Kaaterskill Inn Wedding – NYC – Rachael & Neal

Why You Don’t Need

A Wedding Photographer

Welcome to my blog post about why you don’t need a wedding photographer. You are probably thinking, “Wait a minute, Paul! You are a wedding photographer. You run a wedding photography business called Hazel Photo. Why would you tell anybody why they don’t need you?” There are a few good reasons for this:

A)

Nobody needs a wedding photographer. We need food, shelter, water, healthcare, human contact. We want weddings, because we like beautiful and meaningful events that honor our love and our families!

B)

I truly believe there is no one right way to make family with other people. Weddings aren’t for everybody, and when people do decide to get married, there are thousands of ways to do it. I have photographed city hall weddings where I signed official documents as a lone witness. I have photographed 300 person balls at swank rooftop clubs. I have photographed thirty person farm weddings complete with tutu clad sheep. You name it! Some people are happy to have a few snapshots from friends, others hire a team of five photographers.

C)

I don’t want to work with anybody who doesn’t really want a wedding photographer. I want to work with people who appreciate my photographic style, and my approach to weddings. I want to work with people who are seriously excited to work with me. That’s the recipe for incredible photographs, and good feelings.

…So… Here are some reasons why you don’t need a wedding photographer?

1. Everybody has a camera on their telephone, and newer smartphones are actually capable of taking some pretty good pictures! Maybe you have seen the billboards advertising the new iphone featuring a gorgeous sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. My iphone did beautifully while my wife and I traveled in Turkey.
   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 1: Smartphone cameras are getting really good.

2. Sometimes the quality of the camera isn’t the most important thing. The joy on my wife’s face when we discovered this litter of puppies shines through any nitpicking issues with camera or technique. As Chase Jarvis says: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”
   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 2: The best camera is the one you have with you.

3. The proliferation of cameras is not limited to telephones. There are watch cameras, and eyeglass cameras, and video cameras that mount to your bike helmet.
   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 75: DOGGIECAM! Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 110: Snapchat Spectacles!

4. You probably also have friends and aunts and cousins who are photography enthusiasts. They will bring their fancy cameras and snap away. They may even be talented photographers!
   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 101: Kids really really really love cameras.

5. There are some awesome filters on instagram.
   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: There are lovely filters on Instagram

   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: There are lovely? filters on Instagram.

   

   Why you don’t need a wedding photographer reason 33 1/3: You can Instagram the kid with an 80s era film point-and-shoot and score a zillion likes.

6. Wedding hashtags allow your guests to make photos from your wedding easy to find. There are even apps that makes an online gallery that everybody can post to for viewing and sharing.

So… given all this, are there reasons why you would still want to hire a professional wedding photographer to take pictures at your wedding?

Indeed. There are.

You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer because…

1. You want your wedding guests to be fully present at your wedding rather than running around and taking photographs the whole time.
2. As you walk down the aisle to meet the love of your life at the altar, you want your guests to look at your glowing beautiful face, not at a row of tiny digital screens. Consider a tech-free ceremony if you want to see your guests faces, not their phone cases.
   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 36: This is not a tech-free ceremony, but she has the most beautiful smile ever.

3. You know your uncle has a fancy camera, but you aren’t certain he knows how to use it perfectly, and you have never seen his portfolio, so you don’t know if his style is to your liking.
4. The idea of seeking out an artist whose work you admire, and commissioning them to make artwork about your love, is appealing to you. Have you ever commissioned an artist to make a work of art? You may never have the chance again. Who knows, maybe you will really like it.
   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 37: Artiste at work!

5. You want an album, like your parents have, a solid thing that sits on the shelf, or the coffee table, that has weight to it, that always opens to memories from your wedding day, that your children, and their children will be able to look back on.
6. You spent $$$$ on floral arrangements, and you wouldn’t mind a few artful photos of them before they wilt.
   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 38: Artful photo of a floral arrangement.

   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of a bouquet resting by Buddha.

7. You spent $$$$ on catering, and alcohol, and cake, and we all know where that will end up soon enough, so you want a few photos to remember what all that was about.
   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of glazed lemon trout.

   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 39: Artful photo of gratuitous fresh figs resting among laurels.

   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 40: Artful photo of one of the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen. Can you tell I like fresh figs?

8. Your fancy-camera-cousin might come down with the flu, and she may not be able to provide another fancy-camera-cousin to take her place.
9. Your fancy-camera-friend has been to “a lot” of weddings, but does not have the experience that comes with being the official photographer at dozens of weddings.
   

   You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 47: An experienced photographer knows where to stand to get the best angle.

10. You think it could be useful to have an experienced wedding photographer to help plan out the timing of photography during your wedding day so that you can be certain to make time for all of the family and bridal portraits that you want.
11. You want to work with a photographer who is skilled at finding the most flattering angles for your face, and who is able to comfortably coach you into effortlessly beautiful poses/non-poses.
12. Your fancy-camera-aunt might get a bit too tipsy, and forget to take a single photograph after cocktail hour ends. Your fancy-camera-friend might dance his heart out, and drop his camera. A professional will have backup equipment at the ready.
    

    You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 86: You want your friends to do the worm, not spend all night behind a camera.

13. Sure, your cousin’s camera has a pop-up flash, but you don’t want picture A. You want picture B. There are different types of flash photography.

    A.

    B.

    

    You might want to hire a professional wedding photographer reason 13: This is what strong flash technique can look like.

    So… in summation, even if reading this blog post has been informative, and you find that in the end you really would like to hire a professional wedding photographer, the truth is there are many reasons why you don’t need a wedding photographer. Click here if you are excited about my documentary style wedding photography and you want to see more images! Click here if you want to send me a message!