Wednesday, 14 May 2008

I recently read an blog article extolling the virtues of getting a friend to take the pictures at their wedding. With the increasing quality (and reduced cost) of digital cameras more and more people are opting for this route, which is perfectly valid and the best option for many. However in response to the article I read, I felt it necessary to reply in examining why some people might prefer to employ a professional.

Professional wedding photography does exactly what it says on the tin. It provides wedding photography which is professional. Lets just examine that phrase more closely. What does it mean to provide a service which can be called "professional"? Why would someone choose to pay someone to take their wedding pictures as opposed to asking a friend to do it?

Wikipedia describes a professional as being "a person in a profession" ... which doesn't really shed too much light on the issue. However they do go on to describe a person whose role requires skills which can only be gained via formal training or education. Alternatively they state that "sometimes it is also used to indicate a special level of quality of goods or tools". Dictionary definitions talk about technical or ethical standards, and about the attitude of the professional - courteous, conscientious, businesslike etc - which brings something else into the equation.

Having listed some definitions of a "professional" how can we apply this to professional wedding photography in regards to helping to answer our original question (you'll have to bear with me here, because I have a feeling that this could get quite philosophical)?

Professional wedding photography:

1. A person in a profession - not much more to say here. Anyone employed as a wedding photographer is a member of the profession.
2. Skillset, formal training - we could get into nature versus nurture, innate versus taught but we aren't likely to solve anything on these blog pages to that end; I think most people would agree that the success of any artistic endeavour is a result of a combination of both natural ability and education into the principles and history of the form. Having both is essential to getting the best results.
3. Special level of quality - as you might expect, professional wedding photography will produce pictures of a higher quality due to the points above, and the equipment being used.
4. Ethical standards, and courteousness - this could be the most important factor to most wedding couples. A trained wedding photographer will abide by certain quality standards when it comes to actually taking the pictures, creating the least intrusive approach allowing guests to enjoy the day, with the least amount of interruption.

The final point could just be that you want all of your party to enjoy the day without the responsibility of spending the occasion strapped to a camera and constantly doing the rounds. Leaving it to the professional means everyone is free to have fun, and you can relax in the knowledge that your photographer will create a professional portfolio of pictures.

Labels: professional wedding photography