I’ve been hearing horror stories about the many who made wrong decisions in selecting photographers or videographers. Some have shopped endlessly and tirelessly, others went with their first visit. But all have been more or less unhappy, and most with good reason.
The advice below is of two kinds, positive, and negative. What to do, and what not to do. Both are equally important. Some will find it makes great sense. Others may not agree, or even understand it. This is the very nature of life itself and is at the core of human nature, people’s response characteristics, the way we think, and how we see things. I am writing this because I believe it is important. Only through understanding can there be appreciation. Your comments are welcome, your opinions will be reviewed.
Basics
A photographer should be an artist.
An artist must be sensitive, emotional, and passionate.
An artist must see things as they are, but also as they could be.
An artist must have something to say about what he sees.
Saying one is an artist does not make him so.
Just because one likes an image does not make it a great photograph.
Being creative does not make one an artist.
Being different just to be different is not being better.
A fad is temporary; substance should have a strong foundation.
An artist must have talent.
An artist never copies.
Talent is the uncanny knack for selecting the appropriate technique at the right time.
Techniques take time, and effort to master.
Many techniques are needed to have the correct one when required.
Everyone has taste, some have good taste.
Everyone has judgment, some have good judgment!
A photographer does not take pictures.
A photographer does not capture he sculpts.
A photographer sculpts life with light.
A photographer feels, and helps others feel what he thinks they should feel. Video is photography. It is 30 images per second with audio.
How to select your photographer
Good photography stands out in one major way. It does not look like an accident!
Expressions. Are they natural and believable. Do they not look like they are posed or posing most of the time. Are people relating to each other?
Poses: Are they both flattering, and real. They may be classical and statuesque. They may be theatrical and dramatic, or hip and modern, but they must not look stiff, awkward, uncomfortable, or dead!
Lighting: This is what makes a real photographer.
Is the light purposeful?
Is the light controlled?
What is the light doing?
Light is the photographer’s most important tool.
He should not be using light just to get an image. Occasionally. when he has no choice, that may be his last resort. But most of the time, the light should be contributing to the image.
Light creates depth, it can make a face smoother and softer, or harder and more wrinkled.
Light can slim, and shape.
Light can round, or narrow.
It can lighten or darken skin, and it can distract or hide. It can do so many things.
Look at the images. Forget whether you like the image, the subject matter etc. Ask yourself: What did the photographer have to do, and have to know, in order to produce the image?
Select a photographer who can do more than just take pictures. Select a photographer who works with sun and shade, low light and bright light, indoors and outdoors, not just to get any image, but to get a flattering and three dimensional image. Where light is not an accident that happened to be there but where the photographer, specifically made sure the light was there, either by using a piece of equipment, or by positioning himself to be where the light will be doing what he desired it to do.
Some 30+ years ago, a handful of N.Y photographers started using remotely controlled Flashes, (they do not change the appearance of the room, but fire like the flash on camera when a photo is taken) strategically placed in ballrooms and reception sites, to create the directional light that real photography is based on. For fifteen years we were ridiculed for being crazy. Then the idea caught on. Most basic photographers now routinely deploy them. But you would be amazed at what a puzzlement those lights are to many photographers, many even working for the big established studios who use the term “room lights” to sell the service to clients, but who truly, simply do not understand how to put them to meaningful use. They can cause more harm then good, be a big distraction to the photographer, and rarely do they actually result in the desired lighting that I use them for and that they were originally used by us years ago. Each light must be thoroughly understood, before another one is added. As the photographer moves around the room, facing in different directions, and shooting different subjects he must feel the effect of each light and its relationship to the other lights, to the light on his camera and most importantly to the subject(s) at that very instant! Whew! Not an easy task, and not something done well without great training and the desire to transcend what 99.99 percent of photographers have even thought of doing.
How Not to select your photographer
A tuxedo does not make a photographer.
The latest equipment does not make one a photographer
Being a photography teacher certainly does not necessarily make one a photographer.
A very high price does not do it. High prices alone are not a guarantee of excellence. The album style, shape, and print size do not make one photographer better than another.
Photo Association ribbons, and plaques, are based on scored submissions judged by a panel of three other “photographers”. Do juries of one’s peers always make the right decisions? Copying last months high score and doing well, means exactly what?
Low prices generally indicate you are only getting what you are paying for, and such savings, will be forgotten long before you get over your disappointment with what you got. Average pricing may guarantee you merely average results! Because you like one image more than another, does not mean it required as much skill as the other. Recommendations are good, from those whose judgment is good.. Bright pictures, or bright backgrounds, are not an indication. The subject is what is important. Venue Recommended photographers are not often recommended due to their artistry.
Video
Selecting a videographer is the same as selecting a photographer.
But first select the photographer, and have him direct the video.
Gary Rabenko may be reached at gary@rabenko.com. Rabenko Photography & Video Artists is located at 1001 Broadway in Woodmere.