Does a Professional Photographer Really Make a Difference?

We all know there’s a big difference between a professional photographer and an amateur, but does a professional photographer really make a difference? The Professional Photographers of America (PPA), an association for professional photographers, aims to answer that question.

Their contest, “Worst Family Photo Contest” aims to “redo” the worst family picture in order to prove that having a professional photographer makes a difference. Of course, we all know that a professional photographer does make a difference.

I can’t stop thinking about awkward glamour shots from the mall in the 1990s, the double exposure of a side portrait head floating over a portrait or the ugly sweaters of the entire family with awkward smiles.

Here’s more info from PPA’s press release:

Family photos tell a story about the best of times, the worst of times and everything in between. The photos that usually tell the best stories are not the perfect ones, but those laugh-out-loud, awkward photos that “Aunt Jan” took. As we enter the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons, Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is offering families a chance to win a professional photo “redo” and prove the difference professional photographers make by hosting its first-ever Worst Family Photo Contest.

From November 20 through December 5, families can submit their worst family photo showing odd poses, bad lighting, cropped off heads and more. All types of photos are good for entry– from first steps (or falls) to planned events like weddings, family reunions, proms, sporting events, birthday parties, graduations, etc. Anyone can vote for their favorite “worst family photo” and the winner will receive a professional photo shoot valued at up to $1,000.

Worst Family Photo Contest Details:

Entry period: November 20 – December 5, 2015.

How to enter: Submit photo at Worst Family Photo Contest. Photos must be in .JPG or .GIF format and at least 1200 pixels at the largest dimension, no larger than 3 megabytes.

Eligibility: Legal residents of the United States who have reached the age of 18 at the time of entry.

Voting time period: December 10-25, 2015.

Voting: All eligible entries received during the entry period will be eligible to win. Anyone can vote for their favorite “worst family photo” on the site and the winner will be determined by the greatest number of votes. Voting ends on December 25, 2015 at 11:59pm EDT.

Prize: A photo session with a PPA family portrait photographer – $1,000 value.

Winner notification: Winner will be announced January 8, 2016.