Reasons why you should choose a professional wedding photographer – by Paul Retherford

The following post was very kindly written by Paul Retherford, an awesome wedding photographer from Northern Michigan in the US. Paul shot his first wedding when he was 18 and has now covered over 300 weddings in total.

It is the first post written for the site by a wedding photographer based outside of the UK so thank you Paul! I hope you are the first of many

Paul’s very sound advice is primarily aimed at bride and grooms but will be of just as much interest to wedding photographers. Paul sets out exactly how important the job of shooting a wedding is, you will only get one chance at a wedding and it is a huge responsibility. The skill required, and the ability to manage people, and pressure, can never be overstated.

Once you have read his post I would highly recommend visiting Paul’s website at www.PaulRetherford.com which is full of stunning images.

Reasons why you should choose a professional wedding photographer

Your Wedding location is planned and you think you want a photographer. After racking your brain about guests that can snap images, you recall that Uncle Harry has an expensive camera. Since he will be on the guest list why not ask Harry?

Documenting the story of a Wedding day is an art form. It should not be pawned off on anyone that is less than a Professional Wedding Photographer. Her are a few of the reasons why you should hire a Pro.

First of all, what is a Professional Wedding Photographer? I have heard other professionals say that a professional is anyone who has accepted money for images. I suggest that you call a Professional anyone who has captured, at least, 50 full Weddings, and I would like to see them capture at least 100+ Weddings.

A professional wedding photographer should have been exposed to a large portion of the scenarios during a wedding day. Being able to respond to adversity and handle high stress situations is mandatory. The professional should manage time well and help all parties arrive on time and remain on task. Most of all, the professional is ready to adapt to changing situations and should have the foresight to see changes coming.

Professional wedding photographers have multiple backup systems. Having one camera is not acceptable. I prefer to see two cameras on the Pro at all times. You never know when a camera will error out, break a shutter, or the card will malfunction. Most Professionals have backups to their backups. They understand that this is a once in a lifetime event. Backup is not an option, therefore trust a professional.

Professional wedding photographers know how to make ladies look beautiful and men look handsome. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a Wedding, wouldn’t you want to look your best. Professionals know proper posing techniques and also proper angles of exposure to make the subjects look stunning. Do not trust an ametuer to your hotness.

These are just a few of the reasons to book a professional wedding photographer for your wedding day. After you repack your bags and head back to work, your memories will fade but your professional wedding images will not. Please, I beg you, trust only a professional wedding photographer. Get lots of references, check testimonials, ask questions, and see examples of full weddings.

Paul Retherford Wedding Photography – www.PaulRetherford.com