How to choose the right Photographer?
Where to look? How do I choose? There's too many! How do I know if they are right for me?
I hear you, it's tough, really tough! There are many of us out here but we don't all work the same way and we all offer very different services. Your baby is the most precious person you have in your life so choosing the right photographer is a must.
My number one advice is to do a bit of research in advance to make sure you actually have the choice as many photographers will book babies by their due date so you don't want to miss out on booking the person that sounds right for you.
Below you will find some tips on how to choose the right photographer.
1- What sort of session do you like?
This is the first thing to establish. Do you prefer the lifestyle photos with someone coming to you home or do you prefer the look of studio photos? Lifestyle photographer tend to travel to you and they usually photograph candid images as opposed to posed. Studio photographers however will style your session for a more cohesive look. If you use your photographer for a Newborn Photoshoot they will like pose your baby as well as your family. Please note that posed doesn't mean staged! It is just the process that goes with styling.
A studio photographer is also more likely to have props, client wardrobe and options to play around with on the day. In fact, this is what I like the most about being a studio photographer, having so many options to switch from in case things don't go to plan or children don't co operate.
2- Are they trained to do so?
In theory, us, photographers, do not need ANY qualifications to do what we are doing but the question is, would you hand over your baby to someone who hasn't trained to do so? I wouldn't. It is important to ask the right questions. How much experience do they have? Where/when did they train?
There's many forms to training:
- Group workshops
- 1-2-1 mentoring
- online courses
- national conferences
I am proud to say that I have already undertaken most of these and feel really confident to handle babies.
3 - What type of sessions do they offer?
Do they offer a wide range of services? Do they have various packages to cater for everyone in your family? Are the sessions tailored to your need? Are prices clearly displayed or will there be hidden fees? What do you get for your money? Do they have resources to prepare you best for your big day? How long will it take to get your final products?
There's no right or wrong answers to all those questions but it is important to know from the start what you will be getting and how it will be delivered to you.
4- Do you click with their personality?
Ask yourself: do you ask this person? It might sound a bit awkward but looking at your photos in years to come, you will re-live the day of your photoshoot and you want those memories to be happy memories. I think it is good to read your photographer's "about" page to see a bit of their background but also it usually sets the tone. Why not looking on their social medias? If they are active, you will get a good idea of what sort of person they are.
Here a few personality traits to consider:
- Energy levels - very important when photographing young active children (add sense of humour to this)
- A good listener - do they listen to what you want to create?
- Confidence - someone who will be able to take the lead and guide you throughout
- Do you prefer someone chatty or someone soft spoken?
5 - Check their reviews
Do check out photographer's reviews, these will be a true testimony of what other families have experienced. Are the reviews consistent across the board? What do they have to say about the photographer? How about the final product they've received?
Hopefully, by the end of this, you would have found the perfect match for you and your family. Someone whose style is matching your vision. Someone who is friendly, patient and taking the time to photograph your family.
For now, I can only invite you to browse and see if I could be the right match for your family! If you are still unsure, I would love to hear about your vision and see how I can make it happen.
