I'm disappointed in myself. I couldn't come up with a more clever title for this post. I'm slipping...But let's get to it. Hiring a photographer is an investment. It matters and it makes a difference. When you hire a photographer, you are saying "this is really important to me". That's how I see it anyway. Then what? You need to print them. I love the digital age, but pictures were made to be displayed and shared. So would you run your new Maserati through the gas station quick wash? This is all about why hiring a photographer and ordering your prints through your photographer makes a difference!
Let's be clear: I'm not as expensive as a Maserati. This post will probably come off as some kind of crazy attempt to get you to consider hiring a photographer for your special event, moment in time or professional portraits. (How manipulative!) I may even attempt to trick you into thinking that after you've hired the photographer, you should actually pay a few extra bucks to purchase prints from your photographer. (GASP!) HOW SINISTER AND BLATANT I AM FOR SUGGESTING GIVING THE PHOTOGRAPHER MORE BUSINESS!!! WELL I NEVER!
The truth is, there is a professional difference in taking pictures with your phone, iPad or new Canon Rebel and hiring a Photographer, and there is also a difference in printing those images. I'm glad that your new Nokia phone can shoot at 12mpx. That's awesome! I'm happy that you've purchased a Canon t3i to take with you on family vacations for better pictures. You should! But let me share with you examples of a few emails and phone calls I've received regarding these topics:
-"Well, we had a friend offer to take them for $75. So we were hoping you could give us a deal since we already spent money and didn't like the way they turned out" (Or something like that)
-"A family member had a really nice camera so we just asked them to come over"
-"We took the disk to (Pharmacy) and they don't look as good as on the computer"
-"There must be something wrong with the disk because I printed them off my computer and the colors seem weird"
When I moved to New York (1 or 2 years ago...okay, over 20 years ago) I had very little money and I needed headshots. You can't be an actor without one. So I saw an add in Backstage (the actor's trade magazine where we find out about auditions and such) an ad offering $50 for headshots! What a deal! That's about all I had. So I called the photographer, booked a session and went to his horrible little apartment near Houston (that's pronounced House-ton). I had a weird feeling the entire time I was there, but I tried not to let it get to me. On the day I went to pick up my proofs, the photographer wouldn't answer the door! Wouldn't answer the phone! I went back the next day, same thing! I was out $50 and had to start all over. I should have just invested the extra money the first time, but now, like example number one above, I ended up paying more after thinking I was getting a deal. Now I was essentially paying an extra $50 for headshots.
Hiring a photographer is a financially emotional investment. No one gets that more than your photographer. That is why he or she has invested thousands of dollars on equipment, learning how to use that equipment effectively and learning how to compose a great story. I know that it's hard to understand why this digital file costs as much as it does, but I'll be monologuing about that tomorrow. There are just a few things that I think are worth the investment, and your story is one of them.
So you've paid to have a photographer take your family or wedding photos. It costs money. I get that. So why not invest in the photographer's ability to give you an end result, a final product that displays the reason you hired him in the first place? When I get a call or email from a client that thinks that their images or disk is messed up, %100 of the time the contact was made after picking up prints from a Pharmacy or place of business that does not imply that they are a reproduction/printing lab specialist in any way. Yes, I've printed from Target and Wallgreens and CVS, and they were cheap! And so was the quality, and that was fine for what I needed. My intent is not to say that you should never take your business there. I'd be a hypocrite. But when it comes to printing images of my wife, my kids or important memories, I print professionally. I've had clients complain of cropped images, bad color and other errors in printing. Paper quality is also a HUGE part of printing. It affects the outcome of your image. I have images of my kids printed on metallic paper because that's how I saw the final product. I knew the images would pop and shine, but not in that glossy paper way!
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| copyright McKindles Photography 2012 |
Your photographer can help recommend your paper quality. Did you know that there is a difference in printing on regular paper paper made just for black and white printing? It matters!
My advice is this: The next time you are considering whether hiring a photographer is the right idea, consider the value of the moment. If it means that much to you, hire someone that can help you really create something that has value. And if you've invested in the moment, then consider how much value your photographer's experience and knowledge in creating the final product. McKindles Photography actually uses 2 companies depending on your product. One company creates beautiful high quality canvas prints while the other delivers incredible albums. The fact is, I want the image I created with you to look its best! Honestly and selfishly speaking, when you hang your images on the wall, I want people to ask you who your photographer was. So I want you to have the best product possible. I want that for both of us. Your story and the way you choose to tell it matters, so just remember that the next time you think about printing the picture we made together.
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