Post # 1

Member
720 posts
Busy bee
All right hive, I have a game for you – we’ve all seen that non-pro pics that end up on Facebook can actually be great, so why not compare the same moment and see if we can tell apart the difference?
I’ll start, you tell me if A or B is the pro pic. Then post your own comparison, we’ll guess that!
Okay here we go
1.A

vs. 1.B

2. A

vs. 2.B

3. A

vs. 3.B

Post # 3

Member
1936 posts
Buzzing bee
@mrscash: So I picked 1B over 1A, mostly because there’s a black border around 1A, which I know is an Instagram filter. Also, the position of the shooter implies that they are in the “seating” area, and there’s also a person with a camera in the lower right corner, which a good photog would have edited out. In addition, 1B’s shooter is in the aisle, where a photog would normally be, not an attendee.
I picked 2A over 2B because 2A is clearly a high-res camera shot based on the sharpness and the ability of the shooter to focus on the cake (therefore making the background blurred.) The color is also very true, while 2B has a telltale instagram filter added to it.
The last one is a little bit more difficult. I don’t find either one to be particularly good or interesting, but I would say the positioning of 3B is better than that of 3A.
Post # 4

Member
615 posts
Busy bee
@BlondeBee: +1
I agree with EVERYTHING you just said!
Post # 5

Member
9683 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@BlondeBee: I couldn’t agree more. Generally speaking, it is very easy to tell the difference unless your pro photographer sucks. I can’t imagine paying a photog thousands of dollars to end up with pictures that grandma could have snapped with her point and shoot.
Post # 8

Member
489 posts
Helper bee
@MrsPanda99 but Grandma getting one shot better than the photographer would most probably be purely fluke and a nice bonus to the day 🙂
I think idea of the photographer is to take reliably good shots 🙂
Post # 9

Member
1285 posts
Bumble bee
As a pro photographer, none of them look professional to me, sorry. but, that’s my opinon. 2 looks more like an amateur photographer with an “ok” camera usng a pop up flash…not professional equipment. The “i do, we do” isn’t crisp and clear, so I wouldn’t categorize that photo as a pro photo, definately not a pro camera or with a good glass lens.
Post # 10

Member
406 posts
Helper bee
I have to agree. I’m sorry but none of them are up to an expected professional standard. They look like guest vs better guest
Post # 11

Member
348 posts
Helper bee
Oh dear I hope none of those are from professional photographers although the only decent shot of those I would say is 2a
Post # 12

Member
273 posts
Helper bee
They all look like they were taken on a phone and run through instagram. 2A is a nice shot, but I could have taken it and I’m far from pro. The last one is just awful.
Post # 13

Member
11343 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I think the pro pics are 1B, 2B, and 3B.
Post # 15

Member
1000 posts
Bumble bee
@Jbbee: +1… instagram/afterlights has everyone thinking they’re a pro these days. The look is so tell tale and not to be mistaken for anywhere near professional quality or editing. It would help of these “pro” photos looked like they were actually taken by a professional…
ETA: I think pros are only pointing out how bad the “pro” ones are because it’s insulting to us and our craft to insinuate that our job could be done equally well by a guest with an iPhone. If the OP had hired a real pro there would be no comparison.