Do you really need a professional photographer for your event, wedding, product shoot, or other project?  In an age where everyone has a phone with pretty decent camera, why should you dish out the cash for an expensive professional photographer?

I think the best way to tackle this thought is to discuss the pros and cons of NOT having a photographer.  So let’s start with that mentality, no professional photographer. Can I do what I need to do to reach my goals without one?

Pros of No Professional Photographer:

• Save Money: The biggest pro has to be the savings.  As you can read in other articles, a photographer is going to cost a least a few hundred to several thousands of dollars to hire. Thus, not having to hire one means more money in your pocket, or more money to help you reach other goals.

• Less Coordination: No photographer means less coordination. Events or small windows of opportunity can be hard to manage, especially when there are so many moving pieces. Sometimes we just want to keep things simple, and choosing to defer from having a professional photographer can make things easier.

• Less intimidating:  Some people are easily intimidated by photographers, feeling like they are being watched, or have to smile all the time. Some people will just do their best to avoid having their picture taken if there is one around.   Not having to worry about how a photographers presence will make your guests feel could make the environment more relaxed.

Cons of No Professional Photographer

• Missed Moments: It unlikely that without a professional photographer, you will be able to capture your event or project with the same degree of efficiency and timing.  Let’s face it, if you are at the event, you are probably their to enjoy it, not work it!  No professional photographer means either more work for yourself, or deal with the missed kiss, the down on one knee, the moment the crowd laughs or cheers, etc.

• Quality:  If you still want to snap a couple shots, your overall quality will be much lower than that of a professional photographer. The questions you need to ask is, will the quality I can get without a professional photographer be good enough for your final purpose. In other words, what’s your plan. Are these photos for your website, your Instagram, for someone to look back on and remember forever? Phone photos may not be good enough in all instances.

• Stress:  If you are in charge of or caring for making sure something is documented, photographed, or filmed properly, it can be a lot of pressure!! The reality is, you want people to like the end result of the photos, and putting that on yourself brings extra stress.

So, do you really need to hire a professional photographer for your situation? If you are a business, will higher quality photos bring you more money, help you build your brand better?  If you are haveing an event, will a professional photographer make you less stressed, and fill the void of wondering if you will get good photos from the occasion? Are other people expecting there to be a photographer at the event or to fulfill the goal?  How will other react to having one or not having one?  Is this a once in a lifetime event or something that happens every week? 

Asking just a few questions as these can really help to narrow down the answer to your question: Do you really need a professional Photographer?

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