Dream In PicturesPhotography

I’ve learned a lot over the years with my camera, and I’ve downplayed my abilities to some extent to not set false expectations for my clients.  I wasn’t my clients to have the best possible images, but trying to be something I’m not is not something I’ll do.

As a photographer, you have to understand your technical limitations, and those of your equipment as well.  You may know how to take a great picture, but you may not have the hardware to do it.  That is a limitation that you have.  If you have a camera which produces grainy images at high ISO and are using a slot kit lens, you have no business shooting someones wedding claiming to be a professional.

The same goes for people who have all the gear in the world, but have no idea how to use it.  You can have Canon or Nikon’s most professional camera, but if you don’t know what aperture, shutter speed, ASA/ISO, depth of field, chances are, you’re just popping off pictures with no idea about what the camera is actually calculating for you.

Sadly I had a woman email me about two months ago about a photographer who posed as a professional and then couldn’t deliver quality images of this couple’s wedding.  You can imagine the horror of opening up the proofs for your images, and seeing very grainy, dull looking pictures that have been overly photoshopped to try and compensate for how badly they have been shot.

Click on this image to the right that this poor girl sent me. I’ve cropped in the full size view a bit for you so you can see how out of focus and muddled the image is. Almost all of the images she send me were like this. This is just a shame because there are no do-overs for a wedding.

To drive my point across even further, you should really take 10 minutes of your time and watch this clip from Judge Joe Brown that was aired on March 1, 2010. I’m rather impressed with the judges’ knowledge of photography, and the complete lack of knowledge by the photographer.

I’m not even sure it was just the quality of the prints that was an issue here.  Also take note the unprofessionalism of this photographers behavior.

I have made one blunder in writing this post in that I have no idea who I’m really writing it for. I saw this video earlier today and it reminded me of the woman who approached me about retaking her wedding shots, and its just got me irritated. I guess it fits for anyone though.

If you’re a bride looking for a photographer, make sure they have more than some prints to show you, and don’t assume that because your friend knows someone who knows someone that they will be right for you. If you’re a photographer, and you’re guilty of any of this…. please stop and fix the problem.

I’ve got little problems telling someone when something is out of my scope of work, and if you approach me with such a project I will be glad to help you any way that I can. If I can’t help you, I’m sure I know someone qualified, and I’m more than happy to introduce you….