Why Should You Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer?

To any of you newly engaged couples out there- I know how overwhelming it is to plan a wedding- even a small one. I was in your shoes 4 years ago, and it can become stressful very quickly. But, with the right team around you and knowing what to ask and look for, it can make planning way easier and a lot more fun! Now, some of you may already know that you are definitely going to be hiring a professional photographer for your big day(so you can skip to my next blog post). If you're on the fence about spending so much money on photos- here are some reasons why you should consider it.

1. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE DAYS OF YOUR LIVES!!!!! Take it from me- the day goes by in a blink of an eye and there are so many little moments that you may not have seen or even remember if it wasn't due to capturing it in a beautiful photo.

2. Experience- Uh oh, it's raining on your wedding day, or the lighting in the reception hall is so dark you can barley see! As professionals, we have solutions to problems such as these. A lot of people also don't realize how physically and mentally challenging photographing a wedding can be, but with experience we know what we are in for.

3. Planning and organizing- we are your second wedding planner. Our job is to help organize the day to help capture those special moments and also by letting everyone know what to do and when to do it while having fun!

4. So you have a friend who wants to shoot the wedding for free- That's great, but here are a few reasons you may want to think twice. The obvious reason is if they don't have the correct gear and experience and your photos could turn out horrible. Besides that you want them to be able to enjoy the day like every other guest. There is also the possibility of it placing a strain on your relationship, say if the photos do not turn out, or if you have to wait 10 months to get them back.

5. Commitment- we sign a contract to you and your day, which means that from start to finish, we are there for your day and getting your beautiful photos is a priority.

6. Work flow and timeliness- We have our workflow down, and that's why I can get your photos to you within 4 or less weeks after your wedding day!

7. Professional gear- We have invested thousands of dollars in our cameras, lenses, lighting gear etc. that makes professional photos look well- professional! Check out some of my photos below taken with several different lenses.

8. Professional editing programs- We have experience using professional editing software such as Lightroom and Photoshop, which again make the photos look professional.

9. We love what we do and have a passion for it! I really do and that passion for wedding photography makes my want to make your day, experience and photos the best.

10. It costs money for a reason- The photographers experience, time spent booking, conceptualizing, preparing, photographing, editing, distributing, following up with emails, phone calls etc, traveling, buying and renting gear,running a business, continuing education,marketing etc. This is what makes us a professional.

Be sure to check out my next blog about helpful tips for making your wedding day photos a success.

I have posted some wedding photos below, with some helpful explanations about why it's important to have a professional get these photos.

This is one of my most favorite photos- but it did require editing to make it look like this. I used a radial filter(in Lightroom) around my couple to help them stand out a bit more, deepened some of the colors(in Lightroom) and also removed a large floating thing(in Photoshop) from the middle of the pond, which helped show off that beautiful reflection. Besides that, I actually had to conceptualize the entire idea before I shot it thinking about things like, where the light was hitting, where to place them etc.

This photo was taken with a special type of lens. It allows you to take close up shots of small objects without loosing detail. This type of lens has a very shallow depth of field, which makes it very hard to use without knowing how to light the objects well and use manual focus to capture the image.

I shot this photo in a very dark reception barn, which cast a lot of shadows and orange color on the cake. Of course I couldn't have it moved to better light so without knowing how to use a professional flash, this wouldn't have looked as beautiful as it really is,as well as being able to edit it to its true colors.

Again, lighting is key. Also having a full frame camera helps in low light situations like receptions such as this. Full frame cameras (or high end crop cameras) allow you to take clearer photos in dark lighting situations.

Again, lighting. A professional knows when the best light is and where to place your subjects in it as well as being able to create a creamy background with shallow depth of field because of the high quality gear they use.

How do you make brides shoes look gorgeous? I bet you would never know that they are sitting on one of my bath towels(because the table it is on was scratched and an ugly color) and next to a large window. Professional photographers not only have to know how to take clear, well exposed photos- but we also have to understand how the lighting works and to be able to visualize the end product.

#jessicaeddingtonphotography

#weddingphotographytips

#reddingwedding

#ashlandwedding

#northerncaliforniawedding

#southernoregonwedding

#pickingaweddingphotographer

#whyhireaweddingphotographer

#whyhireaweddingprofessional

#donthireyourfriendtophotographyourwedding

#weddingphotographytips

#whyhireaweddingphotographer

#jessicaeddingtonweddingphotography

#reasonstohireweddingphotographer