When you’re searching for a photographer, you want to find out which photographer fits you best. There are many types of photographers such as wedding photographers, newborn photographers, maternity photographers, family photographers, landscape photographers, real state photographers, product photographers, street photographers, etc. There are also talented photographers, not so talented photographers, experienced photographers, new photographers and who is just really good at marketing. Photography is an art. Every photographer has different ways of creating their photos and how they edit their photos. There is no photographer who is best at everything.
The first thing I want to address is pricing. Pricing is one of the main factors whether a client will choose a photographer. I see so many clients get influenced by pricing to save a few bucks and regret with their decisions. In general, higher price means a lot more than just expensive photographers. It's a different level of experience from outstanding customer service, less headache, ease to work with, and better photos. However, not all high price photographers are great, you must also do your own research and talk to the photographer. Remember to do research on all aspects of their business from photos, reviews, behind the scene videos if any, and how they interact with you to determine your ideal photographer. Remember your photos are priceless and you will cherish them forever.
A few questions below to help you find out your ideal photographer.
1) How would you describe your style? Style is one of the main things you are looking to choose an ideal photographer. There are many styles from bright and airy, dark and moody, muted color, vibrant color, cinematic photos, epic photos, elegant photos, cute photos, etc. type of photos you like to see if they fit your taste.
2) How long have they been shooting (Whatever their niche is)? How long they have been doing photography is only a fraction to determine if they are great or not. A photographer with one year experience could repeat for 20 years. Listen to what they tell you and compare to what they show you.
3) Can I see your portfolio? Make sure the photographer has website and/or social medias to view their photos and information. I highly recommend to find out other social media accounts to view reviews, videos if any, photos and comments such as Yelp, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
4) Will you be my photographer? You will need to know if you are dealing with a big studio team or individual photographer that you have been seeking to avoid confusion. Big studio is normally have their quality standard. Some are good and some are bad just like individual photographer.
5) What happen if I need to cancel or you cancel on me after I have deposited? This is a vital question to avoid disputes and argumentations. The photographer should have a vivid policy laying out for you.
6) How will I receive the photos and are their any hidden fees?
As a client, which would you prefer? Do you prefer quality or quantity? Let's say a photographer has 8 hours to edit your photos. Do you want 200 quick basic edited photos or 20 full edited? This is a crucial question to ask to avoid confusion. Many photographers deliver their photos in different ways. One could charge per photo, one could delivery some and charge extra per photo, one could delivery certain amount of photos, and one could delivery all quality photos. Ideally, you should choose quality over quantity.
7) Do I have full rights on my photos? Some photographers don't want their photos to be advertised for commercial used but for personal used only and some photographers allow full rights.
8) What is the booking process like? Is there a contract to be signed or any confirmation? Make sure they provide a contract or confirmation. If no contract or confirmation, you need to avoid at all cause. Remember to review everything that has agreed on and confirm to save future headaches. Make sure they ask for your deposit and that is a must. This is a commitment between you and the photographer to secure the date and time.
9) What time of the day is best for a photoshoot? Best time to take photos is between 30-60 mins before sunset for golden flawless light. Second is sunrise which has soft and dreamy light. Day time is good too but not ideally as the light is harsh but the vibrant of the landscape shows true color, however, the subject will be contrasty. Contrasty means the shadow is very dark and the highlight is very bright. Another option to shoot during day time is using flash or going into the shady area.
I hope this helps you to find the right photographer!
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Mahalo from Maui!
Tim Ng
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