Should I Hire a Professional Photographer?

    Your wedding photos are a precious keepsake of an event that can't be repeated. As you make plans for the big day, perhaps you're wondering: "Who should be responsible for taking the pictures? After all, Uncle Bob (or whoever) takes nice snapshots at our family gatherings. He might be willing to give it a try." Well, maybe he would. And it's great to have friends and family members taking pictures at the wedding, too. But before you call on Uncle Bob to be your official photographer, give some thought to how his efforts may stack up against those of a Professional Photographer

Finding Out What You Want

    Uncle Bob is doing you a favor, so how demanding can you be? You might give him a general idea of what you want, such as loose-and-candid vs. formal-and-posed. Then you hang up the phone and hope your picture-taking is in good hands.
The Professional Photographer is an experienced advisor, who can help explore what you really want. And then do it. Not just candid vs. posed, but indoor vs. outdoor portraiture, color vs. black-and-white, finding the right portrait location and capturing the most important moments including pre-wedding activities and family traditions. Every variation you can think of, and maybe a few that you never imagined. A Professional will also know how to obtain permits to shoot in local botanical gardens, private facilities and other places that require permits or fees.

Shooting with the Good Stuff

    Uncle Bob will probably use the photo gear he already has. That might be a 35 mm SLR camera with a couple of lenses. Or maybe a point-and-shoot model with hopefully a new set of batteries for the flash. His favorite film may or may not be appropriate for a wedding. In fact, he may just buy whatever brand is on sale that week.  If Uncle Bob uses a digital camera, the odds are slim that he has better resolution lenses, a higher mega-pixel camera or a faster processor inside his camera, than the Professional.  If Uncle Bob does have all of the above, he most likely shoots in automatic and hopes the camera will give him what he wants. The Professional has an education in Photography, knows how to use light ratios, composition and exposure to make every pose look like a portrait, not a snapshot.

    The pro has a set of Professional cameras, lenses, flash units, and accessories, including back-ups. He knows which lens to use for a romantic close-up, and which one is right for the whole dance floor. He knows how to light a scene no matter what the occasion. White gown, black tux, pink bridesmaids' dresses, red flowers, delicate skin tones -- whatever the subject or the light, the images will look great.

Staying Focused

    Uncle Bob may be your Photographer, but he's also your guest. At the beginning he's sure to be full of enthusiasm. After a while, however, his attention may wander. Perhaps he'll forget to take a group shot of Table 9 (the in-laws he's never liked). Or be loading his camera when the first dance begins. Bob has taken on a lot of responsibility, and even if he volunteered for the job he may be burdened by it.

What Comes Next?

    Uncle Bob will take your wedding film to his local processing lab. Maybe at a discount store or drug mart. Almost certainly not a Professional Lab, which makes prints to the demanding specifications of Pro Photographers. If all goes well, Uncle Bob will hand you the packets of negatives and prints. Then you're on your own.

    The Professional uses professional-quality computers, monitors, editing software and calibration targets to give you the best product available.  Uncle Bob probably has no idea what color calibration is and likely has no software to edit with.

    The Professional takes his film or sends his high resolution files to a Professional Lab, which can only be used by licensed Professionals. The lab's printers are optimized and calibrated to the same specifications as the Professional Photographer, so color and exposure are right on, every time.  Whether they will be printed into your final wedding album, enlarged and framed or simply the prints that you receive in your proof album, the same care and quality goes into all of the photos that you receive. 

    Your wedding takes only a few hours, but you will enjoy the photographs for a lifetime. Why not use a Photographer who will make them as memorable as the event itself?  When hiring a Photographer, the choice really is black or white...
 

the above article is credited to Kodak Inc. and can be found on their website at http://www.kodak.com