Yesterday was a day dedicated to all the photographers of the world, rather a day for anyone who loves to captures stories and emotions in a frame. I spent the whole day going through the journey – albeit a small one – that I have traveled from my first picture on a point and shoot to my last picture that was just hours before. I met some of my fellow artists for whom life has become all about creating everlasting stories in pictures. And as a part of our discussion I came across a common theme that everyone seemed to point out and hence I am taking this liberty to appeal to all my readers on behalf of all my fellow artists about certain things that touch us immensely:

1. Please “feel” the work of a photographer – every photographer has a signature style that he/she develops over a period and which differentiates his/her work from the rest. It’s like the DNA of a photographer. And you will connect differently with each of those styles. No style is good or bad; it’s simply about the one that connects the picture to your emotion. You see a picture of one photographer and you just imagine yourself in that frame living that moment – that’s the artist you want and no one else. Choose a photographer because he/she connects with you more than anyone else and not simply because he/she is better than the rest .

2. Price is just a measure of the effort, skill , reliability and quality – there is a reason why a painting by Picasso which might seem ordinary to most of us is sold at an unfathomable value. But Picasso would have never made that picture thinking about the price tag it would fetch long after he is no more. Similarly, a true photographer strives to create that perfect picture – on every single click. But it’s only after a couple of hundred clicks is that one insanely awesome picture which makes you go “wow” gets created. At that time, a photographer isn’t thinking about the money he/she is going to get – he/she simply wants every picture to create a “wow” effect. The price a photographer charges is simply a measure of the effort and the quality of the work that goes into metamorphosing that moment into an incredible picture and hence it’s a request to respect the price and not try and negotiate/bargain on the same. It becomes a painful process for an artist to bargain on a price tag for his/her art .

3. Pareto principle – out of a sample of 100 pictures, it’s only 2 that are perfect in terms of composition, timing, framing and colours. Now, there are some photographers who publish say 80 out of those 100 pictures because it makes the album size bigger and then there are some who will publish only 50 out of a thousand pictures they click. Please make that choice before you choose your photographer – quantity or quality. It will end up being a sour experience for both if you expect the latter to publish even 200 out of those 1000 pictures because he/she will know that the other 150 aren’t worth it .

4. Quality Vs. Quantity – Do not confuse the quantity of photographers for your event with the quality of photographers . Quality of resource > Quantity of resource  ! Getting 10 average photographers won’t result in WOW pictures but in sheer chaos . In fact the lead photographer will be busy managing them rather than photographing your event . An efficient photographer can single handedly cover a wedding beautifully . We know what event will require how many photographers and we do not want your stage to look like a chaos but rather intend to give you privacy so that you can cherish those small sweet moments in between endless rituals and not be disturbed by 10 photographers running around . We put our heart and soul in making a picture and won’t hamper the quality for sake of few thousand bucks .

5. Trust and patience – Once you hire a photographer, have a blind faith on him/her. And in order to have that kind of a trust, it’s essential to do a good due diligence – see the website, talk to his/her previous customers, get everything clarified, clear all doubts and concerns; but once this is done, leave the rest on him/her. Trust your choice , instill your faith in him, be patient and you will see a fantastic outcome. Allow the photographer to operate in his/her space .

6. Please don’t own a photographer – he/she is there to capture your honest moments that are filled with emotions and feelings – unique and grand. Help him/her to capture those moments, but be careful that you don’t start directing him/her of how to do his/her job. Do not boss around asking the photographer to do things out of scope just because he/she is getting paid. It’s paramount to honour that arrangement and treat the photographer as a member of your family than just a paid performer .

7. Understanding the policies – Every photographer has his or her own set of policies owing to their good or bad experiences . Rather than rejecting the photographer upfront on a policy that might not go well with you , you should ask them why they have made such a policy . More often than not , the reasons are genuine behind every policy of ours , whether it is taking a certain percentage as advance or not delivering the raw images . Speak to us , if you do not like a certain policy of ours , we will not only put our perspective but might also suggest options that you had not thought about before.

Cooperation and understanding among each other can lead to phenomenal results ! Thats what we seek when we get hired and do not want to settle for anything lesser than stunning images for you :). For your valuable feedback , please comment below .