You’ll frequently hear people ask why they should pay for professional photography when we can take photos on our phones or they can use their own digital camera. The most basic question is why have professional photographers at all? Professional photographers provide a wide array of services to their clients, from documenting live events, portraits and families, capturing products to creating original images specific to the needs of a client. Even though we all have instant access to the phone cameras in our pocket or great digital cameras, the pros bring the experience, knowledge and skills to make photos and videos work for your exact needs. Since the beginning of photography, an entire ecosystem has grown up around photography and video into a support industry for professional photographers, like crews, studios, equipment rental houses, prop houses and modeling agencies.

While these services sound extraneous to the uninitiated, this ecosystem is what creates the beautiful images you see all around you as you move throughout our modern world. Professional photographers navigate this vast landscape to provide you with the photos and videos that fit your project’s needs and maximizes its impact, whether it’s marketing or family events. The modern photographer is a more akin to a movie director, overseeing many skilled workers doing variety of niche work and bringing them together to bring the visual work to life.

While you now have a camera in your pocket at all times, it still directs an experienced and skilled operator to bring your vision to life. Many of the images you see all around you require specialized equipment and, more importantly, experienced and highly trained creatives to bring your vision to life.

The Photo Glossary is here to help new or experienced professionals navigate this opaque ecosystem.