Why hire a professional photographer and pay that extra bit? – Here’s my answer…
Why hire a pro? Why pay so much for photographs?
Simple…
…You want the assurance of quality and a hastle-free experience…who doesn’t?
When you choose a professional photographer look for these things:
1) Do they have a diverse portfolio that assures you they are in fact a professional?
2) Do they have a portfolio with a style of pictures that you are looking for? This is important because styles and preferences can vary depending on photographer. Personally I like to push the limits of an image to make it artistic and am truly an artist at heart. My love is to tell a story artistically with a flare for the unique.
3) Does the photographer seem to know what he or she is talking about when you ask them questions? Ask what a portrait session is like or what the process is for wedding photographs.
4) Does the personality of the photographer mesh with yours? Can you both work together? The demeanor of the photographer over the phone or in an initial meeting can sometimes suggest whether or not you can work with them. If you feel like you cannot for whatever reason, then I would suggest looking elsewhere because great photographs come out of relationships between photographer and clients.
5) Do not let prices govern your photographer selection. There are a lot of “professional” photographers charging insane amounts of money for portraits and rely on their prices to signify them as top of the line photographers. This is not always the case. Ask lots of questions:
a) How long have you been doing business?
b) How many photo shoots/weddings have you done?
c) What makes you different from other photographers?
d) May we see some samples
6) Notice how easy it is to get a hold of your photographer. If he or she is very hard to get a hold of then perhaps it may be hard to work with them when the lines of communication are hindered.
My advice: be a knowledgable client looking for a photographer and be smart about your decision. I completely recommend a pro over an amateur because you can be assured (that if you have done your research) that your photographs will capture the moments and tell the story you are looking for.
