With the modern age of Digital cameras that can take an almost foolproof photos, do you really need to get a professional photographer in to take some images for your business or of your family??Even in the field of Event photography at Society Balls, everyone around the table has a pocket sized, super-duper digital camera, so why pay a pro to do that job?
The reality is that anyone can take a good picture these days, so often you can get away with your own images. The difference is that a Pro won't just take a picture, they will "Make" a Picture.
I was talking this week to a Manager of a Golf Club and this very subject came up. His daughter is a budding Pro and with the same camera, he will take a picture which turns out ok, but she will make a picture and by his own admission, a hundred times better. Often it is the ability to see how a final image will look and have the knowledge and understanding on what changes to composition or lighting are needed.
On a recent commission for Conwy County Borough Council's European unit, we needed to show an area of land that had received European funding to set-up access and facilities to the site. From a normal level, it just looked like any other field, so the answer was to take to the air and show the area from above, detailing all the access and how it linked in to the surrounding community.
Again, last week I was doing a shoot for Carpet Scrub, based in North Wales, where the solution in creating something different and eye catching, was to get on to the ground and close up. The straight on shot just didn't have the same impact.
What you have to ask yourself is "Are your own pictures good enough to represent your company in the best light" In this age of competition, first impressions count, so saving a few quid by doing it yourself, could cost you thousands in the long run.
Check out my web site at http://www.ajw-photography.com/
