A Surprise Proposal: Marlene + Amanda

Hiring a photographer that specializes in capturing surprise proposals means you can rest easy knowing your moment will be beautifully memorialized. I can offer my professional opinion, so you don’t have to stress over every little detail. From timing, to location ideas, and vendor recommendations, I’ve got your covered. As long as you’ve got that ring in your pocket and a smile on your face, everything will turn out beautifully! 

This was the advice I gave Marlene, when she first contacted me, hoping to surprise her long-time partner Amanda. Marlene had booked a stay in Newport Banister’s Wharf Guest-rooms overlooking the harbor.  Newport meant a lot to them both as it was one of their first romantic getaways together as a couple. As Marlene dropped down to one knee to pop the question, guests and passersby looked on and cheered when Amanda said, “YES!” 

After the shock wore off, the newly engaged couple and I strolled through the streets of Newport, snapping pics along the way as they reminisced about the exact moments each one knew they were “The One.”

Why Hire a Professional Photographer: Lisette Rooney Photography

Have you ever wondered why it is important to hire a professional photographer? Here are four reasons why hiring a professional is the best decision you could make:

1. We’ve only got one shot

   These days, anyone with a smartphone can claim to be a photographer. Anyone can snap a shot at the push of a button, save, and share that image immediately. But this isn’t just about taking a quick snap - this is about taking the right snap. When you’re capturing a special moment, most likely a once-in-a-lifetime moment, never to be recreated again, you don’t want just anyone behind that lens. You want an experienced professional.

   Why? Well, when it comes to documenting something very important in your life, you want to be completely sure that when the shutter snaps, the person behind it has done this many times before. A true professional photographer has taken countless photos in a vast array of lighting circumstances, weather conditions, backgrounds, subjects, and with a multitude of distractions, and yet is still able to deliver a consistent set of photographs.

2. It’s not the camera

   A common misconception about photography is that the outcome of an image is dictated by the quality and expense of the equipment taking it. This couldn’t be farther from the truth; in fact, if you gave an experienced photographer a pinhole camera and an amateur an expensive digital setup, chances are the experienced photographer with the pinhole camera will produce more artistic, pleasing images than the amateur. Great imagery truly has very little to do with the equipment taking it.  An experienced photographer’s eye for angles and light will go many times father in terms of producing an amazing image than any special kind of equipment. 

3. It’s an art form

   When you hire a professional photographer, you’re not just hiring a technician - you’re hiring an artist! Photography can get pretty technical, but in the end, it’s an artform. When you view a photographer’s portfolio online or during an in-person consultation, you’re most likely swooning over their personal style, which has taken them many years, experimentation, and hard to work to perfect. 

   Unlike just anyone with a smartphone, you can also expect a professional to reproduce this style again for your images. Only through years of experience can a professional photographer produce a consistent artistic “look”. If you want your images to look like the images you see in a portfolio, your best bet is to hire a professional. 

4. It’s a process

   A truly experienced professional photographer knows that photographing a special event or taking portraits isn’t just about taking pictures; it’s a process. Providing a stress-free, smooth client experience takes time to cultivate. Asking the right questions during an initial consultation to make sure the photographer and client are on the same page is just as important as having technical skills behind the lens. Additionally, a great photographer has experience with interior design and can take photographs with the end product in mind, whether that’s a large wall hanging for your living room or a coffee table lookbook for guests to enjoy when they visit your home. 

   Professional photographers understand that each client has different goals for their images and are able to tailor their customer service experience as well as actual photographs to clients. Professionals can also confidently offer realistic timeframes for deliverables, offer high-quality photo prints and products that aren’t available to the general public, and can color correct images for printing so they look their absolute best on your wall or in your heirloom photo album that’s crafted to last decades. From an initial consultation all the way to delivering a wall hanging, offering a photography service to clients is a long process that only a professional can deliver well.