HIRE A PRO FOR YOUR WEDDING

I received this email few days ago which made me upset and sad for the couple who got married.
I want to take this opportunity to share it with you to let you aware of the latest trend which has been going on for the last two years. In ten years of doing wedding I have heard the craziest stories from bad experiences with bad photographers. Nowadays people tend to ask more often for amateurs to capture their weddings because they have a digital camera. The truth is that we all have a digital camera nowadays, and that doesn't make you a better photographer.

Subject: Photo Help!

Hi David,

I am hoping that you can give me some expert help! My sister got married in May but her wedding photos are not as good as they should have been... I was looking for a photographer or design person who would work with the photos and select the best sections and enlarge/make B+W/sepia etc...

What we would like is for a wedding book to be created by selecting bits and being creative. There is in fact not even 1 photo where they both look lovely. Do you do this or do you know anyone that would do it for Xmas?

You come very highly recommended from all of my friends!

Suni

Few years ago couples to be were looking for the best pro who could photograph the essence of their big day including the usual formal shots. On few occasions I would lose the job because they felt an other freelance was more appropriate to their style, and/or budget. This is a fair competition. People are then trying to find the best compromise and they compare the possibilities. In the end they would receive not only a product they really were expecting, but also a professional experience that makes the day runs smoothly ( I mean this is the way it should be as it is not always the case). Today two major factors are changing the way we are thinking Photography.

1 / The digital era
The photographic market has completely changed. Not only for the professional but mostly for the amateur. Back in the film days you had to have knowledge about your camera to take decent pictures and it did cost money. But it was dedication for a passion, and by spending time and money you would consider it as something valuable. Nowadays big file size cameras are affordable for most of us, and that is what companies want to achieve. It is becoming difficult to purchase films and others. The digital has killed the choice in fact. Therefore the job of photographer is disappearing as the email is showing us. And this is not only in the wedding industry.

2/ Recession
Somehow the digital came at the right moment. Decent cameras are appearing on the market in the last 2 years, just before the start of the recession. This season I experienced at last 10 potential customers turning me down not for an other pro but for their friend, brother or cousin who had a digital camera ! People think they will save money by skipping the photographic duty. I can affirm that they are completely wrong. But doing so they will have 1) bad pictures 2) lose their friendship 3) no recollection 4) waste money in trying to recover the damage
If there is one supplier you need to spend money into is definitely Photography. You can have a very little wedding in a pub and still photography will be essential to testify from your special day. To do such a job requires experience and impeccable performance - it requires a pro !

Don't waste your money and your energy, invest in a wedding photographer. That is my advice and my experience, as a pro but also as a potential customer.