When it comes to knowing what separates a camera-lover from a professional photographer, Miami folks, by and large, don’t. It’s fairly common to hear people say things like “Wow, that’s a great picture — your camera must really kick butt!” It’s kind of like crediting a great meal to the quality of the chef’s cookware .
Make no mistake — having the right tools is critical. But the craft of photography is far more than the tools. First, you have to know how to use the tools. Buying a $2000 camera and then not knowing how to control your aperture, shutter speed, exposure mode, ISO, white balance, and all of the other elements that go into making a photograph out of what could have been merely a picture.
Here are 21 things that separate a professional photographer in Miami from someone with a high-end camera and a good eye.
A professional photographer…
- creates photographs, he doesn’t ‘hope it comes out.’
- knows how to craft a consistent look regardless of location.
- can create soft, even lighting even outside of the studio.
- can control his shutter speed to capture ambient light, create movement, or freeze a moving object in place.
- may spend hours retouching a single photograph until it is perfect.
- spends as much on every lens he buys that he spent on the camera itself.
- owns multiple cameras.
- has accessories — light stands, umbrellas, tripods, remote controlled flashbulbs, backdrops, and more.
- creates multiple backups of his photographs in multiple locations to make sure his clients always receive what they were promised.
- will spend as long as it takes talking to you, making sure he understands your needs and desires.
- will ask for a ‘shot list’ so that he doesn’t miss out on anybody important at your event.
- knows how to direct a group shot to get a picture with no yawns, closed eyes, or off expressions
- knows how to capture the moment.
- can match the color of his flash to the color of the ambient lighting.
- (16)can take good pictures in the dark without using a flash.
- knows how to use angles and blocking to take the most flattering picture possible, even of people who aren’t classically photogenic.
- will present you a contract that explains exactly what you are paying for.
- will see and capture the smallest detail that adds powerful emotion to a picture.
- spends as much if not more time editing and detailing pictures as he does taking them.
- doesn’t charge for a picture — or a set of pictures. He charges for guaranteeing and providing a very high level of quality and service — and then exceeding that expectation on every single job he does.
can put together a wedding album that tells a story.
