rlord reports

When Do You Need a Pro?:

By Jim Stipe, Photo Editor, Catholic Relief Services
www.CRS.org

Today’s digital cameras are getting better and better, which might lead you to wonder whether it’s really necessary to hire a professional photographer when your company or non-profit needs photos taken.

It’s a good question, though it’s built somewhat on the false notion that just having a good camera is enough to get good photos. Having a good quality camera doesn’t necessarily make someone a better photographer any more than buying the best quality oil paints makes someone a better artist. You still have to know when and where to point the camera, how to deal with difficult light, how to catch the right moment, how to set up a shoot, and much more.

That doesn’t mean that you won’t potentially get some great shots with a nice camera. You probably will. But there’s a big difference between getting a few great shots because everything happened to work out a few times versus the consistency and experience that a professional photographer can give you, shot after shot.

So how do you decide when you can do a shoot yourself versus hiring a professional? Ask yourself a few questions...

Will it be a difficult shot to set up? If it’s photos of the company picnic, there’s nothing difficult about shooting that. If it’s persons living with HIV in a remote area of Haiti…you’ll probably want to hire a professional.

How quickly do you need the photos? If you need them today, you probably won’t have time to find a photographer so you’ll need to shoot them yourself. But do keep in mind that once the shoot starts, a professional will probably know how to get the best shots in less time.

Do you have the time to do it yourself? Many people incorrectly think that you press the camera’s shutter button and then everything is done. For the photo to look its best, however, it will probably need some touch up work, plus resizing for the final print size or web site. All of that takes time and knowledge. If you’ve got both, great – you may be able to do the shoot yourself. If not, you may need to hire a professional.