Reading an article last night in a professional photography magazine about a wedding photographer, that when she needs inspiration she sets up a mock wedding shoot.  Goes out, buys the dress for a friend, rents a tux, gets a florist to create bouquets, cake, everything to get it just the way she wants it.  And then she photographs it, puts it on her website.  New, exciting images.

Here is the problem with that…can she reproduce those exciting images on an actual wedding day?  When there is stress of time constraints, not perfect lighting, etc?  Can she think on her feet and still make an amazing image?  Maybe.  Consistency is key, when it come to photography.  Why do I say that…because most of the photographer out there today are getting lucky.  The camera takes a good picture not the photographer.  They can do it once, but never again.  And that is because they don’t know why or how it worked.  Why the picture came out.  Or why the lighting is great.  Knowing the answer to why, is what makes a professional.

Just like in the Wizard of Oz, everything is not what it seems.  Make sure you look behind the curtain before you choose a photographer for anything.  Ask questions like:
• How long will it take for pictures?
• Are the images on your website from an actual wedding day?
• Is all the work on your website created for paying clients?
• Do you do this full-time?

It is really sad to hear the stories of disappointed parents or couples, when all they had to do was ask a few simple questions.  Which is why we created the Photobuse series.  Learn more about that next week.This image was made on the actual wedding day.  No part of it was staged
or influenced.  It is just what happened.