Why you need a photographer ||| San Diego Family Photographer

Why you need a photographer? Got kids? Gotta have a photographer. Here is why.

I grew up in Brazil. I don’t know how things were here in the US over 40 years ago (that sounded old – haha), but back there and then, pictures of little kids were not so common. Luckily I had some pictures taken when I was about 3-4 months by a professional photographer. Of course my mom didn’t have a camera. And here is what the photographers did: they went from door to door offering their services. I don’t know how, specially because as a young single mom, my mom didn’t really have money to hire a photographer, but she found a way to save some and get my the pictures taken. I am SOOOO grateful that I have them today. I never get tired of looking at them and seeing how much my older son looked like me as a baby.

Today things are completely different. Photographers for all budgets/styles are available in the smallest towns in the country. Plus, we all have cameras. And very good ones. We have access to the pictures almost immediately after they are taken and we share them with the world! I wonder how long it took my mom to get that album. And to this date I bet only immediate family members got to see those pictures. And as much I encourage everyone to take pictures of their kids as much as possible, I really think that you should have a photographer every now and again. And here is why.

1. I have kids. 2 boys. 2 very active boys. When I am taking their pictures I am less Chris, the photographer, and more Chris, the mom. And you all know what that means: they don’t listen.
I am a photographer, but I am not a magician. It can be as frustrating to take my son’s pictures as it probably is for you to take your kids’ pictures. Don’t think that because I am a photographer it all goes smooth on my family’s photoshoot. It is chaos. The baby never smiles (maybe 10% of the time – which is fine to me, I am a big believer that they don’t need to smile to look beautiful), my older son won’t follow my directions, they fall, trip, cry, get distracted. I get tired, hot, irritated, hopeless. It is exhausting. Can you relate?
Here is a sample of my kids in front of my camera. It is NEVER this bad with my clients.

2. You have a nice camera. I have a nice camera. Are our pictures the same? Probably not.
Most people don’t know how to use a professional or semi professional camera, so they just leave it in “Auto”. Auto will never give you all the potential your nice camera has to offer. A photographer, on the other hand has thousands of hours of experience with his camera, so manual settings are our second nature, we don’t even think about it anymore. Just like driving, our brain now just do it without consciously thinking about it. Even if you take a nice photography class but don’t practice constantly, you will end up going back to your camera’s auto mode. Much easier, right?
Not to mention the photo treatment. Oh, yeah. The pixie dust we put on the pictures, our style to edit, our cherry on the top. My camera is the same to thousands of other photographers out there. We may use the same lens, the same memory cards, even the same locations and props. And we all have different pictures. We all develop our own style of editing. That is where we put our mark on the picture.
For instance, I use Canon. Love Canon. But the pictures straight out of the camera come out a little dull, grayish. How do my pictures turn out so vibrant and colorful? Hours of pure magic (not). Hours of hard work on my computer. All the blemishes and scratches removed, unwanted people or objects on the background erased, ideal crops, exposure, contrast and color adjustments. The list goes on…
In many of my photoshoots, clients are very shocked and pleased to see how many pictures I get from a session. My camera is quick and I am quick. Together we get that split second that your eyes didn’t catch and you’ll only know happened when you see your pictures. I love when it happens. I want you to see what I see.

3. I multitask. And I can’t do it.
I noticed that when I am taking pictures of my clients, that is all I do. I take pictures. I can take care of the camera, choose best spots, optimal light, I can count on other people (moms, dads…) to help me make sure everybody is looking their best. When mom Chris is taking pictures of my family or family events, there is a lot more involved. Besides doing all of the above, I also need to take care of them, feed, bribe, change, boss my husband around (poor him). If there is an event, even worse. How can I take pictures and greet and entertain the guests?
I was going to say: look good, hair – nails –  make up done, relaxed smile… but no, I AM taking the pictures, so I am never IN the pictures. Does that happen to you also? I bet it does. And even if someone offers to take one of me with the kids (of course in Auto Mode), I never look my best. Because I just didn’t have time to do that on top of everything else. And I probably look stressed out from trying to have them cooperate – refer to #1 on the list.

4. Do you print your pictures?
When you hire a photographer and see all those beautiful, sharp images, you WANT to print them and hang them on your wall. The ones you take from your phone? Not really…
I love my phone and I use them all the time with my kids. Those are the daily memories I will keep forever. But they won’t go on my wall.
If you don’t print and hang your professional pictures, shame on you. Talk to your photographer right now and fix that. 🙂

5. You are busy.
Time flies. My older son just turned 6 last week and I am in shock that I have a 6 year old. In a few years he won’t be taking pictures anymore. The kid phase will be long gone. I am glad I have so many pictures of him. But I am a full time photographer, that is what I do. I know you have tons of things to do, work, take care of the kids and the house, so why add another task to your long list of things to do? Why struggle? Why postpone? Why see them grow and regret not taking pictures when they were little? When you hire a photographer, everything is so easy. You get ready (that part of looking beautiful is always fun). You show up for an hour or so, and that is it. That is IT! Leave the rest to your photographer. It really is that simple.

6. Trust your photographer
After seeing so many people, taking so many pictures, we, photographers, have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to pictures.
We can help you pick the best location and time of the day for optimal light at that spot. We can help you choose the most appropriate and flattering outfits and accessories. That is specially true when it comes to newborn pictures. I personally have so many props, hats, headbands, blankets, it would be very hard not to find something you like.
Trust our experience and expertise. We have experience handling your baby. We direct you and get your best angles. We work together. Isn’t it nice?

7. It is worth it!
Don’t just assume you can’t afford a photographer. Find the photographer you love and see if he or she offers any specials, referral programs, discounts.
In my case, I offer many opportunities for everyone who love my work to be able to hire me.

• I offer mini sessions for kids almost monthly – that is a great and inexpensive way to have updated photos of your kids. Some clients even choose to do that a few times a year instead of one full session.
• I give $50 certificates that can be used anytime if you refer a friend who books a full session. Those can be combined also. If you are really broke, find 5 friend, relatives, co-workers… who are looking for a photographer. It is easier than you think. Share the love and make sure they tell you you sent them my way so I can share the love with you also. 🙂
• I give extra files on kids mini sessions referrals.
• I always have cool specials on Black Friday/Cyber Monday and other special occasions. Follow me on Facebook to know the latest deals: www.facebook.com/AllColorsPhotographySD
• I have an amazing VIP Group on Facebook for past clients and tons of specials, first dibs, exclusive sessions and giveaways.

Keep all of that in mind next time you think about photography. Take your own photos. Take lots of them. But whenever you can, hire a photographer and get some professional photos taken.
If you have questions or would like to know more about my packages and prices, feel free to contact me. My contact are right below.

Have an AWESOME Summer!!!

Chris Dowd

email: AllColorsPhotography@yahoo.com
web: www.AllColorsPhotographyBlog.com
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