You see a new Photographer every week, so who do you hire when it comes down to the wire?
If you were to log onto Facebook today, you would probably see at least one person advertising for their new photography business. And you’ll probably think to yourself, “Business? I didn’t even know they owned a camera.” So, how do you know whether to book your next family photo session with this friend or not? As a photographer, I’m going to give you some tips and tricks about how to know a great photographer from a mediocre one.
“If all of their photography looks the same, they may not have a lot of experience and may not be able to give you unique photos tailored to you."
Tip one is to visit their website. This first step is crucial. A great photography site should have at least three things. It should have a portfolio, an “About Me” section, and a booking section with prices or a way to contact for more information.
The portfolio is critical to both you and the photographer. You should see different faces, different locations, and different poses. If all of their photography looks the same, they may not have a lot of experience and may not be able to give you unique photos tailored to you.
The “About Me” section is just as important as their portfolio. You should see first and foremost a photo of the photographer. A lot of photographers are camera shy, hence the photographer’s phrase “behind the lens, not in front”, but this is important. You should know who you’re going to be paying. You should also see how long they’ve been working professionally. A newbie photographer isn’t necessarily a bad hire, but they should be able to openly admit how short or long they’ve been working. Photographers who lie are photographers you don’t want to buy.
On their site you should also see either a booking section or a way to contact for more information. If this is a professional photographer, they should know how to run a business! A booking section is generally the preferred choice among photographers. This is because it can be split into sections specific to what they offer and it’s so much more convenient for the customer, for you. It also generally has an obvious location for the price of each type of session, once again making it easy for you.
Free's Not Real
Speaking of prices, tip two is don’t ever get a photographer that works for FREE! That word gets all of us, but quality comes at a price. Period. Being a photographer is hard work and it requires a lot of time and money. Getting a portfolio is also really hard and generally beginning photographers offer services for free in order to build their portfolio. It’s a mistake on their part because although FREE is appealing, most people don’t get other types of services for free, so they expect lesser quality when it’s for free. It’s hard to come back from that for a photographer. Basically, you shouldn’t get a session for free because you can’t guarantee the quality.
Another little tip to help you whittle down your search for the perfect photographer. Send them an email before you book with them. If they have a number available, call it. This is the hardest tip, I know, but if you don’t do this you won’t see one very important thing. How professional they are. If they claim to be a professional, they should behave like one. Is their manner of speaking polite, concise, and inviting? Do they sound relaxed and are they paying real attention to you? Do they ask you questions that you understand and give you time to ask them questions? Are they upfront with you? An easy trick to help with this one is to ask them about something that’s on their website. If their answer is not the same answer as their website, you can get off the phone now. They haven’t been keeping up with their business proving that this isn’t a priority to them. Another little tip, if their email is anything but a variation of their name or their photography business name, they aren’t the one. You don’t want your photos taken by sharknado45@gmail, trust me on this one.
Tip four is to ask the photographer about their equipment. If they start getting really technical and/or animated about it, you’re probably safe. When they’re talking like that it’s because they know what they’re talking about. If, however, they start to look or sound uncomfortable, say goodbye. If you don’t for all you know they’ll be shooting your photos on portrait mode on the new iPhone XS. Which as great as it is, it’s still not a professional camera.
Here’s the last tip, I promise. Recommendations and reviews are life. If most of the reviews on a photographer’s Facebook page or website are low and have horror stories, run. Photography is a service, not a good, little bit of economics there. Basically, it’s not, it’s good for one person but was the complete wrong item for another, like you see on Amazon. If the reviews are bad, it was bad. Along with that, if a friend recommends a photographer it’s because they had a really great time with that person and loved the way the photos turned out. Unless this friend is secretly out to destroy your wedding or family photos, you can generally trust they’re being truthful with you.
I hope you’ve learned a little bit about how to get the right photographer for you.
