The time has come. A time that is special and you want to cherish the moment . Time to find a photographer! With family portraits, weddings, new babies in the family and other milestones of life , the old point’n'shoot just doesn’t do these moments justice and we need something more.
With the recent revolution of digital photography, it has become increasingly easier for the unskilled enthusiast to get their hands on a nice camera with professional potential and call themselves a pro photographer. In a good light, this has upped the game of photographers everywhere because the competition has become so fierce. For those trying to find their most suited photographer however, it has become quite difficult to find the cream of the crop amongst the chaff.
These 10 essential tips will ensure that you aren’t trapped in the common pitfalls of the process and will help you choose the photographer best suited for the job. (This list is in no particular order because each tip weighs differently on the scale of importance for different people.)
1: Referral Check
This seems quite simple but you can’t beat word of mouth referrals. Ask your friends if they know of a good photographer. Even though they might have a great photo on the wall, you will soon learn if they had a good experience, if the cost was over inflated, if the photographer was good with kids etc…
Rotten egg photographers can’t survive in this thread of discovery because people want to either share great experiences, or protect their friends from bad commerce. (Unfortunately, there are many other ways sub-standard photographers survive but we’ll cover how to detect them in the next nine tips!)
2: Portfolio Check – Quality Control
I could write an entirely separate blog about this topic and how to detect crummy pictures! I’ll give you the 5 top ways to detect bad photos to get you going.
a. Is the image properly exposed? If it’s under exposed, you will have overpowering darks and shadows with muted tones and no highlights to capture your attention. Overexposed images will have burnt-out white highlights where you really should be seeing detail.
b. Photo conversions – Every photographer worth their weight should be able to convert the photos to black and white, sepia, etc… Are your photographer’s conversions inspiring or just sort of…average?
c. Saturation and Sharpness – Although these are two separate adjustments, I group them together because novice photographers have a tendency to seriously overcook both of them! When colors look unnaturally bright they can overpower the photo. Also over sharpened photos create what seem to be outlines around everything in the photo.
In the first photo, the image has been over-saturated causing flushed skin-tones, and over-sharpened. In the second photo, the editing process has not been overdone.
Click Page 2 below to continue!
I struggle with pricing because I don't want to over-charge and I don't want people to balk at my prices. It took some adjusting but I have figured out what is fair for the area and I do offer my sessions for a little less than others; however, I also lay out for the client what exactly is included, with an emphasis on the editing time. So many people [innocently] believe "nice camera takes great pics and you're done", not realizing how much time the editing takes. I jumped into the "pro" world as a side hobby two years ago and am finding now that I am getting more and more referrals. People like that I'm good with kids, being a mother of three myself, and they have now told their friends who have told their friends, etc. Photographers have to start somewhere so I think after some initial portfolio building, your work should speak for itself. You may have to adjust pricing so that you can get to a point where you can say "it is worth it to me to do "X" session for "X" amount". I don't believe in charging an arm and a leg because I myself would want an affordable session with a great quality end result.
I have to say, my photographer is amazing...I appreciate her interaction with my child & her pictures are beautiful (wish i could've found her for my wedding!) www.saratography.com (she's located in upstate NY - 518 area code)
I have to say, my photographer is amazing...I appreciate her interaction with my child & her pictures are beautiful (wish i could've found her for my wedding!) www.saratography.com (she's located in upstate NY - 518 area code)
I have an amazing photographer to give a shout out to! They have been with me for my engagement photos, wedding photos, maternity photos, labor and delivery photos, newborn photos, 1st birthday photos...I love them THAT much. They are in the Charlotte NC area: www.raeelle.com.
Great advice! I'm starting my search for a newborn/maternity photographer and this will definitely help! I've made a bad choice once with a photographer (basically put herself out as one thing when she could only do one very limited thing) so I want to make sure I do this one right.
I have a wonderful photographer, unfortunately she's across the country from me now. BUT if you're in the Virginia area she's definitely worth it! Kari Cillo with KCillo Photography! http://www.kcillophotography.com/
I have a great photographer!! Jenn Davenport!! She has done pictures for our family and extended family several times and she is amazing! http://jenndavenport.com/
There is only one step. Contact Dave Staley!
As a fellow pro photographer (who used to shoot families), I thank you for sharing the GREAT advice! This came at a time when I am editing my last newborn shoot because I am choosing not to try to compete anymore with the cutesy, actioned, dime a dozen photographers out there, but it needs to be said.
Right on! I don't like a lot of the fakey poses. They almost push towards the "Anne Geddes" look. I prefer real-life moments and I also don't use actions.
As a fellow pro photographer (who used to shoot families), I thank you for sharing the GREAT advice! This came at a time when I am editing my last newborn shoot because I am choosing not to try to compete anymore with the cutesy, actioned, dime a dozen photographers out there, but it needs to be said.
1. They take the best picture. lol