Four Reasons a Professional Photographer is Worth It!

Being in the photography business successfully for over 20 years has been an amazing journey and a great accomplishment for me. I believe that the people I meet are the best clients anyone could wish for.

For the most part, my clients book an appointment, view their images and then make a purchase according to the price list I provide, and they go home a happy camper. Once in a while, though, a new client will express concerns about what they perceive to be the high cost of professional photography in general, and they wonder aloud if it is really worth it.

And that’s when I say to them, “Maybe I can help you to better understand why professional photography really is ‘worth it’.”

So here are 4 reason that a professional photographer is worth the investment.

 • Reason #1: We have invested in professional training. 

A serious photographer will invest in professional training. For me, I went to college to learn the craft of photography. I invested 5 years into my formal education and I'm so glad that I have a solid foundation of photography principles and processes. Since I graduated college in 1999, the digital age has more or less granted anyone with a decent camera a false title of "professional." It's easy to spot "fauxtographers" though, they don't know how to properly use light, angles, posing, etc. They resort to "fixing" their in-camera shortcomings with photoshop tricks and many have no idea how to pull off the really hard shots or how to run a business. At least 2 years of my formal training was spent learning the business side of being a photographer. This training has allowed my photography business to strive and has provided my clients with a wonderful experience from start to finish. Since college I have continually invested in training as technology and techniques evolve. Always leaning is one of my favorite parts of being a photographer. 

• Reason #2: We use top of the line equipment to create, edit and archive your precious memories. 

A true professional photographer knows that you get what you pay for when it comes to the quality of equipment. Professional equipment includes things like weather-proofing, automatic backups, longer lasting batteries, clearer/faster lenses, the latest in professional software and computer equipment, and more! Often times we own 2-3 of everything just in case something stops working during a shoot. Professional equipment comes at a significant expense, but it's worth our investment knowing that our clients trust us to deliver the very best.

 • Reason #3: We really understand light.

This may seem like an underrated reason, but l can tell wether a photographer is professional within 10 seconds of seeing them shoot, just by looking at their lighting setup. Proper lighting is one of the most difficult aspects of photography to master. Professional photographers understand how to create, manipulate and use all kinds of light. From knowing how to work with color temperatures to capturing catch lights in our model's eyes, we know the ins and outs of dozens of lighting techniques and what equipment we need to achieve them. 

• Reason #4: We are head accountable.

I've heard horror stories of the photographer that takes 6 months to get the client their images, or worse, never gets them to them at all. I've had clients come to me after bad experiences with "cheap" photographers who delivered poor quality images that were virtually unusable. I'm proud to say that in my 20+ years of being a photographer I have never had a situation where a client was upset. Part of being a professional, is setting up an efficient process that will help every client feel valued and excited to be working with you. My clients can feel at peace knowing they are investing in a photographer and legitimate business that is licensed and insured. I'm held accountable by state and federal agencies to not only maintain licensure but to pay taxes and be honest and fair to my clients. 

I hope you'll consider these 4 reasons the next time you are decide which type of photography experience you'd like to invest in. I hope you'll consider working with my studio as I've spent over 2 decades perfecting my process and more importantly, my client experience. If you'd like to read reviews from our clients, please click HERE.