Three Reasons Why the Digital Camera Age Has Lowered the Quality of Wedding Photography

Don’t get me wrong. I love the digital camera age. I love the accessibility, simplicity of use, and cost savings. I am awed by the ability to edit and manipulate my photos. But there are a few drawbacks that come with the age of digital photography. For instance, many people think that Aunt Sarah, who is a lover of capturing pictures and has an impressive digital camera, can perform a decent job in taking their wedding pictures. High-resolution digital cameras have taken amateur wedding photographers out of the shadows. Why is this?

Reason 1: The image preview

Most importantly, photographers can be able to see the preview of the image immediately after taking the photo. They are able to determine the image preview, in a way, how the photo turned out. It’s true that back in the days of photographers working with film, photographers didn’t enjoy the advantage of having a preview of their images. They were required to be aware of what they were doing since they couldn’t see their work until well post-wedding. Simple mistakes like keeping the lens in manual focus when you thought it was in autofocus or not calculating the correct setting for the flash or exposure can ruin the wedding album. It was not “oops, this one” because it was dark enough. Or maybe that flash is too intense in that photo. I’ll change the settings before attempting to retake it.”

The digital image preview may have some drawbacks, however. Professional photographers might feel like they’re invincible due to the ability to instantly review and alter settings as needed. However, the preview of images does not solve all problems. For example…

It’s still difficult to judge whether an image is in exact sharpness by looking at the image preview.
It’s possible to miss the hair strand which was right in front of the person’s face.
When you take a group photo, and you are not paying attention, it could be difficult to catch when someone blinks in the course of taking the photo.

You can undoubtedly zoom into the preview of the image with most digital cameras nowadays and look up those items that are difficult to see in the tiny preview. This is if you were in the position to do so. If you’re shooting at a wedding, you won’t have the time to zoom into each preview or to take a look at every preview in between shots. If you do not, you could miss a critical shot that occurs in a fraction of a second.

The second reason is the increase in the quality of images due to the automatic camera settings.

The capabilities of digital cameras will only rise, as is the quality of photographs they take automatically. The majority of amateur photographers aren’t aware of how to operate the settings of their cameras correctly. They’re totally dependent on the settings that are automatically set on these top-quality cameras. What is wrong with this, you may are asking?

While cameras can be with their auto settings, there is still no substitute for knowing the complexities that camera settings can have. What is the effect of shutter speed on the motion blur and lighting or how the aperture impacts the brightness as well as the depth of field, or how can the ISO affect the grain and brightness of the image?

These top-quality cameras work exceptionally well under ideal shooting conditions. Particularly outdoors in clear weather. Unfortunately, the photographer is required to shoot the wedding under conditions that aren’t ideal. Many churches, for example, contain dark rooms. It’s too dark to be “ideal” photographing conditions. I’ve had the opportunity to shoot the wedding ceremony led by candlelight. What automatic settings could cameras save photographers in this scenario? I don’t think so. What would they do if previews of the images were too dark? Let the camera adjust automatically, I’d guess. Receptions are known for being dark, too. Mainly when there’s dancing, which is oftentimes, there are flashing colorful lights lighting up the dance floor. There are other instances where the subject is very dark (maybe in shadow) and the background brightly illuminated (in full sunlight), or the reverse is true. The camera’s auto settings will have to select which to expose correctly, while the other is too dark or bright. What is the correct choice? I’ve shot a number of wedding ceremonies outdoors at sunset as it begins to get dark, yet the sun remains bright and shines a very bright light onto the participants. These kinds of situations are notorious for causing confusion to the camera’s auto meters.

Reason 3. Price

Digital cameras of the highest quality are continually reduced, making it more accessible for amateur photographers to start. I update my cameras every two or three years. Every time I’ve upgraded, I’ve got an upgraded camera. Yet, each time I have paid less for the top camera than the predecessor. Also, don’t forget about the cost you get on film and the fact that you are capable of uploading digital photos to a lab for prints rather than sending the film.

So there are three reasons that the age of digital cameras has reduced the standards of wedding photos. Don’t be fooled by my assertions. I’m not a fan of amateur photographers. I was one of them, and professional photographers are required to begin somewhere. Be aware of the risk versus reward before you decide to let Aunt Sarah take pictures of the most critical moment of your day.