Hi, and Welcome to the Jackie Ranson Photography Blog

I am an on-location newborn/child, family, and wedding photographer, located in Virginia. Here, you will find a few personal favorite sneak peaks from each recent session. You will also see a few photos of my own family in the mix.

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Monday, March 28, 2011

Why Cut Budgets On Something SO Important?



Ive been wanting to write this for a while now and I just didn't know how to put it in words... I just hope this will help you when deciding on your photographer as well as your photography~


People spend hundreds of dollars on engagement parties, bridal parties, decorations for their weddings, food, and gifts, but when it comes to “being on a budget”, they choose their wedding pictures as something to cut. Weddings pictures are something that LAST a lifetime, something the most important people in your life will see forever. You will only get to make this important decision once and when the wedding is over there are only a few things you will have left ~the ring, the dress, the wife/husband and the photography.

I see a lot of brides and grooms go to someone that they know, who own a nice camera and decide to use them as their wedding photographer to cut cost. When they get their photos back, they are kicking themselves for not spending another few hundred dollars to get better quality photos from a professional photographer who has been doing it for years and it shows in their work.

Here are SEVEN reasons why you should choose a PROFESSIONAL photographer over the hobbyist:

1. They will be able to anticipate what is about to happen and be in the right place at the right time. Professional photographers can walk any environment and foresee where to go and how to get the best shots in a fraction of a second.

2. Consistency in the quality of photos. Amateurs believe if they shoot enough photos you should end up with a few good ones. It doesn’t work that way and 10,000 non professional shots will never rival 500 taken by a professional. Taking multiple images from the same bad angle with poor lighting won’t make a shot any better.

3. They have dealt with hundreds of couples and know what they expect from a coverage as well as what the family will hope to see.

4. Ability to deal with any adversity with the weather or drama that might arise on the day. Unplanned delays due to traffic or lack of light at the end of the day. Even when there are wardrobe mishaps your photographer can give you advice on how to avoid this becoming an issue in your photos.

5. Experienced photographers make you feel more relaxed as they are confident with their photography and reassure you that all is going well. They know what to say and what not to say. You and your bridal party will enjoy the experience of the professionalism and be more willing to participate in the photography.

6. They know how to create a special photo opportunity. Even if you want natural photojournalistic shots there are moments that need the photographers input, otherwise the shots might just look amateurish and boring. It is a mistake to believe that amazing photos will appear all day out of nowhere. A few subtle tweaks can make a shot go from dull to extraordinary and still be candid and natural.

7. Getting the most flattering angles to make you look great in your photos. This is a day where everyone is at their best and a professional photographer knows which angles and lighting will bring out the most attractive images of you. They also have equipment that will avoid red eye from flash photography and have tricks to avoid reflections in glasses. So you will look thinner, taller and stunning if you pick a professional photographer.

Your wedding photos aren’t worth risking so choose a professional wedding photographer who can match your style and capture your beauty on your big day. Remember, just because you like them as a person, doesn’t mean their style will match up to what you have in mind for your big day.

The Bottom-Line: With regards to Professional Photography, you absolutely get what you pay for! Inexperienced, non-professional photographers will often make several critical errors during your event. They can not be re-done as there just one opportunity to capture certain moments! Therefore, ask yourself this question: If I could hire a Professional Photographer and know that my images will be captured and kept safe, is this worth it to me? If the answer is “yes” then you have made a wise decision! If the answer is “no” then keep in mind the risks involved in losing precious moments forever.

 



3 comments:

Nikki said...

Couldn't agree more. Even pros with good portfolios can throw you in for a loop, so picking a photographer with good references is key. My pictures SUCKED, and I still regret choosing the photographer I had to this day (though the pictures are good for some laughs).

Unknown said...

Hated mine too just for that reason~ His studio was amazing! but what we got was not.

xo, Kimberly said...

I completely agree. It's so easy, when you're getting married (especially at a young age) to convince yourself that cutting the budget is a great idea and that photography is something anyone can do. It's SO not true. I've walked through houses of people who had top dollar, highly experienced photographers and it's like their photos are out of dreamland. It's so worth it to go the professional route. You might not care when you're 22, but when you're 30, and looking back for those memories, you'll be sad that you decided to get more flowers (that will die) than spend a few hundred more dollars on photographs that will make everlasting memories!