Finding the Perfect Photographers
When it comes to choosing family or portrait photographers, it’s easy to be lured in by the cheapest deal on the block. After all, who doesn’t love a good bargain, right? But hold up a sec! Before you jump on the cheapest option, consider this—your family memories are priceless. They’re those little moments frozen in time that you’ll cherish forever. So, why risk these precious memories by opting for the bargain basement photographers? Asking the right questions before hiring a photographer can make all the difference. Sure, it might take a little extra effort, but trust me, it’s totally worth it. By asking the right questions, you can ensure that you choose a photographer based on the important things—like their style, experience, and how well they can capture the essence of your family. Remember, it’s not just about snapping a few photos; it’s about capturing the spirit of your family in a way that will make you smile every time you look at those pictures. So, next time you’re on the hunt for a family photographer, don’t just settle for the cheapest option. Take the time to ask the right questions and find photographers who can truly do justice to your precious family moments.
How Long Have you Been Doing This?
When hiring photographers one of the most important questions that should be on your mind is: How long have you been doing this? You’re getting at how much experience they have capturing images. Pricing actually goes along with this. A beginner without much experience doesn’t have confidence in the product they’re delivering so they charge less. It’s all about value. On the other hand, a pro with tons of experience knows they’re giving you their best and they’re going to cost a bit more.
You’ll also want to ask what kind of experience they have. Someone who’s used to shooting real estate or nature photography won’t know how to pose a family. Photographers have special “Niche’s” they fall into. It’s like a doctor having a specialty. You’ll want a photographer experienced in the type of photography you want. Unless you’re okay with a general practitioner.
Can I see your portfolio?
This is not usually an issue, as us photographers LOVE showing off the art we create. In fact, you’ll see our art all over these blog articles. We want you to be immersed in the experience our team delivers the entire time you’re here so you feel confident with who we are.
If a photographer doesn’t have a portfolio to showcase that’s a red flag unless they’re up front with you. Maybe they are just branching out on their own and they’ve been shooting under other photographers so they didn’t own the rights to those images. In that case, they need to build their portfolios as well as building confidence in their potential clients so they should be very willing to discount services a lot until they have their own portfolio to showcase.
Will you regret hiring a pro without a portfolio? Maybe. It’s a risk. But will you regret hiring a photographer who’s portfolio you didn’t bother checking out and then you hate your images later because it’s not what you were expecting. You absolutely will.
How Long Will It Take To Get photos back?
Photographers are all very unique in this area. I know this one pro who doesn’t deliver any images to anyone for any reason all year long…until Christmas break when they take that 2 weeks to do a binge editing session. So, get your photos taken in January and wait until December to get them back.
On the other hand I know photographers who will get so excited they’ll rush home and edit everything that very night and stay up all night bleary eyed to get them done. If you’re impatient that may sound wonderful. Except when you realize you just sacrificed quality for speed.
The average is 14-30 day turn around which gives the photographer enough time to carefully edit without rushing themselves while they feel awake and refreshed.
What is your style?
As a regular person you think this means…what kind of instagram filter are you putting on my photos. Tip #1…if you don’t want to make your photographer mad…..don’t ask that. We don’t apply filters EVER. While photographers each have their own editing ‘style’, it’s not a filter and it sometimes it takes years to perfect. But that’s not what style actually means.
Style, as far as photographers are concerned, is more about the experience and posing techniques they use. A classic, traditional photographer will focus on making you comfortable and posing you and then using elements from the scene to get creative. A candid photographer will focus more on a ‘lifestyle’ feel where you’re moving about in life as if they aren’t present. Those two styles are the start of what you should be focused on. Do you want more posed, traditional photos or more candid, natural looking images?
What Does Your Package Include
Remember when we mentioned photographers pricing and how it reflects their experience level? Their experience and pricing can also effect what they include in their packages. Many of the higher priced photographers actually offer you less for what you’re paying. They do a boutique style of business. You pay only for their session fee and then after the images are delivered you pay for each image on it’s own if you want it.
On the flip side a really new beginner isn’t as confident so there’s a really good chance they’re going to pull that card out of their camera, transfer the images to a flash drive without even editing and you’ll end up with ALL of the photos they captured…even the duds. You’ve just chosen Quantity over Quality.
But there is a happy medium with photographers who balance their pricing with their return. For instance, our studio is in the higher average range for pricing, but we include a combination of digitals and prints in most of our packages so you can enjoy your photos and show them off.
Hey if you’re celebrating a milestone important enough for a photo session, there’s a good bet you’re also hosting a get together. Willow & Roots have partnered with both Erie Wedding & Event Services for Family Friendly Event DJ Service AND CatErie – Elegant Cuisine offering both Buffet and Drop-off menu service. Both are great to enhance your celebration!
Ready to book? Contact us to start asking those 5 essential questions.
