The inconvenience of not hiring a professional wedding photographer.

No matter what your wedding budget is not all expenses are vital, however some people think spending money on a professional wedding photographer is unnecessary. Wedding photography is one of the most time consuming, labour intensive and skilled undertakings a photographer can commit to so don't ruin the most special day of your life for the sake of bad choices.

Contents:

What Could Happen if You Don't Use a Professional Wedding Photographer

1. You might have to compromise on image quality.

2. You might find yourself attempting to deal with a naive photographer.

3. Their exposure will be wrong.

4. Their backgrounds will be flaky.

5. Their lighting use will effect facial features.

6. Group shots will be bad.

7. The photo format will be JPEG.

8. Expect to get what you pay for

1. You will have to compromise on image quality.

Anyone can buy a camera in the same way that anyone can buy a chisel but you wouldn't hire someone to build your house just because they owned the tools of the trade, so don't hire a 'photographer' simply because they have a camera. Failure to hire a professional will not only ruin your special day but also compromise the quality of your wedding albums and as Lands End Photography say the creation of a wedding album is the creation of a family heirloom and without great expense and time there are no second chances.

2. You might find yourself attempting to deal with a naive photographer.

You must consider their capabilities, training and experience of your prospective photographer. Ask to see proof of photography training courses attended and check out their previous work. It is highly unlikely that an amateur photographer will be able to replicate the photographic styles you desire, capture photos from alternative angels and unlikely they will be creative.

3. Their exposure will be wrong.

White wedding dresses are notoriously difficult to photograph due to the bright white material and when posed next to a darker suit the contrast will result in an overexposed (blindingly white) dress void of fine detail, or a completely underexposed (dark) photograph. Professional photographer is able to capture the scene with a full tonal range.

4. Their backgrounds will be flaky.

Professional wedding photographers will either have previous knowledge of your venue or visit before the big day to determine the best locations and vantage points for the photographs, it is the background of a photograph that can make or break the shot. An unprofessional photographer will not do their homework before the day and not be able to deal with the immediacy of good background selection.

5. Their lighting use will effect facial features.

Prior to the big day do people consider the location of the sun at the time of the event? Sunlight on the face might appear to be a good idea but then the eyes squint, the whole face is screwed up and the photograph is ruined. A professional photographer will know beforehand where the light is coming from and will be able to soften the light creating beautiful imagery. They will also understand the use of flash as a fill light to give a photograph a more balanced appearance.

6. Group shots will be bad.

Photographs of groups, whether it be four people or forty, are extremely difficult and time consuming to capture. Is everyone in the best spot? Do they all have their eyes open? Is one or more individual pulling a 'funny' face? There are tricks the professional knows to ensure the group are smiling, eyes open and looking 'normal' it is unlikely that the non professional will be able to achieve great group shots.

7. The photo format will be JPEG.

Like all professional photography wedding photography is charged with dangers and all professional photographs are edited to some extent. The unprofessional photographer will be shooting in a JPEG format which seriously limits their options when it comes to any correction in exposure, colour and white balance. Professional photographers shoot RAW images giving them complete control over the finest details. unprofessional photographers will be unaware of the importance of this. Incidentally, editing is a major factor in great photography and software such as Photoshop take a great deal of time and knowledge to use successfully. Ask your photographer which editing software they use and how competent they are with it's usage. Remember: ALL photographs need some editing, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

8. Expect to get what you pay for.

Paying a couple of hundred pounds for the promise of a multitude of beautiful images might initially seem like a good idea but your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and the photographs that will forever remind you of that day. Not compromising on wedding photography costs is one of the most important choices you can make.

Summary:

An experienced and skilled wedding photographer will take pictures of everything, including table decorations, menus, banquet cards, flowers, and on the wedding cake. Instead of documentary photographs, a wedding photographer will try to take artistic pictures and compose objects. If you are looking for a wedding photographer then give only preference to experienced ones.