By Steve Lesnick
You’re planning a big event, a special day that will be remembered for years to come.
But, there’s no way around it: You are about to spend some serious cash!
So what about photography? There are lots of options. You can have your friends use their phones. You can ask Uncle Joe since he has a digital camera. You can get the cheapest guy you can find. You can fly in the fabulous photographer from London. Or, you can hire the well-rounded, versatile photographer. Overwhelming, I know.
To make this decision, you have to ask yourself two questions:
1) What do I want to have five years from now to remember this event? (An album, framed pictures, photos on the computer, all of the above?)
2) How important is it to me?
Photographers come in all shapes and sizes, with different levels of talent and expertise. There’s the brand new photographer with a high-end digital camera, the event photographer who only shoots events and nothing else, and the well-rounded photographer who has a lot of experience in many things photographically. The challenge is to pick the one that has enough skills to match your needs and level of expectations, and is still able work within your budget.
The important thing is to make sure your photographer understands your needs and is open and honest with what he/she is going to give you. It’s really a question of who you’re comfortable with, who is going to blend in with everyone at your event, and who will fulfill your needs.
Steve Lesnick is currently a NYC advertising photographer with over 20 years of experience. Due to his love of all things that are happy, he has expanded into event photography. He lives in Westchester with his wife and two teenage daughters.