7 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Pro

Chances are you’ve heard the phrase, “Pics or it didn’t happen!” It’s true. You can spend weeks or months planning the perfect event, but if you don’t have a photographer to capture memorable moments, no one else will know how glorious it was.

Whether you’re hosting a company, client or public event, you’re certainly trying to get the most bang for your buck. It may be tempting to either take pictures yourself or pass it off to an intern to cut costs, but just remember that you get what you pay for. Forrest Briggs has been photographing events, corporate headshots, commercial architecture, families and more for over 20 years. In this i4Series article, he shares 7 reasons why you should hire a pro.

     Original Image (below)

 Professional Retouching (below)

  Amateur Retouching (below)

1. Equipment

Professional photographers own professional-grade equipment. Cell phone cameras are portable and easy to use, but that’s where the advantages end. It can be challenging to produce quality pictures with correct color renditions, depth of field and editable files if a camera does not have sufficient specs.  Features such as sensor size, low light capabilities, frames per second, and others put professional equipment on a completely different level than your average phone or consumer-grade camera.

2. Higher Skill level

Is this the photographer’s first gig? Is the photographer your cousin with a “fancy looking camera?” Or is the photographer someone who has shot countless events and has a portfolio of event photography that she/he can send you, so that you know the caliber of work and style prior to the event?  Odds are you won’t get a second chance to hold the event, so make sure ahead of time that the photographer can deliver what you need.

3. Professionalism

Personality goes a long way and you definitely want a photographer who is going to represent your event (and your brand) accordingly. This includes his/her attire, demeanor, and social skills. Professional photographers are easy to work with and comfortable, both behind and in front of the lens. They can interact, or not, with speakers, talent and attendees.

4. Higher Image Quality

Anyone can push a button, but professional photographers know the right angles and how to get them. There is an art to capturing the correct facial expressions. You want a photographer who can create images good enough to use for marketing, advertising, corporate communications, and trade shows.

5. Professionally Edited Images

Pros have the eye and the tech savvy to portray the person in their best light without over-editing.  It is all too common for amateurs to do too much manipulation to the images, going wild with retouching. They overly saturate colors, add obvious vignettes to the edges of an image, unrealistically soften skin so people look thirty years younger, etc. The art of post-production is to have minimal edits, so the viewer does not know the photos have been enhanced.

6. Pros Get All the Shots

Professionals buzz quietly around the event space to snap photos from multiple angles. A professional photographer will already have an idea as to which locations within the venue will work best. They know how to photograph the event based on how you want your speaker and audience to appear to others: lighthearted and easygoing, solemn and staunch, or powerful and engaging. Pros instantly know what areas of the room to avoid, as well as where to find the best lighting and most appealing background.

7. Better Branding

When the photographer correctly implements each of the above, you should receive several amazing images that amplify the integrity of your brand. The photographer will deliver a set of images from compelling angles that show the audience engaged with and / or entertained by the speakers. In turn, speakers will be seen as experts in their field. This ultimately communicates that you host quality events and establishes them as credible and worthwhile to attend.