The importance of hiring a professional photographer and videographer.
The following article appeared in the Detroit Wedding Day Magazine 2022 issue. It features an interview with photographer Angelo Simon owner of AM & FM Photography, and videographer Jason Lawson, owner of Lawson’s Video Production, who share the importance of hiring a professional photographer and videographer for special occasions.
There would be nothing sadder than learning that your wedding photographs and video footage were awful due to asking an inexperienced friend or family member to take your wedding photographs or video.
Leaving such an important job to a non-professional might prove to be a big mistake. It is essential to have experienced professionals who have perfected the art in their respective professions. Knowing the best lighting, equipment, and positioning are just a few skills these pros know from years of experience.
“You’re paying me to move six inches to the right”, states Angelo Simon, 30-year professional photographer, and owner of AM & FM Photography.
“ Anyone can take a picture. You’re paying me to move 6 inches to the right to make that picture a great photograph”, he continues.
“I think that brides and grooms should let go of the idea that an amateur or friend can take their photos instead of someone who does this as a living,” he continued.
Undoubtedly, digital cameras on the market produce impressive high-resolution images, but the skilled eye of a knowledgeable photographer is precious.
“It’s not the camera that takes the picture. It’s the photographer!” states Simon.
As part of his packages, Simon indicated that he provides the newlyweds with the digital files of their wedding, which could be upwards of 600 or more images. In addition, photos that the couples receive are edited and color corrected.
Today, Simon says a trend on the rise over the years is First-Looks.
“I did my first First-Look about ten years ago, but they are becoming more common. The couples want to go on lot of different locations. They want to go where they first met and their first walk. It’s becoming more common than not.”
He has also noticed that he has been doing more photoshoots for older couples having their second wedding.
“These are a lot more family-oriented because we now have more blended families, and they want to make sure that you capture the family,” he says.
Simon, strongly recommends couples make a realistic budget to be able to afford these services. He suggests that the couple set aside one budget for the photographer and another for the videographer.
Jason Lawson, the owner of Lawson’s Video Production, echoed similar sentiments.
“One of the things that couples look at is the price of the video production. Because of the cell phone, a lot of people think ‘why does it cost me so much when I can just pull out my cell phone’, but the process of the production of the video can take hours”, says Lawson.
Before there was the hint of a pandemic, Lawson had already implemented live video streaming for his wedding clients.
Lawson states, “In 2019, I started moving into streaming live videos using multiple cameras, mixing, and streaming. So, in 2020, when the wedding industry and all of world shut down, I had already been promoting live streaming. After the pandemic started, streaming was the only option.”
Lawson shared that most couples opt to use traditional video production services. However, having a professionally produced live stream combines the benefits of having a quality produced video coupled with live footage of the event.
To better understand Lawson’s professionally produced live stream process, one only needs to look at the television industry.
“On the day of the event, it can take hours of preparation before the event, but a lot of that work continues well after the wedding day,” states Lawson.
What is involved in live stream production is using multiple video cameras with on-site mixing, editing, and polishing. Lawson also can add graphics and other media, such as supplemental video clips, into the production. The goal of the produced streamed show is to capture the moment and tell a story using sight, sound, and motion.
“To do a production, streaming is not just recording what is going on but a full production including graphics. I understand that there is downtime during the course of a wedding day. So, I create a production that streams both the ceremony and reception.”
Examples of graphics or video inclusions that may be used include photo montages and previously taped stories of how the couple met.
The features of using a professionally produced streaming video help keep guests who are watching the streamed video engaged and entertained throughout.
“Not all weddings start on time. If someone has already logged in to the streaming site, what are the online guests doing during that time? When you go to the movies, you usually get there about 10 minutes before time to get popcorn or a drink for the start of the movie. That is where my production part comes in. I produce something engaging for them to see even during the down times for the wedding.”
“Think of it like as a production during a pre-game at a football game. They show the highlights of teams before the game, then there is the actual event”, states Lawson.
Not only will the couple have video streaming, but after the event, he also gives them a finished video much quicker than traditional video production.
“I do the streaming, polishing, cutting, editing, and mixing right there on-site. It shortens the time. My goal is to be like the DJ at the end of the night where I can unplug and be virtually finished because I did most of the production work upfront”.
After the wedding, the job of these skilled professionals continues well after the wedding festivities conclude. Couples who hire a professional to photograph and video their wedding get much more than a picture. They receive artistry.
Finally, Simon says, “If I could just talk to a bride and groom, I would just say, ‘hire professionals’.”
