Things to Think About Before Hiring a Professional Photographer

There is so much stigma surrounding the topic of hiring a professional photographer. Some people value having their pictures taken and kept in the family and some people don’t make it a priority or care at all. Some people save up to purchase nice canvases and proudly display them on the walls of their home. Other people are perfectly content going through life taking pictures with their cell phones. Wherever you may land on that scale, I think it’s important to, at the very least, educate you on the reasons why pros charge what they charge.

You see, having professional pictures taken is considered a luxury. It’s something that should  be saved up for and planned out. Something that should require coordinated outfits, neatly done hair, make up, accessories- everything! It’s something that should be reserved for specials occasions as well: your wedding, your pregnancy, your newborn baby, birthdays, holidays, things like that. It should take some thought about how you want to portray yourself and your family to future generations. And lastly, maybe most importantly, it’s something that you should take the time to research.

Photography Styles

There are so many styles of photography, which is what makes it such an awesome creative outlet, as well as an art. Some photographers have taken the time and educated themselves to really tune into their editing skills to show their vision and style. You will know these pictures when you see them. They should speak to you & match your personal style and visual tastes. And when you find that special artist, now comes the scary part… figuring out how much booking them is going to ding your wallet.

You Get What You Pay For

Now I can tell you from personal experience, and this has just come with age, but it’s very true what they say, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. This goes for just about everything. For example, there was a time when I would buy my clothes from “big box stores” (you know the ones) and they wouldn’t last me more than a year without getting holes or fraying or losing a button. Then, I started saving money at work and decided to go shopping with a friend of mine who took me to Nordstom’s Rack. WOW! What a difference!  I can honesty say that I still have the items that I bought that day, hanging up in my closet in fantastic condition.

The same thing goes for photography and printed products. You could very easily go with the photographer who is cheaper and offers all the digital images on a cd or sells prints and canvases that are very cheap; but let me tell you, the quality of their work and the products they offer will not compare to quality of an artist who takes their craft seriously enough to have invested into their business with things such as good cameras and lenses, editing software, education and training on how to use their tools to bring their vision to life, as well as purchasing high quality products to distribute because they care about their client and how their work looks on the medium that they choose. (And, in my personal opinion, they should also be responsible enough to protect both you and themselves with licensing and insurance.)

So there you have it. This list is not all inclusive, but it does capture a good portion of the things that I think some people might take for granted when booking a photographer. We, as professionals, really do care about our clients and want to take care of you the best way we know how, and that is to expeditiously deliver a top notch product for a fair and reasonable price that will make you feel good when you look back at your investment again years from now.