Is Hiring a Professional Photographer Worth It?

Spending money for portraits?

Yes. It is absolutely worth hiring a professional photographer! Let me explain why.Let me dive in with the alternatives of paying for a photographer. If you are not hiring a professional photographer you are either taking photos yourself or relying on a friend or family member to do the photos for you for free.

DIY

I have taken on the work of doing photos for myself and for my family more times than I can count. I mean I am a professional photographer. Most of the time it is fun because I love photography, but even as a photographer at the end of the day it is still work. DIY is super trendy, but the problem with DIY photography is even with the skills and equipment at my disposal it can be stressful to do. It’s not always easy. So if you lack photography skills and equipment it’s all the more of a challenge. If you love challenges go for it. But if not, I recommend choosing easy and hiring a photographer.

A quick story:

The first time I personally hired a photographer was for my maternity/family photos when I was pregnant with my second child. I had done the DIY route for my maternity/family photos with my first pregnancy because it was relatively easy to manage with my remote trigger. I was also due in May 2020 so everything was pretty locked down leaving me with little options anyways. But I knew that wouldn’t work with taking photos in my second pregnancy with my toddler to manage.And oh gosh, I was right! I can’t imagine posing my toddler while being third-trimester pregnant and trying to take photos with a tripod and remote trigger. So I highly recommend even if you are a professional photographer to choose easy. I hired a professional photographer who is also a friend, Jessica M Drake, and she did a fabulous job. I showed up, smiled with my little family, and had beautiful photographs delivered to my inbox a few weeks later. So easy.

Outsourcing for Free

I did this for a very important event, my wedding. I regretted it. I thought this would be okay, because I hired a videographer to capture the wedding since we had only invited a dozen guests and I wanted other friends and family to see a high quality video of the day.My sister agreed to take photos for us, but because it was a magical snowy day it was very bright and white. Sounds beautiful right? But my sister is not a professional photographer, and the photos did not do the day justice–a lot of the snowy scenes were washed out. I still love you sis!!It was frustrating, but who was to blame in this case? Me!Yes it would have been an extra expense to a budget I was trying to minimize. But that day can never be captured again and the opportunity is now gone.Also, there is the friend or family member’s time to consider. I gave my sister a task. But really I should have let her enjoy my wedding as my sister.While DIY and outsourcing may sound alluring in some ways I encourage you to think about these points above.

It's So Worth It!

Given all that background I'll speak to why hiring a pro is worth the investment. It’s pretty simple.

You’ll get beautiful photos, you aren't able to capture yourself if you tried, without lifting a finger.

It’s like going out to eat. You show up and eat delicious food and don’t have to worry about cooking or dishes. When I hired Jessica, I got to show up, have fun posing and I got beautiful memories of this time with my family.I didn’t have to worry about capturing the right angle, or getting the lighting right, or making sure everyone's eyes were open. I also didn’t have to worry whether Jessica knew what she was doing. I was confident she would be able to deliver professional quality work. A service worth paying for.

Professional Photography Helps You Celebrate

We all have cameras that fit right into our pocket. So many photos are taken in our everyday lives our drive space is busting at its digital seams. So taking the time to do a photo session with a pro is unique. It is essentially commissioning a local artist to create something one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. Depending on the type of photo session, it is a way for you to celebrate yourself, your accomplishments and life. Or a way to celebrate your family or loved one, and the love you share for each other. I'll go back to the eating out analogy. When we celebrate we enjoy good food, we throw a party and we commemorate a moment in time. Professional photography helps capture the moment so you can look back and cherish it always.

What I also can't preach enough is to print out your photos.

Whether it's the photos you take on your cell phone or the photos taken by a pro, those memories are better displayed on your desk or a wall or an easily accessible photo album in your home rather than hidden away in a digital folder to be forgotten.

Do I Have You Convinced?

Stay tuned for my next thoughts on: How to Decide What Photographer to Hire. This might surprise you to hear me say this, but I wouldn't say the answer is always me!