Sandbox Photo Tip # 4:  HIRE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Why Hire a Professional Photographer?

"Take a picture it lasts longer!" shouted the kids near me in 7th grade.  I can't remember what I was starting at, if anything.  But really, how true!  My love of photography happened long ago when my mother gave me a black & white camera for Christmas.  Perhaps it was her love of documenting life, but I caught the bug.  So much so that even when I became a High School Drama Teacher I loved creating still poses in the movement of a musical or play.  I could yell, "freeze!" in a rehearsal and my students knew to srtike that pose with the emotions and action in that scene. If we could not create "photos" of each important moment in the show then how could we ask the audience to remember the important message or piece of information.  We couldn't.  Holding on to the emotion or action was essential to telling the story.  That is how I see life!  "We are all actors. . . " said the great William Shakespeare.  Stop the action for a moment to hold onto that forever.  Photography does this for me.  It allows me to hold on to this great gift called, life.  All the little moments, expressions, and happy times.  It is funny that even though we experience tragedy and loss in our lives it is the good times and happy times that we remember the most.  Photos reinforce this!

So, why hire a professional, well because of the above.  I have studied people, emotions, posing, lighting, and what to wear for my high school, college days into my professional life!  Professional photographers have that love of stopping life for a moment and know how to be in the right place at the right time.  Along with the equipment, computer software, tons of classes and practice the professional has a need to make a living doing what they love and have been called to do!  To me, images are not just things to get left on a disk or on a computer.  They are mini-gifts of time and memories.  

1. EDUCATION:  Someone once said 10,000 hours doing something makes you an expert!  There are 8,736 hours in one year! Whether self-taught, a class taker or someone who studied photography in college.  Learning takes time, patience and hours!  Lots and lots of hours!  

2. EQUIPMENT and SOFTWARE: Knowledge about that equipment and software is a huge part of snapping the right shot.  Being able to work in the digital darkroom is a must. Photoshop Lightroom, Photoshop Elements 15 or Photoshop 6 CC. These are all fairly easy to learn if you have some time and there are many books to help learn faster than trial an error.  My favorite for Lightroom and Photoshop together can be found here.

3. EYES: Photographers have an eye for seeing what people in the photos don't see.  Maybe it is the lighthouse in the distance or the fact that someone's fly is undone!  The EYES have it!

4. TIMING:  Having a camera ready for THAT perfect shot is important!  Being in the right place at the right time especially when dealing with children will get a memorable shot to last a lifetime!

5. BOSINESS or should I say, LEADERSHIP:  Someone to wrangle the troops!  A Photographer must be able to organize large groups of people and do it well!  

6.  PERSONALITY: The photographer will hopefully build a good rapport with client fast!  A sense of humor is worth it's weight in gold.  Being friendly, silly and professional all at the same time is a challenge.  But these are the qualities of a great photographer.