Everyone has a camera in their pocket. Why pay someone for pictures?
PHOTOGRAPHY: DEMOTTE, IN – In the modern digital age, everyone with a cellphone has a camera capable of shooting brilliantly sharp, colorful photos.
Why should you choose to pay someone for a service you could provide yourself?
Image Quality
At first glance, a photo out of a brand new iPhone 14 Plus and a Canon 80D may seem comparable. It isn’t until you boot up your editing software that the difference is apparent.
Due to the difference in the physical size of the sensor (the physical chip that captures light and converts it to an image), a professional camera when compared to a cellphone of the same generation will always have a higher dynamic range and better low-light performance.
Dynamic range is a measurement of the contrast in colors and contrast between darkness and lightness. This means that the image will have a more gradient transition from the darkest shadows to the lightest highlights.
The professional camera is able to take in much more data from what it sees, thus provides a larger amount of detail in the final image.
Images with more detail can be edited further than those with less. Is there a certain color palette or aesthetic you’re looking to achieve? A professional photographer will make that happen for you.
Printability
Highly detailed photographs print beautifully. Only if they contain the correct color profile. A color profile is a way that technology reads and displays color.
Your computer screen reads color in RGB format, but a printer reads and prints color in CMYK format. This means that photos that are saved for digital viewing must be saved as RGB, and photos sent to print must be saved CMYK.
Failing to make the conversion can result in edited photos looking very muddy and colorless. This conversion is easy in a professional photo editing software such as Adobe Lightroom, which is a paid subscription utility.
Support a Local Small Business
Doing professional photography in DeMotte has its pros and cons. There seem to be as many photographers as there are residents, and choosing the right photographer can be challenging.
Everyone will recommend someone different, but it is up to you to choose the photographer that is the best fit. Whatever you decide, go with someone local.
A local business is more likely to provide better service and a faster turnaround time.
What Does a Professional Look Like?
Photography is a saturated market for the wrong reasons. Many people buy a camera, switch it into Auto Mode, and start posting on social media that they are booking sessions. This is not what you want.
If you are serious about wanting great quality photos taken, then take your time choosing a professional. Experienced photographers have a nice, clean website, and a social media page that they share their work on.
Professional photographers know exactly what their gear is, and they know how to use it. A fancy expensive camera does not make someone a photographer.
An individual who shoots with an older camera but knows what every setting does is going to give a much better experience than an individual who has the nicest, newest camera and doesn’t know how to use it.
Testing a photographer’s general knowledge by asking them what camera and lens they use is an acceptable way to gain insight.
Be Happy With Your Photos
In the end everyone just wants to be happy with their family photos. There is no worse feeling that paying for a service and anxiously awaiting the final product only to be disappointed.
Now that you know how to find a fantastic photographer, I would love to hear some horror stories. Tell me about your WORST experience with a photographer.