Yay! You’ve just started planning the wedding of your dreams! When you have started looking around for a photographer that will be able to capture your wedding, your Uncle Joe or Cousin Billy kindly offers to take your wedding photos. Sure, it is an amazing offer, but is it one that you should accept? While their cameras may look fancy, and they’ve taken some stunning photos of birds or their cars, the equipment itself is only a small portion of what comes along with hiring a professional photographer.
- Camera Equipment Knowledge
While a DLR or mirrorless camera can take amazing photos, professional photographers know how to get the best results of their camera. They are able to read light, and know exactly the limitations their equipment has and how to support it.
Besides a nice camera body, professional photographers will usually also possess a multitude of lenses, suitable for any scenario they may be faced with during your special day.
Last but not least, a professional wedding photographer also has the eye and the skill required to capture the right moment, at the right angle, at the correct camera setting so that you end up with amazing wedding photos.
- The Photographers’ Role
Having a family member or close friend capture your wedding can also bring in the factor that they will want to celebrate your wedding together with the rest of your guests, leaving them to miss or be late for important aspects of your day.
A professional wedding photographer will be with you throughout the day, and will do everything in their power to ensure that your special day goes off without a hitch and keeping their distance when you’re engaging with your guests. It is a defined role, allowing you the opportunity to enjoy the day in the way you have envisioned it.
- Photography Style
Any type of professional photographer would have spent ages (I’m talking years here) honing their photographic style. Usually they will be able to tell you exactly what their style is, and it will be transparent and consistent when you look at their portfolios.
When I first started photography, there were many different styles and genres that I tried out, just to see what really made me feel good about my work, and what set alight the passion in my soul, and this is something that I see many new/amateur photographers go through. It’s a learning curve for them, but your wedding day shouldn’t be part of an experimental phase.
- Communication and Reliability
Besides capturing images, communication is the next biggest thing that photographers do when taking photos. A professional will be able to explain their poses to you, communicate with the wedding party/planner/host and be able to voice what they need.
Reliability is another aspect that professional wedding photographers do not take lightly. There is usually a back up plan for the back up plan in place, all to put you in sound mind that your wedding day is covered.
- Wedding Photographers – it’s all about your experience
One thing that I always advise my wedding couples is that on the wedding day, I will be stuck to their side more than their partner will! With a trained eye, your wedding photographer will keep an eye out for anything that may not be in its place, like a piece of hair, or a shirt that sticks out. With experience, this eye for detail has become second nature, and it will definitely make a difference in your wedding images.
- Patience
Taking the above point into consideration, you do want to ensure that you are comfortable with your wedding photographer. With any wedding day, there are always unexpected things that happen, or guidance that you as a wedding couple may need from your photographer. Being able to do this as a professional wedding photographer can require patience as well as flexibility and an open mind, and will be beneficial to you.
Remember that while a professional wedding photographer may seem like a large investment at the time, it is all going towards ensuring that you have the most gorgeous images once your special day is done, helping to make sure that your beautiful memories never fade away.
Parvenu Photography 