The newest issue of Seattle Bride magazine hit the newsstands recently and we love their creative take on the debate over professional vs. amateur wedding photography. As wedding photographers ourselves, it's a subject near and dear to our hearts. We know the level of experience needed to successfully navigate the complexities of a wedding day, and we've heard endless stories from friends and wedding guests about the sadness that comes when a photographer doesn't make that happen. Take a look at this excerpt and photo experiment from Seattle Bride magazine's article, and see why we agree that if photos are important to you, hiring a wedding photography pro for your big day is a must!
The Pros of Hiring a Pro
Seattle Bride sent local writer and (semi) amateur
photographer Cody Ellerd to shoot photos alongside a top wedding professional
and set the record straight once and for all: Is it worth it to hire a friend
or family member who’s “pretty good with a camera” for your wedding?
By Cody Ellerd
I consider myself a pretty good amateur photographer. I’ve
taken a couple of classes, I have a nice Nikon D60 and, as a professional
travel writer, I’ve even had a few of my shots make magazine covers and pages.
If you didn’t budget for a professional photographer at your wedding, I’m the
friend you might call to take pictures.
So when Seattle Bride sent me to the late-winter wedding of
Vicky Wu and Chris Nicoll to shoot alongside Joey Hong of John & Joseph
Photography, a local award-winning team of two brothers who have been shooting
commercial, fashion and wedding photography for more than eight years, I was
curious to see how well I could keep up with a seasoned pro.
From the moment we started shooting in the bride and groom’s
hotel room, I was floored. “Vicky, look down at your shoulders…put a gentle
smile on your lips. Chris, look straight at my lens—no, smile. Relax your
forehead.” Joey’s attention to such minute detail went way beyond “Say cheese”
and brought out the couple’s absolute best. He knew how to manipulate the
room’s light and reflective surfaces in ways I never would have dreamed of,
transforming what I thought was an unremarkable setting into a photo studio
with endless possibilities.
"This image is so painfully inferior," says our
rogue photographer Cody Ellerd about her image (above). "My angle is
bland while Joey's is creative. His is crisp and perfectly exposed, while mine
is washed out and grainy. Joey knew exactly how to take advantage of the sense
of motion created by this cool backdrop."
“This was such a cute moment, totally unscripted,” Ellerd remembers.
“They bumped fists and it was clear it was a little habit of theirs,
one that conveyed their friendship. Joey was right there to catch it
while I was fumbling with my focus ring.”
To read more of this story and see Cody's and Joey's
side-by-side images, visit Seattlebridemag.com, and just for fun, here are a few more spectacular images from one of our favorite guys, Junebug member photographer Joey Hong of John and Joseph Photography...
