First off, let me say that if you are lucky enough to have a bona fide wedding photographer as a friend or family member, and they really, really want to shoot your wedding, then you’re all set, and you have my permission to go for it. Why? Because they know what they’re getting into and they’ll accept responsibility for your big day as if it were a paid job. But if they are just a “helpful” person with a swanky camera, please be forewarned and read below!
1. If your friend or family member is not a pro, they aren’t going to feel completely obligated to focus on your wedding. They’ll see nothing wrong with dancing and having some delicious cocktails, all the while missing shots that you are going to want covered.
2. With the exception of a few folks out there who can afford it, they won’t have top of the line professional equipment. I spend a lot of money every year buying new cameras and lenses to stay current to to expand my “lens wardrobe” and most people would rather take that much money and go on a nice vacation. My most recent purchase was a Canon red line 70-200 with image stabilization at a cost of 2k. I *love* what I can do with it, but the average guy on the street won’t have that in their camera bag.
3. They don’t have experience controlling, focusing and posing large groups of people. This is an art! Photographers go to school to learn how to do this specifically and it’s not something that comes naturally for most people. It’s like herding drunk cats, you have to love it, is all I can say!
4. They may flake. Yes that’s right, your friend or family member may all of a sudden come up with a reason they have to be someplace else on your big day! How could somebody do that??? Well I’ve personally been hired at the last minute for some brides wedding that got stood up, more than once.
5. This is a big one. They may not have the skills to know how to work with very bright out door light (say a noon wedding in full sun) or very dark light, like a super dimly lit ball room on a dark moonless night. Sure, they may have a flash to photograph your face , but will you be able to see the rest of the room at all? Will the wedding dress have any detail left at all, or will it just be a big blow out blur of white? I bet you know the answer!
6. You may never see your wedding pictures. Terrifying, I know. They might just get too busy to ever get them to you.
7. Amateur photographers don’t have access to professional grade printing and album production. Yes, they are more expensive, but they’ll stand the test of time and last much longer. You want your grandchildren to see how fantastic you looked, don’t you?
8.They are friends and family. That said, you may not actually like their work ( if they have any to show you in the first place!) and you may feel pressured to hire them out of guilt. This is really not fair to you, so don’t be bullied by an overly aggressive amateur looking to build their portfolio. Not to mention the fact that they won’t be IN any of the pictures!
9.They don’t have back up gear. I have two cameras, five lenses and two flashes in every camera bag. Plus loads of extra batteries. The average amateur is not going to have this. Things break and run out of power all the time, and f your photographer isn’t prepared, they’ll miss important moments while trying to fix their camera, instead of just picking up their back up and flowing smoothly along. I also come with a whole back up shooter. I don’t pack him in my camera bag, but he will be there!
10. I want you to hire me! It’s true, I’d love to shoot your wedding. Please call Digital Photo Girl Photography at 415.672.6023 if you are looking for a passionate and well prepared professional photographer. You may also view my work at www.digitalphotogirl.com.
