Why You Should Spend Big Money On A Good Wedding Photographer

There are many parts that go into creating the perfect wedding such as the venue location, the dress, the catering services and decorations that cost a lot of money, but one part that should not be forgotten is spending big money on an impeccable wedding photographer. While it is partly true that anyone can pick up a digital camera and shoot away because of how accessible photography has become in this day and age, it is still not the same as hiring an actual photographer who has the experience, passion and eye to create the lasting moments that a client deserves. Below are five points we at AA Creation Photography believe why it is important to spend the big money on hiring a good wedding photographer versus hiring a relatively cheap photographer or a family member that owns a digital camera.

1. The low rate photographer versus the high rate photographer- A good photographer will have the eye or vision for creating images that a person just owning a digital camera or  a low rate photographer will not have. The low rate photographer will likely only own one camera and lens while standing in the same position for the entire wedding ceremony and reception and essentially doing the bare minimum. The high rate photographer although pricey will give you lasting memories through the photographs created. A high rate photographer compared to the low rate photographer will have several cameras and lenses such as a fisheye or wide-angle lens to give a whole new perspective. The high rate photographer will also offer new angles from high and low and ultimately be well worth the money spent.

2. Established Trust- Being able to trust in the photographer hired for your wedding is very important. There have been too many instances where a bride has hired a low rate photographer and they have either been disappointed in the images or even worse the photographer failed to show up. There are also the feared questions of “Will their personality work with my event?”, “Will there be an album and if so, will it even look well put together and presentable?” and “Will they nickel and dime me?”. These are important questions to consider when selecting a photographer for your wedding/event. Typically when spending the money for a high rate photographer there will be no issue about trust because these photographers have insurance and know the proper protocol when being hired as your photographer.

3. Photographer with 40 weddings a year versus Photographer with 120 events a year- While it may seem that the photographer with more events has more experience and even may have the better portfolio as a result of having more jobs, the truth is that the photographer with less work is the better photographer and the one you should hire for your event. A photographer that has more 2 or 3 more jobs at a time or more events a year, treats your special day as nothing more than a job where they come to shoot and then go home.  You want someone who is passionate about their art and style and only books one event per weekend.  You want someone who is running around and wants to stay longer, so he or she can capture more moments and emotion to tell a story.

4. Labor Costs- While most think that a photographer’s job is done once the event is over, it actually is not. Their work continues once they return home to post-process countless amounts of images, so you can get a wide array of shots, angles and edits to tell a story of your special day. The difference between the low rate and high rate photographer in this circumstance is that with a low rate photographer you are lucky if they even own the latest adobe editing software such as Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Lightroom much less even use these programs to full enhance your best images. With the high rate photographer you are guaranteed they have the latest editing software, are skilled in their craft or have a photo editor on their staff that knows how to use Photoshop and Lightroom as well as their job is to only edit photos. In the end it is worth spending more money to ensure your photographs are the best of the best.

5. Know how to work equipment- Generally a low rate photographer is a photographer that is just beginning and ultimately that can a lot of times mean they do not know how to work their equipment. Now is that someone you want to trust to photograph your special day? I do not think so. Out of focus and sloppy images are not even worth $500. The high rate photographer will undoubtedly have the best equipment and will have had either some sort of technical training through classes of how to work their equipment or they have served as a second shooter in the past gaining knowledge through experience.

In the end paying the pricey rate for the top of the line photographer is beyond well worth it because your special day only happens once and to have it ruined because you wanted to save some money will leave you disappointed and full of regrets.

A little tip to remember is that the general rule of thumb of deciding how much to spend on your photography is to reserve 10% of your budget on the photographer. For example, if your budget is $35,000 then the budget for the photographer should be $3500. Don’t be surprised if you cannot get the kind of photographer you are looking for when all you have is a $800 budget.

Click here to contact us about your wedding and event photography

Speak Your Mind