Not your uncle's brand new DSLR

In today's economy everyone is trying to save money and many skimp on photography.  As a professional photographer, I am often asked, after the fact, how much it would have cost to have me cover an event.  The reasoning is almost always the same.  We needed to save money so we had "Uncle Fred" or our friend's friend who is in school for photography... take our wedding photos, babies first year photos or son's senior portraits.

This usually breaks my heart.  I know that in looking for a place to cut expenses they cut on the photography - and now that moment or occasion is lost forever.

Yes, "Uncle Fred" may have the same camera that I have - if he has the money he can buy it - maybe even the newer and "better" model.  BUT, does he have insurance?  Education?  A backup camera?  12 memory cards?  An assistant?  The Professional Photographers of America and all of their lawyers and Drivesavers (they can rescue erased images off cards).  10 years of experience dealing with crazy divorced families and drunk grandmas?  I could go on and on but won't.

When you hire a professional photographer, many things come with that.  All of the things listed above plus the continuous education, experience with people, distance from your friends and family (so Fred can be in the shot) and the piece of mind that the person is there for you - not as a guest of yours and a friend that you will most likely not be able to "unfriend" if they screw up.

For my wedding ceremony, I had 6 wonderful shooters.  All were either professionals in their own right or assistants that I had trained myself.  Of the 6, I was emotionally attached to 3, just met 2 and one was myself.  I still have shots that I wanted and didn't get.  Why?  I didn't ask myself and communicate to my photographers what I really truly wanted.  There were only a few things that we missed, and truthfully it was almost 100 degrees.  I wish I had given them a list - or stopped to check out the shot they were about to take because my only formal shot of everyone there - didn't have everyone there - them.  (And it was out of focus).

The truth is you get caught up in a moment and forget details.  A professional will capture those for you.  They will ask what you want and have you think about it ahead of time.  They will not become lost in the moment as I did with my wedding.

When you get a cavity filled you go to the dentist.  For surgery, a surgeon.  I would never let my "friend's friend" fly a plane full of my closest friends anywhere.  BUT, that is what you are doing when you trust someone other than a professional with your memories or occasion.

I know it seems like I am on a rant, and maybe just a bit... but I have heard too many horror stories to not share my unsolicited advice. 

Some time this month I will do a portrait of a couple married for more than 64 years.  What if they let their son's buddy do that?  What if something happened to them the next day and all their children had was an out of focus, sun in their eyes shot of their parents and no one to blame but their buddy?  How awful would that be?  I would never wish that on anyone - but it can happen and does.

I know that when I take that portrait, I will watch for shadows, position them so they look their best, focus the camera and do my best.  As soon as I get home I will load the images to my computer, back them up onto a hard drive and a "time machine."  That's a double back up and then I will edit those images and save them again in their edited form before I even consider using that memory card again.  That way, if anything happens to that card, my hard drive, my computer or my time machine - they are in three other places.  If the card was bad, I will immediately send it to a company called Drivesavers - who will recover every image for me - for my $400 co-pay for being a PPA member (which costs no less than $650 a year). 

What I won't do is lose those images.  I have every safeguard in place and even then, if they choose to sue me for some reason - I have the lawyers for one of the largest photography organizations who will go to court for me (I will personally never set foot in a courtroom).

While I love "Uncle Fred" as much as the next person and trust my friend's friend to take a pic on my cell phone for FB...  I will not trust either with my memories.

And neither should you.

Trust someone who knows what they are doing - many times they will even listen to your money issues and have some suggestions for you.  I want to make money doing what I love but don't want to be a millionaire tomorrow by milking people out of their life savings.

Let the professionals do their job and let Uncle Fred and your friend's friend enjoy the party.  They don't just have a nice camera.