‘Why should I hire a photographer when I can just take a photo with my phone?’
This is one of the questions we get asked all the time as professional photographers, and the truth is, you absolutely could take a photo with your phone! But there’s a very high probability that it won’t look very professional.
Now we will be the first to admit that smartphones are getting very good these days. The modern cameras they have installed are certainly better than the rudimentary ones of old, and probably better than some of the original digital cameras too! And yes it can be helpful to have a portable camera on hand to capture those impromptu, unplanned events that you couldn’t possibly hire a professional photographer for in time. But as a general rule, it’s always worth hiring a professional, and here’s why.
Professional Grade Equipment
One of the biggest things that sets professionals apart from amateurs in the photography world is the equipment they use. Most people who get into professional photography tend to be ‘gear heads’, and enjoy the technical aspects of their equipment almost as much as taking the photos. We’ve yet to meet a photographer without at least 2 or 3 different cameras for different situations – and it’s usually more!
As we explained in this blog, the equipment you use when taking a photograph really does matter, and it can have a huge impact on the quality of the final product you can produce. For example, better equipment means you can capture higher-resolution images, free from image noise (that greyish film of static) and motion blur. It will also allow your photographer to capture different angles, for example, an aerial shot using an aerial photography mast, which will help your images stand out from the competition. A professional photographer will also be continuously updating their equipment to keep up with advances in technology, ensuring that the images they take will always be the highest quality possible.
In other words, a professional’s equipment will always outperform even the best smartphone on the market. Every time.
The Gear Is Only Part Of The Job
If you still don’t believe us when we say a professional photographer is almost always a better choice, here is a challenge. Find yourself an amateur photographer and a professional. Give the amateur photographer a really nice, expensive camera, and hand the professional a smartphone. Ask them to produce a photograph of the same subject for you.
If it was just the equipment, then the amateur photographer would produce the better photograph, right? But we are willing to bet money that the professional will always come out on top, even using only a smartphone. This is because a professional photographer has more than just expensive gear. They have years of knowledge about things like composition, lighting, and editing, as well as experience and on-the-job training. They are used to adapting and improvising, are fully qualified in the art of taking amazing photographs, and have put hundreds of hours of hard graft into honing that skill. For example, we’ve got over 15 years of experience in commercial photography and videography, and were are one of the UK’s first 50 companies licensed by the CAA for undertaking commercial drone photography work.
In short, professional photographers understand what it takes to capture a good photograph, and how to make it happen using the equipment in front of them. So, while the equipment itself is very important, knowing how to use it can make all the difference between amazing and terrible photos!
Relationships Matter
When you work with a professional photographer, you aren’t just getting someone who can point a camera and press a shutter button. You’re getting access to a wealth of knowledge and experience in visual marketing. By getting to know your business they can start to advise on things like image style, angles, shot lists and more, ensuring you will always get the results you’re expecting. It also means you will have a consistent set of photographs for marketing your business, rather than a hodgepodge with some that look great and others that are wonky and dark because they were taken with an old smartphone!
Even if you have photographs taken years apart, a professional photographer will be able to match the style so that your imagery is consistent across the business – or equally they can help you to re-shoot old projects in the same style as your latest projects, again helping everything to look consistent.
Photographers also tend to be well-connected people, so if you need help in other areas of your business it’s always worth asking the person behind the camera! We talked in-depth about how much building a long-term relationship with your photographer can benefit you and your business here, so why not give it a read?
At Horizon Imaging we’re incredibly proud of the dedication we put into our photography services. We strive to always exceed expectations, and taking a quick look at our client testimonials page, we feel confident in saying that’s exactly what we deliver . Since 2007 we’ve been providing a professional, trustworthy and reliable source of photography and videography services – and we can guarantee our photos will be better than the ones taken on your smartphone.
What Do Our Clients Say?
“David captured some fantastic drone imagery, still photography, and drone videography on a couple of our sites. From start to finish David was extremely professional, flexible, and knowledgeable. We will definitely be using Horizon Imagery again in the future.”
“David provided photography, drone footage and a video of our properties in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire. He worked quickly to achieve our very tight deadline and the standard of all the images and video is very impressive. David responds to emails and requests very quickly and is a pleasure to work with.”
So, ask yourself do you:
- Want flexible, professional photographs that make your business stand out?
- Need specialist equipment to achieve the shots you want?
- Find yourself scrambling for decent photos to use in your marketing?
If so, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us on the contact details below.