Periodically when talking to new clients, they sometimes ask if I can also provide video as well.

In the past when I was just starting out, I had obliged. Although (and I made this clear to them before the event), it was either handled footage from my professional camera, or from my iPhone on a tripod.

They weren’t unhappy with it, since they knew what they were getting. But that’s not the reason for this post.

Nowadays when clients ask if I do video, I tell them no, but happily refer them to my network of videographers that I have worked with in the past.

The standard practice is to have at least one person taking pictures, and one doing video. That is, if you want the work to look professional and well-done.

And mind you, I’ve had this conversation with other photographers who would flex and say they have done both. Granted, I didn’t actually see their work or testimonials, so how well it was done is up for debate.

I get times are rough and that paying for a wedding or event isn’t cheap, so people naturally try to cut costs wherever they can.

But when it comes to essentially doing two jobs at once, it doesn’t boil down to a skill issue. You can have 30 years of experience under your belt, but you can’t break the laws of physics and be in two places at once.

Without getting too technical: my camera can take pictures while it’s filming, but at a drawback. The picture quality is significantly lower, and the flash can’t be used while it’s recording. (Spoiler alert: my flash is turned on for 95% of the time at every reception that I do. So not using it is out of the question.)

If I’m constantly switching between picture and video mode, I’m going to miss shots. And guess who the client would blame in that scenario? (They’d have every right to.)

Some may argue a second camera body would remediate that, but the core issue remains: you can’t do both at once and only have one pair of hands.

Without digressing further…it’s too much for one person to handle. You need two bodies, both camera and human.

In my opinion, asking the photographer to do video is like asking one of the caterers if they could bartend. If for no other reason because both jobs fall under the same umbrella.

Of course, that’s not to say that there aren’t some out there who have pulled this off and still ended up with a happy client. Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that making them do two jobs alone only increases the risk of something going wrong.

The client wants to save money, and the photographer wants to make money, even if it means being a yes man to something they aren’t equipped to handle. And then if it goes south, it becomes a lose-lose scenario for both parties.

And as I say all the time…an issue with the caterer will last for a day. But an issue with your photographer/videographer can last for life.