Tip No. 1 for Hiring a Photographer – Equipment Is Key

January 15, 2008 |

Vancouver Wedding Photography by Julia Pelish
Michelle on her wedding day, as photographed with one of my favorite lenses – the Nikon 105DC, which has a defocusing control that blurs out the background. (Photo by Julia Pelish)

A good amount of craftsmanship is involved in any artistic endeavor and just about all the artists I know will say you’re as capable as your understanding of your tools. Photographers are no different in that regard from painters, musicians or woodworkers. We need to know how to consistently take eye-popping photographs – and we must have the equipment to do it.

Photography, as you may know, is an extremely expensive pursuit, especially in the digital age. There’s constant need to upgrade computer software on top of camera equipment, and technology continues to present us with many options to get even sharper pictures than ever before. It’s an exciting time but also a confusing one for consumers.

With that in mind, I’ll say the most important thing to remember when shopping for a photographer is to consider the full package, not just the portfolio or the rates.

You should make sure your photographer has more than one camera body and all the necessary tools to get him or her through the day. Equipment breaks, accidents happen, and we all need backup just in case. Another must is the knowledge of lighting and how to work with and without it. A photographer who uses a professional lighting system is much more versatile than one who only relies on natural light. Professionals utilize reflectors, on-camera flash strobes, and remote-triggered radio receivers to create studio lighting while on-location.

In terms of digital imaging, the computer monitor is a modern darkroom. Your photographer should be using Adobe software and should have the advanced skills to maximize its functions. If you’re hiring a wedding photographer consider asking candidates how they plan to digitally process the photographs, even have them walk you through an example. The images should be as refined as possible before you receive the final versions.

All kinds of other paraphernalia exists, some of which is not essential but may demonstrate the dedication of your photographer to his or her craft.

If you’d like to know more about this subject, send me an email (julia@juliapelish.com) and I’ll be happy to delve into it further.