Are you debating whether to hire a professional portrait photographer or stick to your at-home iPhone photography?
While it’s true that modern phones offer great images, you can’t underestimate the power of a professional portrait photographer to offer you high-quality, compelling images that you’ll want to use for years to come.
Whether you’re looking to get new business headshots, a beautiful engagement photo or some high-quality images of yourself, there are many reasons why a professional photographer should help you.
In this guide, we’ll give five reasons to hire a professional portrait photographer for your next photoshoot.
Let’s get started!
#1 Better Quality Cameras
This point may seem obvious, but one of the main reasons you should hire a professional portrait photographer is that they will have better-quality cameras and equipment.
A professional photographer will have high-quality cameras which they know how to use to fit your needs and requirements. If, for example, you’re having a business portrait photoshoot – they’ll know how to present you with the clear, crisp images you need to look professional.
On the other hand, if you’re having a wedding portrait shoot and want something more dreamy and light, a professional can use specific lenses and editing techniques to ensure you get this (much better than putting a filter on with your phone!).
Moreover, hiring a professional photographer also means that they are likely to have adequate photographer insurance, which can provide an additional layer of security for both you and the photographer. It covers any unforeseen incidents or issues during the session.
Additionally, suppose you’re having a full-party photography session. In that case, a photographer with a wide-angle camera will be able to ensure that everyone in your group can fit into the photograph without losing quality – something that isn’t possible with most standard smartphone cameras.
#2 Images Made For Purpose
While a phone selfie or portrait might look great on a screen, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will convey that well onto other platforms.
A professional portrait photographer can edit your portraits for various platforms to ensure their quality, whether you’re using them for a LinkedIn profile picture, a Facebook banner or a major billboard.
Professional photographers understand how to produce images for specific purposes, ensuring that they fit the theme and objectives of each shoot.
#3 Better Lighting Equipment
Professional photographers can offer better lighting equipment to help your photos stand out.
Lighting is a critical component of photography; however, it’s commonly ignored with at-home photography because the only option on your phone might be to add flash – which can result in overexposure.
Professional photographers can offer a range of lighting equipment, including things such as:
- Studio strobes
- Continuous lights
- Portable speedlights
These options can offer you high-quality lighting solutions for your photoshoot. However, in addition to the lighting equipment itself, professional portrait photographers can offer a wide range of accessories to aid in improving the quality of the light.
With the help of tools such as diffusers, reflectors and softboxes – a professional photographer can help you find the perfect lighting balance for your shoot, thinking about everything from how you want the photo to look online as well as in print addition to how you want to look in the photo.
#4 Better Editing Skills
Post-production is a big part of any photo shoot, and when you’re editing images on your phone, there’s not much you can do about this.
A professional portrait photographer can use high-quality photo editing software to help make your images look how you want them to. They can offer services such as:
- Adding new backgrounds
- Erasing things from the background
- Colour grading the images
- Adding branding (e.g. company logo for headshots)
- Optional editing (e.g. airbrushing skin, adding makeup)
When you work with a professional photographer, you can ensure that your final images look how you want them to, with exceptional editing skills you couldn’t replicate on your phone.
#5 Build Confidence
Though it might not feel like it initially, a professional photo session can be a great way to build your confidence.
A pro portrait photographer will have plenty of experience working with nervous subjects and can help you learn how to pose, smile and work for the camera in a way you feel comfortable, which looks fantastic in the final images.
IPhone and other smartphone cameras have a slightly warped perspective and often flip the image (which is why you might find yourself looking at a selfie and thinking, ‘is that really what I look like?’).
However, a professional camera is better designed to capture an image that looks more similar to how you see yourself in mirrors or real life, giving you a better depiction of yourself than you’d ever get from your phone.
Conclusion,
Though handling it yourself may be a good way to cut costs, it’s best to leave some things to the professionals. When you hire a professional portrait photographer, you get high-quality, clean images representing how you want to be seen.
