goes into creating beautiful photos for you than just the time we spend with you in person. From the initial client contact to all the following communication leading up to the wedding day, creation of efficient timelines for a stress-free experience and seamless day, communication with any of your other vendors to be aligned with the team, conducting and delivering the engagement session and then, finally, being onsite for the big day. But it doesn’t stop there! We then bring all of those precious files home for backing up, culling, editing and uploading to deliver gorgeous photos to you that you will treasure forever. Even beyond that, many packages include albums, prints and other keepsake items that all take time and thoughtful energy. These are all incredibly important parts of a successful experience with your wedding photographer and should be valued.
There is so much that goes into being a professional photographer and it’s easy to forget when you aren’t in our shoes. When you are out there sifting through the pages upon pages of Google reviews for photographers in your area, take these things into consideration. In the long run, your peace of mind and the final images you receive are well worth it!
