Why Choose a Professional Photographer for your Wedding?
Last week I was tagged in yet another ‘looking for recommendations’ post. Now, generally I cringe when this happens, as I know my name will be lost in a sea of ridiculous recommendations, about 95% of them being amateur photographers, hobbyists or just someone with a camera. I may save my rant about this for a separate post, but FFS people, you don’t HAVE to respond if you don’t know anyone suitable. Typing “Joe Bloggs is awesome” may make you feel better, but if Joe Bloggs is cheap and inexperienced, are you really helping the person asking for advice? Maybe you don’t care too much, that’s your call, but I see so many recommendation posts for other types of work, and the number of comments is exponentially less than photography. I swear there’s a bunch of Facebook addicts who spend their life trawling the same boring crap, see a post and turn to their significant other and say “Hey Bill, who’s that guy at your work that bought that fancy camera. He took cracking photos of his cat. Oh and remember that photo he took of Fyrish monument?”. IT’S A F*CKING WEDDING MILDRED. Just shut up and don’t comment.
Anyhoo, I will get to the point. This is about the fifth time in the last 2 or 3 months where someone local has been frantically trying to find a photographer, generally at 1 or 2 days notice, because their ‘photographer has let them down’. Now, this is a stressful situation for those involved. It must be awful. But why is this happening?
I’ll tell you. Because 90% of the photographers you see being touted on social media are not professional photographers. They have a day job which pays their bills. They don’t pay tax, don’t have insurance, and generally don’t care if they never get another wedding. It’s cash for a holiday or a new lens. If something better comes up on a Saturday in July, do you think their pocket money hustle will be priority? Nope.
Professional photographers have bills to pay. This is our main income. This is what keeps the roof above our heads. We pay tax, have insurance, and we care passionately about being there every day, no matter how we feel. If we cancelled a wedding, our reputation would be in tatters. We don’t have that luxury. We have a contract. We have personal indemnity insurance. We have a network of other professionals who we will choose a replacement from, should something really bad happen to us. The risk is eliminated.
The most annoying part of this, is that these weekend warriors are charging pretty much the same as the professionals. You are being ripped off. Ripped off and risking being let down. If Uncle Bob gets an important work assignment in London the day of your wedding, do you honestly think you will be first priority? Nope again.
Professional wedding photography is being destroyed. It’s a race to the bottom. I wish I could see a way where it is regulated and you must be insured and qualified to do it, but that is never going to happen. I just hope enough people can see exactly the risk they are taking with the amateur photographers, and things might swing back to the point where people book a professional for such an important part of their lives.
Your wedding photography is an investment for the future. memories when you are old, special moments for family and future generations to look back on. Family heirlooms. This is not something to entrust to an amateur, no matter how many instagram likes he gets for some gimmick. Choose carefully. rant over. :P
