Why those Instagram filters might ruin your wedding | Charlotte wedding photographer

We live in a world where, if there’s not a filter on it, it’s not ready to share. There are a lot of instances in which adding an Instagram filter to something adds a fun, personal touch, but when it comes to your professional photography, it’s best to leave it un-tweaked before sharing it on the web.

There are a hundred reasons you should leave your professionally taken photos as they are when you share on social media, but here are a few of the top ones to consider.

1. It’s already been edited.

If you hired a professional photographer worth their salt, they will color correct and edit the best shots from the session before delivering them to you. The editing process is a time-consuming and extremely important part of the artistic style of your photographer. Since I’m guessing you were into the style you saw on your photographer’s website before you hired them, let them do their thang! Adding a filter to an already fine-tuned edit only muddles the image and takes away from its greatness. Not to mention, a lot of the filters on social media add a grainy softness to your photos, which means they won’t look as crisp or professional when you share.

2. You should trust your photographer.

Hiring a photographer for a photo session of any kind – portrait, family, engagement, wedding, is a commitment – time and cash. It’s kind of a big deal. You want your images to stand the test of time, and rightfully so. The prints will hang proudly on your mantel and in the rooms of your home. Because of the personal value of professional photography, it’s important to find a photographer whose style you really love and whose personality you jive well with. Once you find the right one, book them! Then….trust them! You should always trust that your photographer is going to give you the best quality work possible, and that the artistic effort they put in is going to blow you away. Otherwise, why hire them? Trusting your photographer means trusting their edit, too.

3. You could be violating the copyright and release contract you signed.

Look, I’m not saying your photographer is going to sue you for slapping a filter on your photos. But I am saying that they COULD. When you signed the contract with your photographer, you probably also signed a copyright and release statement. Most photographers specifically say in that document that their work cannot be altered or edited beyond the product delivered to you. There are a few reasons your photographer includes that, but one of the biggest is this: their reputation is on the line every time you share their work. When you share the work as it was delivered, any and all judgment the photographer receives (good or bad) is fair and warranted. But when you run your delivered files through three editing apps on your phone before sharing it with an Insta-filter to top it all off, potential future clients are judging their work based off your phone’s editing capabilities rather than their shooting and professional editing abilities. Not only is this unfair to the photographer, you’re also leaving yourself legally liable.

At the end of the day, if you hired the right photographer, you can rest assured that the photos you receive will be gorgeously framed, color-balanced, edited, and ready to share just as they are. It’s better for the photographer AND easier for you that way. Who wants to spend ten minutes deciding between Lark and Reyes anyway?