Why pay for professional photographs?

People are amazing. They learn, they grow, the believe and they change. There is something fascinating about studying a person. Every expression, every movement, every word. The world is filled with uniqueness that seeps through to every corner.

I can think of nothing more terrifyingly challenging then to photograph and capture one's soul. It is my challenge. It is my inspiration and my beautiful dream to photograph others and make them feel something. The one thing that captures me the most is a smile. Every single one out there is beautiful. The genuine ones are those that I am talking about. Not the forced, awkward smile of a braced teenager posed infront of a screen and told "SMILE for the camera!" for school photos.

Many people wonder "Why should I pay good money for pictures that I can take with my own quality camera?". MY answer? Because you don't know your camera like I do. There is so much that can be changed and calculated behind those safe doors of the automatic mode behind your DSLR. I understand them. Unlike others who have previously told you that P (Program) stands for professional, I know that M (Manual) controls everything. Composition is another thing to consider that amateurs do not. The decisive moment (invented by Henry Cartier Bresson). The concept that you should know what you want your final product to look like before you go out and shoot it (Ansel Adams' concept). The shutter speed, the apperture, the ISO, the focal length, subject to camera distance, circles of confusion. A photographer knows these things. Uses them as tools to create art.

A photographer's best buiness is not the family down the street or a weeding shoot; it's other photographers. We understand the importance of captured moments. Framed memories. They last forever and if you have the photographer that touches your heart, you chose the right one. Please, don't go looking for the cheapest person you can find. There is a reason their prices are so low. The market is hard. Business is tough. People don't value their time and effort like they should.

Although, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people out there who charge good money for horrible photographs. if you want some examples, check this site out : http://youarenotaphotographer.com/

Do your research. I beg of you. If you don't feel comfortable with your phtographer, don't use them as your photographer. You should feel like yourself with this person. Nervous is okay, exited is awesome  Keep in mind that real photographers know the difference between good and bad shots. They want to make YOU, the client and happy as possible. It's what we live for.

So please, THINK! I promise you that my photos will never end up on yourarenotaphotographer.com.

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.”~Ansel Adams