Why Hiring a Photographer is Important

A few weeks ago, my family and I sat around scrolling through photo albums, flipping through photos, laughing at the bad hairstyles my mom used to sport, seeing my mom at a time in her life that I otherwise would not have been able to know her. I have some very heartwarming memories flipping through family photos that remind me of vacations from when I was young, scrolling through early photos that captured my boyfriend and I's relationship, looking at pictures that have showed all of my dog's terrible haircuts. While I love the photos on my phone and the memories they create, I found myself beginning to regret that I wasn't in more photos. 

Some of the funniest and sweetest memories were pictures we had gotten as a family when I was little, pictures done professionally. It was nice to see us all in one place and see our personalities shine through.

As the very organized, slightly obsessive person I am, I find that lists help me direct my thoughts. So here we go... A list explaining why I think hiring a photographer is important, accompanied by photos from my gorgeous beach session with Sib & Joshua:

1. Hiring a photographer allows you to be part of the memory

While selfies sometimes can do the trick, there's nothing like having a professional capture your memories for you. It's easy to think that the memories will be preserved on your phone, but often times, when looking back, I sometimes recognize that I'm not in any of the memories. Hiring a photographer gives you a chance to be a part of the memories. You get to be in the moments with your loved ones, rather than separated from the moment by that small screen that fits in your pocket. 

2. Good photographers won’t leave you feeling awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera.

If you are hiring a (good) professional photographer, they will not leave you hanging out in front of the camera with no direction of what to do or how to stand. There are rules behind what makes poses work and what makes people look good on camera, and your photographer should be able to use these ideas to make you look good and feel comfortable. 

I often ask my clients if they’ve had professional pictures done, and many times I have clients describe that they’ve had friends take pictures of them. If I push further on this topic, I often find that they felt awkward in front of the camera and had little idea of what to do. When working with a professional, you should not feel that way. One of the most important distinctions between portrait photographers and everyone else with a camera, is that they should have lots of direction and posing knowledge to make your session comfortable and special.

3. Professional photographers know their equipment inside and out, and know how to maximize their use to get the best final product.

Most professional photographers have invested a lot of money into their equipment and have tons of knowledge on how to maximize it's use. While I am in no means saying that more money spent on equipment equals better pictures, when photographers have equipment that they know how and when to use, the quality of pictures tends to be better.

For example, I have several lenses that I use for different things. I have wide-angle lenses that I use for photos where I want to incorporate the background and lenses that are more zoomed to make more flattering portraits. I have lenses with low apertures that can help create that soft, creamy background, and lenses that I use to avoid distorting people’s faces. I operate my camera manually as well, allowing me to have full control of the photos I am taking, and I edit photos to give them distinct style, to soften skin, to help combat dark shadows, etc. I know my equipment very well, and this makes a big difference in the final product of your photos.

4. Since professional photographers make it their job to know how to create quality photos, they will do what they can to plan for beautiful and personalized sessions.

Not only do photographers know their equipment very well, but they know tons about lighting, locations, and outfits that will help lead to unique photography sessions. I personally utilize different questionnaires, send out location pages, and give lots of advice to help plan the most beautiful, personalized sessions I can for each client. It’s my job to know pretty locations that make for good backgrounds, what times of day are best for taking photos, and how to style clients so that their outfits work together or work best with their body types to create the most flattering photos. I think planning is what makes this process very personalized and unique for each person, and the planning shows in the final product.

In summary, some of the most important reasons to hire a professional photographer include:

-To be part of the memories - instead of behind the iPhone/camera

-Avoid awkwardly standing in front of the camera because you hired a professional to pose and direct you

-Equipment - or mostly knowledge of it - can lead to better results

-Planning with someone whose job is to know everything about photography can lead to much more unique and incredible photos

Thanks for reading!! & Thanks to Sib & Joshua for showing me this beautiful beach. It was a total joy to work with these two.

P.S. If you have any topics you'd like me to discuss in future blog posts, please comment those ideas below. I love to share any knowledge I can and want to share what interests you all most. Thank you! -