Smartphone cameras can do so much for an event. With phone companies collaborating with lens manufacturers to improve the quality of their smartphone cameras, one might question the need for professional equipment when documenting an event. Mobile phones may give you the bells and whistles of a digital camera, but does this mean you can do without a professional event photographer?
These might change your mind:
Compromise in Quality
Despite the quality your smartphone promises, the actual photos may still look unprofessional, especially if you’re not familiar with your phone settings. It’s wrong to assume your phone will save the best photos every time. You’ll have to check the settings beforehand to save every photo and its raw file in the best quality possible. That, of course, means photos take up bigger storage space, so you’ll need to be ready with a memory card, as most smartphones will not have enough built-in storage space for a whole event’s coverage.
Not Everyone is a Photographer
With a lot of thought put into posting each Instagram photo, anyone in Salt Lake City can have an aesthetic profile. However, you’re documenting an event where there is plenty of movement and action. You’ll be frustrated if you missed an important part of the event because you were fiddling with the settings of your phone camera. Photographers who handle different events know how to frame shots to show what’s happening during that moment and to capture the crowd’s mood in their shot. You may be fixated on the decor and the stage, but those are not the only things that people want to see in event photos.
Digital Cameras Are More Resilient
Not all smartphones will have cameras that are as good as DSLRs in terms of image quality and shooting capabilities in different scenarios. To get a mobile phone camera of decent quality, you need to spend on high-end smartphones.
What happens when you drop a fairly expensive phone? You’ll have to think about the cost of replacing a cracked screen. You might even need a new smartphone altogether if the fall is that bad. If you’re using a professional camera, or if you hired a professional event photographer, they will have the necessary accessories to keep the camera from getting damaged from a fall. Cameras also have straps on them, so they can be kept around the photographer’s person without risk of accidental dropping.
You’re Missing Out
Why choose to take all the pictures, considering their questionable quality, when you can be in the pictures enjoying the event instead? As the event planner or host, you’ve stressed over the event for days on end. You’ve been in coordination with so many people that you might not even remember everyone’s names. Give yourself the chance to appreciate the fruits of your labor. Your reward is a successful event, and being part of it means mingling with guests and having the time of your life as well–none of which you can do if you’re the one taking the pictures.
What’s a successful event without the pictures showing everyone had fun? If you’re thinking of saving a couple of dollars by taking the pictures yourself, know that you’re compromising the whole event in the process.
