Choosing a photographer is hard.
But starting with the right questions can make a huge difference! Begin with these questions, and work your way to your ideal photographer:
1) What style of photography are you drawn to?
Think about the location you are looking for, the posing you like, and the type of editing you are drawn to. Be sure to check out potential photographers' blogs, galleries, websites, and social media to get a feel for their styles!
2) What price point are you looking for?
While I don’t think this should be your deciding factor, I do realize it is a very important factor, especially in the hard times we are facing today. Some photographers do IPS (in-person sales) where they do the session for a bit of a lesser price, but they have an expectation (or requirement) that you will purchase products (such as prints, canvases, albums, etc.) from them as well. Other photographers charge a flat rate for the session that’s a little higher, but they deliver an online photo gallery to you and you can print your own photos. The price point differs here, but both are great options. Take a look at both and decide which type of photographer better fits your needs, and then find a photographer who does that within the budget you are looking for. Remember that you are paying to capture a memory and a season of your life. It’s an investment. You have to decide what that’s worth to you. And remember that this is one of those instances where you generally get what you pay for. For information on my pricing, click here!
3) How experienced is your potential photographer?
This may or may not be of concern to you, but generally more experience is better (obviously)! I know many photographers who don’t have years of experience under their belts, though, and are amazing nonetheless. Take experience into account, but more than anything, look at their previous work. That is what will give you the best idea about whether that photographer is right for you or not! I tell a little bit about my story and my experience in my blog post here or on my page here.
4) Does your potential photographer specialize in a certain type of photography?
Having a photographer that doesn’t specialize isn’t a bad thing, but when you get a photographer that does specialize in a certain niche, often they have spent hours training to be better and honing their skills at that particular specialty. Most photographers that don’t have a specialty become a jack of all trades and master of none. If you are considering investing in this type of memory, often it is better to find someone with a specialty who has spent time mastering their skills. But again, take a look at their work! If you love how they shoot, and you like their pricing, those are pretty good indicators that you have found your photographer. Learn more about the sessions and specialties I offer here!
5) Check into cancellation and rescheduling policies.
I realize this isn’t a question, but more a tidbit of advice. Especially in our pandemic world, this is an important question to ask. Different photographers will have different policies so it’s important to figure it out upfront! My full policy here at Beach Photography is outlined in any contract you would sign prior to booking a session with me, but I try to work with my clients if something unexpected comes up!
6) How responsive is your potential photographer?
Make sure to be attentive to how quickly your photographer responds to inquiries - and what kind of rapport they are building. If they seem uninterested they may not be the photographer for you. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt (everyone has bad days!) but pay attention to how they treat you! Often it is a good indication of how they’ll treat you on the day of the session. Photo sessions are stressful enough. You want a photographer who wants to be there with you!
I hope these question help get you started! These are questions I have spent a lot of time and energy into being able to answer for my own business. Everything from my pricing to my cancellation policy has been given tremendous thought to try to serve my clients to the best of my ability!
Thank you for joining me this week. If you’d like to book a session, go here!
