So why should you get a (professional) photographer for your wedding day?

Worst case scenario – you will be taking your own photos at the wedding. Obviously this really should not happen. You, the host of the event, the main reason people are there, are busy taking snap shots of your wedding party. You will simply have your hands to full to capture the whole essence of your wedding day.

Okay, so that first example may not be a really practical example. A real example would be if you knew someone, someone who isn’t really a professional photographer, but someone who was enthusiastic with a camera, who did it as a hobby?

Well sure, you can assign Cousin Al or Uncle Harry to do the honors and be the official photographer for your engagement. Sure they can pull off an event like yours: 150 guests minimum, reception, the ceremony at the church, some casual shots at the beach or by the bay with the sunset in the background. Perhaps.

Consider this: what kind of photography do they do in their spare time? They may do still-life photography. Or studio photography. Or portrait photography. Or maybe only landscape photography and maybe even shoot the occasional social party. Do you know what I’m getting at?

You have to check and know what they do. Ask if they are up to the challenge. Weddings are a whole different ball game.

Wedding photographers are a whole different breed to your usual hobbyist, glamour, still-life, studio, commercial and landscape photographer. They even speak a different language.

So what is the difference then?

The difference is in the equipment they carry, the planning needed to carry out your mission (your wedding) and their attitude and enthusiasm about the job.

Weddings offer a dynamic environment to which the wedding photographer must conquer and evolve within a short period of time. They have to make the best of different locations and different lighting conditions as well as weather concerns. A good successful wedding photographer can do all these (and more!)

Different locations and lighting conditions – that’s simple, you say, just whip out the camera and press the button.

No it isn’t. Photography is all about lighting. Photography is lighting. Photography comes from a root word that means ‘light painting.’ Wedding photographers must be the masters of light in all different situations at different locations. It’s not simply point and shoot.

And besides getting the perfect shot – the lighting and the composition, your designated photographer will need to be creative and constantly running around making sure every shot you want is taken. I can personally assure you that this is a very high-stress situation for the photographer. Film (or digital cards) can be lost or damaged, photos lost or shots missed due to faulty equipment.

The quality of service and photos…

You should go out and hire a professional photographer for your wedding because you will get the quality you want. Your memory will be preserved with the dignity it deserves. You don’t want to regret having a dingy old photo as a memory when you know you had the opportunity to have it better.

It is the job of the wedding photographer that every finished photo you see of your wedding day to be perfect for your needs.

Do you think you can rely on Cousin Al to deliver?

About the author:

Janey McKenzie is a staff writer for BetterWeddingIdeas.com , a free wedding planning guide providing couples with hints and tips to enable them to plan every aspect of their wedding effectively. This article is published in the wedding photographers category. You may publish this arti

As a working photographer and part time Photoshop teacher I have found that there is a lot of difference in how much a photographer and a graphic artist needs to know about Photoshop.

Its true a graphic artist needs to know about 75% of the program to get by, but a photographer only needs to know about 25%.

Lets face it, we photographers just used to take photos, our day was concerned with did that film turn out or did I get the lighting right?

Now that we have digital cameras we are forced to look at the images on a computer screen and the net thing we say to ourselves is I wonder if I could up the lighting or get rid of that colour cast, etc.

The up-to-date photographer is not only now taking digital images but also involved with manipulating them as well. So just how much manipulation should a photographer be expected to do?

As a wedding, glamour and portrait photographer you would be adjusting;

1) Lighting

2) Eliminating any colour casts

3) Fixing minor facial problems such as acne

4) Sharpening a photo

For a Commercial product photographer;

1) Lighting

2) Eliminating colour casts

3) Fixing focus issues

4) Blending layers together with type

For the Fashion photographer;

1) Lighting

2) Eliminating colour casts

3) Fixing focus issues

4) Blending layers

5) Using filters

In each case the photographer has a range of tools available to them and not only that, they also have a number of different ways of reaching the same outcome.

I find as a teacher of Photoshop to photographers, many have picked up a few tricks along the way and have not properly studied how to repair images the right way making their photos look inferior to others and even damaging their files as they go.

Sydney Pix is a professional photographer who has designed a comprehensive 3 DVD course in Photoshop just for photographers which shows you step by step how to get a great result every time.

If you prefer to be shown how to do things rather than given a thick manual when you learn something new, then this is the course for you. For more information visit http://www.profotocourse.com/learn-photoshop.html

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