The Difference a Professional Makes.....

I got this idea from my good friend Jen of JMPNY. In the age of everyone owning a camera, it seems that our industry is flooded with people who forget that this truly is an art, and not a quick buck. The actual definition of photography is "painting with light." Not that there is anything wrong with having photography as a hobby..it's a great hobby! It's a great way to express yourself, and capture memories to last a lifetime; some of the most precious photos I own are out of focus snapshots. 

With that said, I put a lot of time, effort, and money into learning my craft, so I, like many other photographers, want to protect the industry the best I can.  The thing is, no one really realizes when they are undervaluing the art of photography....it's just taking photos right? You hold the camera, press the button, and load them on the computer. It IS the digital age after all!

But really there is so much more to it than that. This post is aimed toward helping people see the difference that a professional photographer can make.  I've blogged before on the importance of getting the shot correct in the camera, and the importance of a photographer that shoots in manual mode, so I won't go over all that again. This post is going to focus on what happens AFTER the session is done.

I had a fun session at the fair the other night that I am going to use as my examples.  This first photo is just showing the difference between the shot right off the camera, and my minimal basic processing that is done to all images.

The next photo has just a tad more processing done to it, but really not all that much.  I just saw a lot of colors hiding in that building and wanted to bring them out. It is worth mentioning that I didn't add any color to that photo. I simply enhanced what was already there and begging to be seen. 

 And finally....who doesn't love a classic black and white photograph?  The problem with the digital age is that most people, unless properly taught, do not know how to take a true black and white photo.  Back in the days of film, it was actually easier. Black and white film did not produce greyscale results.  Most digital conversions, however, turn your photo gray.  Here is an image to show you the difference.

Notice that the true black and white photos has actual shades of black and white.  The blacks are blacks and the whites are whites with no gray tint.

And there you have the difference that professional processing can make in your photos.  Now you can see for yourself if the difference is worth it. Mix these results with professional papers and printings, and I'm sure that you will find that it is more than worth it!