Your camera takes really nice pictures!
When you hire a professional photographer, you are hiring someone who not only has the best equipment, but is very educated in how to use it to the best of it’s ability. Anyone can buy a toothbrush but that doesn't make them a dentist. When you hire a professional, make sure they have experience and knowledge. Ask questions about how long they have been in business and the extent of their training. Video’s on YouTube are nice for basics, but a true professional will have some degree of formal education.
Can't you just 'PhotoShop' that?
Sure, almost anything within reason can be Photoshopped. However, since you didn’t take the three minutes needed to brush your hair and it will take me 40 minutes per image to correct it, please don’t be upset that I will be charging you a fair market rate per image to correct each one if you choose. Please also remember that a professional will photograph you so that you look your best. Trimming off tens of pounds can be done for a fee, but then you would not be who you really are and anyone looking at the image will know it has been drastically edited. The best images are fully edited but done to a degree that they look beautiful but still natural.
I want to invite you to: birthday party or wedding or an important event. You should bring your camera!
We love to be invited to parties, however, we love paying our bills as well. Photography is a job. Albeit it is a passion for many of us, it is still a profession. I really don’t think any of you CPA’s out there would want to be invited to a birthday party so that you could do someone’s taxes for free as long as you were there. You would not dream of asking your doctor to come and diagnose each child with a runny nose just since he/she was there anyway. Please don’t do it with your professional photographer friends. Leave the party snapshots to Uncle John the hobbiest. He will probably enjoy it more anyway.
Why is the background blurry like that?
The background is blurry because I chose to use my tools like that. If nothing is very important in the background, I choose to highlight my subjects by use of a shallow depth of field in the camera. This makes you look awesome!
Can you make it black and white but leave our eyes in color?
Sometimes artistic enhancements are great. I love to create art. However, sometimes you have the Wal-mart of artistic enhancements like spot color. I try to keep my images artistic, but as close to real life as possible. Can you imagine a Monet in black and white with only a couple of details in color? Not a pretty thought is it?
Geez!! You charge how much??? We only have to pay 19.99 for our sitting fee at Sears!
Your photographer at Sears or anywhere else like that was hired yesterday at minimum wage. They have no active knowledge or art, experience with posing, lighting or photography and they do a formulated session. When you hire a professional photographer, they have knowledge of all of this and treat you as a person not a number. Your session is geared to your wants and needs. A pro will take the time to find out what your children are like and how to get the best moments from them. A pro can have patience with a newborn who is fussy or a toddler who loves to say no. The box store photographers cannot. So really, you get what you pay for in that aspect.
I'll just print them at Wal-Mart.
Printing a photograph requires fresh chemistry, clean rollers, and the correct temperature of chemistry. Nine times out of ten, a store that sells prescriptions or underwear does not abide by these things. Also, as a professional photographer, your image is already fully edited. All of these stores now use auto-edit on their machines so that it is up to the sensors on what color or what exposure your image has rather than what the photographer chose. Those can be very frustrating and leave you spending good money for a poorly printed product.
Gosh, your job must be easy. You just click a button all day.
My job is the best in the world! It is fun and challenging, but not easy. Wouldn’t it be great if all we did was push a button? Then folks like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder would be amazing photographers! However, you must decide by using your tools before you depress the shutter how you visualize the image by using shutter speeds, depth of field and your own artistic vision. Every image is conceived in the photographer’s head before depressing the shutter.
What's the discount if I edit the pictures myself. There's this great program called, 'PicNik'.
I guess I’m a bit protective of my images. Since they are a part of my artistic vision, the vision must be completed from concept to final product. I do know that sometimes for your own personal snapshots amateur editing programs can be fun, fresh and nice. But remember you are investing into the art I create for you. This is why I don’t allow any third party editing of my images at all.
Can you take off the watermark off the photos. I want to take them and put it on my FaceBook.
Oh I am so glad you loved the image I posted for you on Facebook or my blog. However, even if I was to remove the watermark, they are at such a low resolution they would not be satisfactory for printing. How much is a work of art worth? Especially if it is of the people you love the most? And oh yes, the government protects us by creating copyright laws. Printing anything out without the photographer’s permission, copying images, removing watermarks are all violations of federal copyright laws. We don’t want anyone to get into trouble!!
So, I hope this educates folks a bit more about what we as photographers do and why. For me it is the most exciting and fulfilling profession one could ever have. It is a way to mix documentary and artistic skills to create a modern day heirloom for my clients. A piece of art that will be cherished and passed along for generations to come. Make sure your photographer will take these extra steps for you. You’ll appreciate your results forever!