How to Tell a Pro Photographer from a Faux

I have to be honest and tell you that I cringe when I look at some of the posts on Craigslist and other sites advertising wedding photography. 

They will also do your engagement shots, pet shots, senior, maternity, infants, family and even boudoir photography. 

I click on the link and am brought to a site that shows their prowess (read lack of) with their camera and I cringe more.  They are the weekend warriors and they will promise you cutting-edge coverage of your wedding, photo-journalistic even, and only charge you less than what you will pay for the flowers at your wedding.  What a bargain.  NOT!

They often have one or two, sometimes even more decent shots that they took in natural light.  By natural light I don’t just mean outside, I mean taken at the golden hour which is usually in the morning or late afternoon.   They have little if any decent photos that show the actual wedding that takes place inside (usually) a dark church or hall. 

Think of it like this, you spend a thousand dollars or more on a dress, rent or buy a tux or a decent outfit for the groom, purchase flowers for the bouquet for the bride and her attendants, corsages, floral arrangements, hire a DJ or band, rent a space for the reception, provide food and drink – the list is endless. 

Then it comes time to hire a photographer and you balk at hearing the price.

However, the day after the wedding, photographs are the only thing you will have to document your special day.   Sure, you might have a video but, in my opinion; a video is just not the same as having beautiful photographs that, in the hands of a professional, will bring you fond memories you can share with your family and friends and proudly display in your home. 

But why do they charge so much?

Your friend, uncle, grandmother takes wonderful snap shots and it only costs 50 cents for a print at the local pharmacy to print them.

A professional photographer has thousands invested in their equipment, their editing software, liability insurance, overhead and they pay taxes on what they earn.  They have spent years honing their craft and they bring all that experience to the table. They will also have backup equipment in case their camera stops working, extra batteries; lots of memory cards and a variety of lenses for back up as well. 

 They spend time with each client, getting to know them and what they like.  They have contracts that spell out exactly how much it will cost and what you will receive for your money, contracts that protect you. 

They will often go to your wedding venue before your big day and determine exactly what type of lighting (and how much) they need to make sure your photos are properly exposed.  The photographer will also check out what camera angles to shoot from for the best composition.

Some churches will not allow flash during the ceremony. A professional will have already checked and will have a plan on how to get the shots in low light by setting the camera correctly and having the right lens to compensate for the lack of light.

They will have various types of packages available that spell out how many hours of coverage you will receive. You might want to include photos of getting ready, going to the church/hall, the actual wedding, the dinner, the reception etc. You will know in advance how many hours the photographers will be present and have it all spelled out in a written legal document.  

They will give you a specific time frame of when you will receive your prints and spell out what, if any, prints are included in the package you bought, if you will receive a DVD of your prints and if the files are ready for print (edited).  Also, how much each print will cost if not included in your package.

The photograher will have found out from you, days before the ceremony, who you want photographed – your great-grandma, uncle, best friend etc.  You won't be in any shape to tell them who is important to include on the day of your wedding. The photographer will have a list they created from your input and check it off to make sure no one is left out.  

They know how to compose the shots so everyone’s eyes are open; no one is looking the other way or standing awkwardly with fingers in places they shouldn’t be.  

They then spend hours going over their work, preparing proofs for you to choose from and then editing the final images to send to the printers. They also know the best printers who can take the images and print them on the archival media of your choice be it canvas, metal or photo paper. 

They also have to make a decent living and have to upgrade their equipment, buy new editing programs and pay for overhead and of course, the tax man.  

Editing Programs

I have heard/read so many times that the fauxtographer will give you prints right out of their camera.  Again, I cringe. 

Photoshop is a virtual darkroom and even the greatest photographers (Ansel Adams to just name one) used professional darkrooms to make sure the photos were the best they could be.

There are other editing programs but Photoshop is the industry standard in my opinion. Some professionals will bring their laptops with them to the wedding and run your photos through an editing process that is adequate for viewing on a monitor but will do a more through job of editing for printing.

When I photograph people I find out what they want.  Of course I remove (clone out) the pimples or dark circles that stress can induce but I am very careful not to clone out the mole, freckles or other marks that are part of who they are unless asked specifically.  I

f requested I will reduce the depth of wrinkles that might appear but I am careful to find out beforehand if that is what they want.  I make sure not to leave them looking like plastic dolls but the camera does add pounds and can deepen lines on the face so a careful editing will only cause them to look their best.

Also, white balances often need to be adjusted as you are usually shooting with different lighting sources and it’s very difficult to adjust your settings for each shot as things happen very quickly at a wedding.  It’s easier to do that in an editing program.   

If you are going to hire a photographer here are some things to find out before you commit

Ask what kind of equipment they have and that includes a variety of lenses as well as off-camera flash. It’s also important that they know how to use it.  They might have a $2000 camera but don’t have a clue about how to use it, so they just set it on auto. 

You now have a snapshot from a very expensive camera. I will never forget being a guest at a wedding and the photographer had just gotten a new camera and wasn’t familiar with it.  She thought she had set it right but in actuality set the ISO on 6400 and there wasn’t one of her shots that was usable as it was an outside wedding in bright light. An ISO of 100 (or lower) would have been the correct setting.

Their lenses should be able to shoot fast in low light so that means an F-Stop of 2.8 or less is available if needed. They should have a zoom lens and a portrait lens.  A zoom lens so they aren’t on top of the wedding couple and a wide angle portrait lens so they can include the whole wedding party in one shot.  I also prefer to have a macro lens for close ups of wedding rings and other fine details.

They have a varied and extensive portfolio 

Ask how many weddings have they photographed and view their portfolio in person, not just online. They should have large prints for you to inspect, as online or small prints make it difficult to see if there is any problem with their work.

If you see it’s the same bride and groom in all the shots, then you know they don't have much experience. 

If they just show you photos taken outside and none of the wedding or the reception, then it’s a pretty good guess those shots didn’t turn out because they either didn’t know how to set their camera, their equipment is not pro, or they didn’t have the proper lighting. 

While Photoshop can improve a photo, it can’t fix those dark photos with blurry people.  They can be improved but they will never look great.  Dark photos can be lightened but in the process you will see grain (noise) and to remove that often removes detail so your photos aren’t crisp.

 Professional photographers do not rely on editing programs to create beautiful photos; they are already beautiful straight out of the camera.  They use editing programs to enhance their work, to create beautiful B&W photos or to add a pleasing vignette or other effects and to prepare the images for printing.

The definition of a professional photographer

A professional photographer makes the majority of her/his income doing photography.  They tend not to have other jobs. 

They usually belong to a professional organization of photographers.  They usually need a deposit of 30% to 50% of the cost of the package to hold your day.  Often, a portion of it will be non-refundable.

Read the contract before signing.  They can’t afford to be cancelled at the last minute as they will have turned down other jobs if they are good. 

They often have an assistant who photographs the funny but incidental things that might be happening, or even another pro who photographs from a different angle, giving ample coverage of your day.

I have only touched on some of the reasons you should hire a professional with a proven track record as it is a very complicated (and controversial) subject. 

Also, although I am referring to weddings in this blog, any important occasion in your life deserves to be treated in the same way. I am going to include a link that will give you a lot more information and explain just how much profit a professional photographer earns.

http://www.takeoffyourmommygoggles.com/consumers/about-pricing/

I have no desire to be a wedding photographer myself. I can’t handle the pressure of worrying about my photos not turning out or having missed an important moment. Wedding photography, any photography where it’s a (hopefully) one time deal, is a very demanding and stress-filled job. I prefer the serenity of nature photography.

I know that not everyone getting married these days can afford the type of wedding I am referring to in this blog.

While I honestly believe that hiring a professional photographer is the right thing to do and will give you a superior product, I do understand that, for some couples, a big wedding is impossible to afford.

In a future blog I will address the shoestring wedding budget for those who would otherwise have no decent shots and how to commemorate your special occasion with photos that you will cherish. 

I will not suggest hiring a weekend warrior, however, unless you have done your homework and seen that they can really do the job. I will also include tips for the aspiring photographer just starting out.