Instead of asking, "Why invest in a professional photographer?", instead ask yourself this: what are my memories worth? Sometimes we question whether or not we should hire a professional photographer. With smartphones in everyone's hands, it’s tempting to consider DIY. While it's true that we can take photos ourselves, there's so much more work that goes into professional photography than many realize. The value of hiring a seasoned professional goes beyond just taking pictures—it includes hours of planning, shooting, and detailed post-shoot editing. Our package pricing reflects the full investment we put into crafting your images, from pre-shoot preparation to delivering high-quality, timeless edits. Hiring a professional ensures that every step of the process is handled with care and expertise, delivering photos that you’ll cherish for years.
Shooting with a professional camera, manual mode, and sizing
A professional photographer does a lot more than just point and shoot! We have to think of everything starting with lighting, poses/setups, and camera settings to use to craft exceptional images.
A photographer also invests in professional equipment and will have the knowledge of how to use it. A professional camera can handle a lot more data than a cell phone can because it has better sensors and technology dedicated solely to taking pictures- even a beginner’s camera has higher capability to capture images that can be captured in a digital RAW format, edited, processed, and then printed in a large format. Higher-end professional cameras can handle a lot more data when shooting and can print images even larger- so this is a very important thing to consider if you’re considering printing or displaying your images.
Workflow and editing
Something else to take into consideration is if you want your images straight out of the camera without any editing.
When I say editing, I don’t mean putting a filter on a photo- I mean actually editing an image in a professional program and utilizing all of the data that the camera has captured in its RAW format, taking some data that is not initially visible but HAS been captured, to craft the final product. And this doesn't mean rescuing poorly-shot images. This means processing and refining images, and sometimes to match the artistic style or taste of the photographer.
If you don't want your images unedited, you should really consider hiring a professional. The professionals not only invest in expensive equipment, they also invest in post-production programs and the knowledge required to use them. And before you jump to conclusions, let me just say that editing is not a crutch to photography, it’s the icing on the cake. Editing is not intended to rescue poorly shot images. It helps to deliver consistent and high quality work. It’s what sets photographers apart as artists instead of someone who just points and shoots.
Photography is such a dynamic profession, and it's important that you choose the right photographer for you and your needs. At times, considering the DIY method is a great option, and I'm all for it! But it's also important to consider what your photos are worth to you and what value they will bring you.
With the specific example of a wedding, you don't want to miss documenting any big moments because you're choosing to just have guests DIY it on their phones. Or, on the flipped side, you don't want to hire an amateur that crafts images that you don't love after you receive them OR images that you can't use the way you want (if you want large format printing, this is something to keep in mind). Just knowing someone who likes to take photos isn't always enough, though like with everything else in life, there can be rare exceptions.
Although it probably doesn’t seem like much, there is a lot more work and thought that goes into photography than meets the eye. You aren’t just paying someone to take pictures that you would have a hard time taking yourself- you’re paying someone for the time it takes to plan, pose, their equipment, knowledge, artistic style, attention to detail, editing hours, and to perfect your images according to size and quality standards.
Remember to consider how valuable your photos will be to you, and I encourage you to be picky when choosing the right professional to hire. As a side note: when you choose a professional, it is important to view their portfolio and their artistic style before signing a contract with them. Every photographer's choice of artistic expression is different.
If you happen to be in the Lake Havasu City area, feel free to reach out. I'll be happy to discuss what I have to offer and how I can meet your photography needs.
xoxo
Airy
