Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

Recently, I met up with a long time friend, who was in town, and we were talking about how my husband and I celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary.  She laughed and asked if I remembered her taking over the video camera at our wedding. You see, we had a family member in charge of doing the video but we also had an open bar [hint implied here]. So the video ended up getting passed around a few times till it got to her and she remembers us commenting how we got dizzy, outside of her part, watching it as most of the video was shaky or set down sideways only to record legs talking instead of faces….during the vows! Lesson learned. Many cherished family members, including my father, have passed since then, and I wish I had a better way to remember them on that special day. This brings me to the question, why hire a professional photographer?  

Any photographer can tell you that photography is a form of art they have been perfecting for years. It takes lots of skill, training and experience to hone their craft. Contrast that to quick snapshots taken with a phone camera. Don’t get me wrong, cell phones have come a long way and can take great pictures. I take pictures with my cell phone too, but sometimes you want a photo that is inspiring, engaging, timeless, and you want a photographer trained to capture that vision and cares about creating that for you. 

Equipment:

For many years, we had a good Canon camera but I didn’t know all the best ways to use it until I studied photography. It was a good investment but I honestly didn’t use all of its potential given the large investment, especially in lenses. It’s important to have the right equipment, lighting, lenses, flashes, tripods, reflectors, filters, attachments, etc. Most people don’t realize that the cost can be as much as a used car! Most people are not willing to invest this much to take pictures. 

Expertise:

Knowledge about complicated camera settings, lighting, visual communication, composition, lines, angles, time of day are just a few of the many factors going through a photographers mind at your session. A photographer knows the best locations to capture a mood or personality.

Photographers also spend lots of time and money educating themselves, taking workshops, etc, and up with the latest technology. When you hire a photographer you can relax, knowing they will keep you on schedule and make sure they capture those priceless moments and milestones and the best part is you will be in them! 

Last, but not least, professional photographers are aware of the best wardrobe combinations that don’t clash, even though they may not be fashion experts. We help you relax so you look natural and confident.

Post Production:

Lots of work goes into editing to polish photos after the session. Photographers use sophisticated software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop (paid subscriptions) to edit your valuable images. Proper exposure, cropping, retouching, and color correction are just a few of the minute details that are involved, and is typically a lengthy process. They know to make your eyes stand out, cover a flaw, etc.

Help You Relax:

A photographer can also help you look your best by taking care of all the details that they are trained in like the best poses to make you look a little slimmer, facial expressions, what’s going on in the background, or where to stand in relation to the sun. This way you can be relaxed and enjoy the ride. The session will be an experience and the photos are like the souvenir you get to keep. You deserve to be remembered. 

In addition, you put lots of energy into when you’re in the middle of organizing an event or wrangling your family. Sometimes it can feel like you’re barely keeping it all together, rather than truly honing in on a vision and if someone else it doing your own family portraits, it can be a real win when everyone’s eyes are open and no one has tears streaming down their cheeks. Take a break from the craziness of life and reconnect the love between you and your spouse or child. 

Legacy:

From your engagement to your wedding day, the birth of your child, to a family reunion, a photographer will help create amazing images and memories for you and your family. When you invest in something, you naturally appreciate it more. We invest so much time and money on our living spaces and those portraits are a beautiful finishing touch of art that has meaning. 

Life moves quickly, time is fleeting, As we grow older, we forget many things we swore to remember. Our kids deserve to have photos of us when we are gone. I’ll wrap up with this quote: 

“It's a moment to renew love with a partner, family, friends, your parents, your children or even yourself. It's a time to focus on you, to celebrate, to remember, to be thankful. Let's be real, life moves quickly and it only seems to do so faster the older we get. It's important that we take time out every so often to reflect on all the goodness in our lives. To appreciate the people, places, and things that make us who we are. Use the time in your photo session to just let go, be you, be silly, laugh, cry. Whatever it is that is going to bring out the best in you, and your photos.”

If you are ready to schedule a consultation, you can reach me at angelagibsonphotography@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Me and my daddy on my wedding day.