Reasons to hire a professional photographer

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur”. I came across that quote on the internet and it struck a chord with me…. The importance of hiring a professional!

Most everyone has a camera these days, thank you smart phones! My iPhone 8+ has an incredible camera (hello Portrait Mode!) and I’m so thankful for it when I don’t want to carry my DSLR around on my days off, but nothing beats the quality and speed of my Canon cameras.

While I am a believer in “the best camera is the one you have with you” I am even more of a believer in hiring a professional and investing in your best moments and memories, especially when it comes to your wedding day, portrait, or family photo needs.

After pondering this a while, I came up with my top reasons for hiring a professional. In a nutshell, they include experience, education, lighting, gear, technique, posing, professionalism, investment, creativity, and more.

I’ve elaborted my reasoning and hope you’ll join me in encouraging hiring a professional! Read more to find out why!

Experience

I’m a professional photographer that has been shooting for over ten years. I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of photos and have learned the ins and outs of lighting, posing, my camera, and interacting with my subjects from behind the camera.

Professionals charge so they can make a living. Next time you ask your friend with a camera to snap some photos, reconsider! Pay for a pro’s time, equipment, professionalism, and years of experience. The price will match the quality of photos that you receive.

Education

I went to school for photography. Between education AND experience, I understand the importance of your photos and how to document you to the best of my ability.

My education didn’t end with my degree. I am continuously attending workshops, watching tutorial videos, and working with other professionals to elevate my craft. I love learning new techniques and skills so I can incorporate them into my workflow and make your experience in front of the camera even better.

Lighting

Photography is essentially capturing light. When you hire a professional photographer, you are hiring them to capture you in the best light. I always aim for soft and even lighting on my subjects and background, aka the best light possible.

While I work with natural light most of the time, I do have a flash and ring light I will bring to certain shoots in case we need an extra bit of light. Flash is especially important when you need to fill in shadows or if the sun is fading away.

Gear

Gear is important. While gear doesn’t have to be the best or most expensive. It’s important to hire those with professional gear that they know how to use. You might not think about it, but it’s important to have back up gear as well. Most shoots I have two cameras with me, 2-3 lenses, and multiple batteries and memory cards.

Quality

Professional gear and hiring a pro means you’re paying for quality as well as professionalism!

Between two cameras, lenses, a desktop, a laptop, flashes, hard drives, website, and editing software… let’s just say that photography is expensive. It also means I can deliver images quickly and efficiently.

I shoot photos in RAW format, which is the largest file size they come. While I deliver JPEG images, my photos are delivered consistently in a 8x12” ratio, all high resolution. You won’t have any issues when posting or printing.

Technique

My approach to photography is something I’ve been working on for a long time! I find the best photos happen when I make my subject feel relaxed and at ease. I can do this by chatting with you from behind the camera. I also do a mix of posed and candid shots. I’ll typically tell you what to do early on in the shoot, get you comfortable, and then by the end you’ll feel like a model or at least have a better sense of what I’ll ask you to do!

Posing

Did you know that sometimes the poses that feel the most awkward look the best on camera? It’s a conundrum, I know, but it’s true! I know a few good posing tricks to have you looking and feeling your best in front of the camera. Shoot from above if you can, angle your body toward the camera instead of straight on, stick your chin out a little to reduce anything that’s doubled ;), create angles with your arms or foot to give your pose dimension.

Professionalism

I take pride in being really positive, friendly, and handling pressure with grace. If you’re paying a pro to do a job, you should only hear good things coming from them, and I swear I will do just that! I vow to under promise and over deliver, which can include showing up early, delivering extra images than promised, and finishing your gallery sooner than expected.

Creativity

I am an artist. My art is capturing you, light, and creating. I love coming up with ideas, including concept, posing, lighting, location, and so much more! I’d love to create with you, or give you some inspiration when you need it.

Final note

When you invest in a small business, you are helping your community! I am a firm believer in shopping local, and when you hire a local professional, you are not only investing in quality, but you’re investing in a business!

Photography has the best return on investment. You get to enjoy your day and have someone else worrying about capturing it, and the photos will be enjoyed for years to come.

I hope this gives you some insight to your investment and makes you feel great about hiring a professional photographer. Remember, when paying for a pro you are paying for experience, education, lighting, gear, technique, posing, professionalism, investment, creativity, and more

Thank you for reading! Let me know if you have any questions or have your own reasons for hiring a professional.

Cheers,

Christina

Photo by Ashley Marcum

Update: My friend Kelsey inspired another reason, which is too important not to share.

LOVE

Hire someone that LOVES what they do. Who is in love with love and light and sees the beauty in everything. <3 

I’m so thankful to everyone that trusts me to capture your best moments.