The notion that an amateur only has to have the latest photographic equipment to produce stunning images isn’t incorrect, just as it’s not false to say that a computer user can create a suitable web site with an easy-to-use software program. A galaxy of difference exists, though, between what a hobbyist will settle for — both in terms of quality and consistency of results — and what a professional demands.

For people and businesses in Vancouver shopping for the best photographer for their needs, the decision on who

to hire should never be made without scrutinizing the candidate’s equipment.

A low-end, low-price camera works fine for vacation pictures and birthday party snapshots, but if an image is going on a wall or brochure or promotional web site then point and shoot fires blanks.

When you pay for photography services, you’re paying for the equipment as well as the talent and know-how to use it.

Make certain the cameras, lenses and lighting system being utilized on the job are professional enough to photograph your wedding in Stanley Park one day and an opening at the Vancouver Art Gallery the next.

Heck, the photographer and the equipment should produce photos that can hang in a gallery!

You’re paying money, demand value. Like a car whose desirability increases with the level of fuel economy, a photographer’s employability rises with the quality and quantity of his or her wares.

With that criteria in mind, read on: these are keys to look for when searching for a great photographer in Vancouver for your wedding, portrait or commercial needs:

1. Lighting System
Sure, photographers will show you their cameras and lenses — some will spread them out on a table for you as if they were Olympic medals — that’s to be expected. As a consumer or budget-conscious manager, you need to make sure the person you hire is bright in all aspects of the work. If there remains a crucial difference between the hobbyist and professional photographer — aside from education — then it’s lighting equipment.

A thousand loonies on a camera is one expense, but another $1,500 toward a set of strobes and electronic gadgets to light up a scene like a movie shoot could pay for a whole week of fun snapping away in, say, New York. The weekend shutterbug doesn’t need that stuff. No matter the craft and no matter the level of enthusiasm, most hobbyists have a line of where the dollars will not cross.

Then there are people like Julia Pelish, a pro who has purchased the equipment necessary to make seemingly every shot look like it should wind up in a glossy magazine. Talented, yes. Well-equipped for the job? Beyond a doubt.

Julia Pelish Photography is fully outfitted, she uses White Lightning products, including the necessary umbrellas and softboxes. She also has a degree in photography, meaning she really knows how to use all that wicked gear.

Which is a key point to remember. Not everyone who owns complicated equipment has taken the time to learn how to use it. A big reason why photographers such as Annie Liebowitz or Richard Avedon are marvelled about is because of their extraordinary ability to blend technique with creativity.

2. Multiple Camera Bodies Don’t hire a photographer who only has one camera, especially for a wedding shoot.

Batteries run out, cameras break, lenses crack. A photographer without backup is living the life of a goalie without a cup: Always in fear of what might happen on the next shot.

Make sure the Vancouver photographers on your shortlist all have more than one 35-millimetre system, and preferably one medium-format system as well. This way you are guaranteed to receive a breadth of images and you’ll have the security of knowing your photographer isn’t going to be calling for a re-shoot — not words you want to hear if you’ve already begun your honeymoon.

Also, such a collection of hardware ensures you’re hiring someone who has invested in her business — which demonstrates both passion and professionalism. Julia Pelish has four 35mm camera bodies — two film, two digital — as well as a Hasselblad medium-format system complete with Carl Zeiss lenses. If you’re

not sure what that means, think Porsche but sharper.

3. Digital Imaging
It is the 21st Century. If it doesn’t involve a microchip, it should be relegated to whatever trunk Rubik’s cube and Inspector Gadget got thrown into. Like so many other occupations, professional photographers in Vancouver have had to evolve their businesses to accommodate the demands of a tech-savvy clientele.

Many shoppers expect at least some of their images to come on a CD, expertly enhanced by software programs like Photoshop CS. Some brides and grooms even want slide shows of their ceremony to be viewable during their wedding reception — a feat that requires a laptop computer and other resources, but one that is doable.

The truth is, the modern photographer is a digital imaging specialist, too. She knows to maximize an image on a computer just as her predecessors knew to do it in a darkroom.

Julia Pelish is an advanced Photoshop user and has worked as a digital imaging specialist in the most competitive media market in the world. She can get the dream images to you fast and, considering her level of expertise and the equipment at her disposal, at reasonable prices.