I am a writer by trade. And sometimes, my editors have asked me to shoot a photo to accompany my story. Which means my photos have appeared on the front pages of several newspapers. But let’s be clear, those were lucky shots. When people ask me for photography advice, my response is, ‘push the button - and pray.’
But my pictures were in the paper! That must mean I am a photographer! That must mean I know what I am doing, right?
Wrong.
Owning a camera does not make you a photographer just as owning a car does not mean you can take on the Indy 500. Photography like any profession takes skill, talent and know how.
While I’ve tried to learn a few tricks and tips along the way, photography is not the center of my world and is not what I am best at. I can capture a few good snaps of my kids playing in the backyard but I leave the shots that I am going to hang on my wall to the professionals.
Yes, quality photos are pricey. I have five children. The cost adds up quick.
But they are worth every. Single. Dime.
There is no substitute for talent. There is no way to replace my badly lit, slightly fuzzy photos for the windswept, glossy, magazine-like shots that a professional can take at the exact same time.
Trained photographers are good at what they do. It shows in their work. It will show on your wall. It will show 30 years from now when those same photos are on your children’s walls and the snapshots are faded and being made fun of during a family fun night.
Take pictures of your kids. Bring your camera everywhere you go. Snap away. I always do. But make bringing them to a professional photographer a priority too. You will see the difference and you will appreciate it.
Allison Perkins Marlow is the editor of Salute to Spouses.com a website dedicated to helping military spouses achieve their career and educational goals. She has been covering the military in locations around the globe for the last 15 years and has served as a bureau chief for Stars & Stripes in South Korea and deployed with U.S. troops to Iraq as a staff writer for the Greensboro News & Record. She lives in Hawaii with her soldier husband and their five children and loves having Nadia snap their portraits.
