You don’t need professional photographers to capture one of the most important days of your life. At least this is what Vogue says! Yes, the magazine that more than anyone else lives on professional photographers to create the look and shape the trend messages, has sent out this shocking message. Amongst rings, honeymoon and the first dance, you should drop professional photographers from your list and rely on your guests’ snaps. Of course, it is not just the professional photographers who should get the sack; you should let go of the album as well, as Facebook is better suited to hold your memories.
Trust me, I did not see this coming from a magazine whose images are not only sourced from the “creme” of professional photographers, but that are reshaped and edited at no end. I strongly believe you should not follow Vogue’s advice, and these are the top 4 reasons why.
Professional Photographers carry the experience of capturing the “moment”
When you pay professional photographers to document your wedding, you are not investing in getting memories, but in the getting the right ones. Professional photographers who shoot many weddings know the ins and outs of covering such a unique event. The first kiss, those emotional moments that, even in 20 years from today, will still make your heart beat a bit faster, those beautifully framed moments are not something you do by mistake. Professional photographers know when to take them and how to take them.
Leaving your memories to your guests is something I strongly support, if those images are to be added to the professional ones; however, let me ask you how disappointed you would be if you would not get photos of:
- you in your beautiful dress
- first kiss you gave to your husband
- your family emotional reaction to the “I do”
And it is not only about knowing what to do, but also knowing (and being allowed) where the magic really happens. Being in the middle of the crowd using a phone won’t be of any help if what you want to capture is your husband putting the ring on your finger! Oh, sorry, I forgot that Vogue dismisses rings as well… so 1900!
SOOC is for “Straight out of Camera”
How cool is that Instagram can apply funky filters to your photographs. It certainly does its trick, but sooner or later you will realise that a song vignetting and ten different presets won’t create a flowing visual experience. You will jump from extreme colours, various black and whites without being able to create something that will last the challenge of time, contrary to what Vogue does. The role of professional photographers is not just to capture a set of images, but also to make sure they look homogeneous in their colours and presentation. We spend hours colour correcting images, making sure that you will experience your day in a pleasurable way.
Prints are here to stay
There is no denying that digital is the future. From marketing to photographs the digital world is going to be more and more prominent in our lives; however, if you are looking for a unique way as keepsake for your memories, then a printed image is still the present, and this won’t change any time soon. Digital images are often buried deep into phones, lost in old computers or just vanished thanks to the last virus or simple mistakes.
You may tell me that it is easy to print a book from digital images, but our experience taught us that only very few people do that in the end, and only professional photographers can bring those images with the right tones, colours and composition in a book so to give you something you will look forward to browse every now and again.
Also, try framing a digital image taken with an iPhone on the wall. You can let us know how it goes!
Are you ready to bet on photos you cannot reproduce?
When we got married, we did not know many professional photographers specialised in weddings, at least where we got married in Italy. We did not gamble on our photos by not hiring professional photographers, but we did gamble by not investing a bit more and bringing one with us from London. As you may have read already, our small gamble did not pay off. At all.
Not only we do not have great photographs of our wedding, but when our mind wanders over there, a layer of sadness resurfaces. You see, it is not just the images, it is about memories. Professional photographers are expensive for good reasons: they are able to anticipate, capture and present those moments in a unique way!
What you have to remember is that that important day does not have the possibility to be lived once more. Once it is gone it is gone, and if your guests failed to capture the first kiss with their iPhones, that’s it.
What do you think? Professional Photographers for your wedding: yes or no?