Is a professional photographer worth it?

It will save you energy, stress and time because you have a responsible and reliable photographer who documents your event. The work will be done faster. The photographs will look much better. In the long run, you'll earn more money with photographs that tell your story than it costs you to take them.

I asked the director of the prestigious one-year, full-time photography certification program I was about to graduate from, back in 2001, what fraction of the graduates were still working as photographers five years after graduating. And that's when I tell them, “Maybe I can help them better understand why professional photography really pays off.” I have spoken with many professional photographers and the most important opinion is that none of them can rely solely on their photography for a living. People expect the people they work with to appear competent and a good headshot is just one way to maintain a professional image.