Debunking photography myths and why you should hire a professional photographer
Hello, there readers, this is going to properly be a long post, okay many of my blogs posts tend to be, but this is only because I am fond of both writing and passionate about what I am writing about.
So I shall begin with the most common misconception about photography and the longest one to explain…….
” Being a photographer is easy, all you need to do is enjoy your hobby and click a button, why should I pay for a photographer when I can just take photos with my phone!”
Although this statement is correct at some level, it’s also not quite as simple as that. Yes photography is pretty easy to learn and it’s not impossible, but saying that it’s a little more complex than that.
Many people who have a hobby in photography, start-up being Professional Photographers because they simply enjoy it, they learn some basic skills by trial and error with their camera and their friends and family say they are good at taking photos and soon they become “professional Photographers” Usually they have studied a little bit of photography in school and with that, we have a “Photographer”
However Photography is an art form and to become a true “Photographer” there needs to be one specific skill other than the ability to learn how to master your camera, it’s having an artistic eye and passion in Photography. This simply means the drive to continuously learn all aspects of photography, we are talking about the ins and out of manual use of taking photos on your camera, the Math’s of Flash photography as well as balancing Natural light photography, composition, posing skills, business skills, people skills, editing and this continues till the day you die, you never stop learning photography, it is continually developing and so will your style and art form.
This is why you will often find “crash and burn photographers” These are people who simply like taking photos, think they can earn some cash by it so they start up a photography business, but they lack in both the craft of photography (Since it is an art form) and business skills (They offer really cheap photoshoots) As I said it’s more than the ability to take photos, there is a lot more like running a business and mastering a craft. These Photographers pop up, last a year or two and you never really see of them again.
That being said, this does not mean that “Ammeter photographers” lack in skill or have any love in photography or that they don’t take good pictures, quite the contrary, there are some amazing ammeters out there while others who claim to be professional photographers, who actually have very little artistic skill or craft in taking photos but they have a good ability to market themselves, so they can be successful though not quite artistic.
So simply put, there are many people out there with the title professional photographer, but this does not actually mean that they are. However, if you are not trained to the eye to understand a photograph you may not be able to recognize if it’s professionally taken photo or not. But then again this is subjective as it’s art, so what one person may like, another may not.
There is no regulation of Photography so this means that anyone can say they are a photographer, that is why there is a huge scale on both price and skill (The ability to take a photo) In legalistic you are paying for art, you are paying for both a service and a craftsmanship so the value of this will be in the choice and price you pay from your photographer.
The best thing you can do if you are not quite sure what you are looking for out of a photographer is don’t go on price or recommendation alone, have a good look around at the different photographers and choose one that you like the photos of, then weigh up the recommendations and reviews to that photographer and then save up if you cannot afford them, after all, you should be investing in them because you like the photos and you can see yourself and your family being photographed by them, not just because it’s a cheap deal or because you were recommended.
Oh, my days I really can chat about this all day, in fact, there are many of my other blog posts describing and informing you about how to choose a photographer, so do have a good look around my blog if you want to learn more.
“Posing people makes photos “fake” and doesn’t document the moment”
Again this one is a tricky one, because many people think that to be a true documentary (Wedding) photographer you must not stop and pose a person and just take photos as they happen, however, we are talking about an art form here and sometimes just a tweak here or there can truly make or break a photograph, turning it from a “picture” or an “image” to a “photograph” which is an art form and when you’re paying a professional photographer you are paying someone to take good photos for you, otherwise you could just be taking the photos yourself right. So having your photographer just stop and ask you to pause a second, or move slightly can just help them create a beautiful artistic portrait for you, this does not mean it’s not taken in the moment but it’s more Contemporary photography rather than candid.
“Someone who has 30 years photography experience is better than a newbie”
Nope- Just because someone has owned a camera for 30 years and says they have “30 years experience” it does not mean that they are invested in their craft (Again Photography is an art form) Which means they have not been taking photos continuously for 30 years, or they have invested in different methods of learning for better understanding of photography, just because they say it or believe it, it does not mean that they are a better photographer than someone who has been doing it for a few months or years. Again, looking at the QUALITY of photos and what you like to determine the choice of photographer you choose.
“Technically a photo has to be perfect to be good”
Again no, Photography is an art form so if you like it then you like it and it could be good for you, even if it’s not technically perfect. But then again someone else may not like it because it’s not technically perfect, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not good. Photography is so subjective as it’s an art form so it can vary.
“Editing is cheating, real photographers don’t need to edit their photos”
No, editing is just a preference and the ability and choice to creatively manipulate your own photograph, as it’s an artform. Yes, it can take quite sometime to be able to master your camera and take a photo that is technically perfect and good “strait out of camera” and not need to edit it to enhance it to look better, but it doesn’t mean that people who edit their photographs are not real photographers or cheating or that they do not have the skill to take photos, they may simply enjoy editing and manipulating their pictures to satisfy their own artistic needs.
Okay, I think I will call it a day for now as I’ve been writing this for a good couple of hours like I usually do and it’s pretty long, so I may have to update with a second part later on.
So for now, Love and light, Victoria.
