So many questions...

You’ve decided you want to hire a photographer, and that’s so exciting! Perhaps it's a life event, a holiday, or maybe you just need an update on family photos. Whatever it may be, you are now met with the looming need to choose just who will fit what you need. Before you hire a photographer, I’m here to help you figure out what questions to ask yourself or potentially your photographer. 


1| Are they in my budget for what I need? 

Photography is a lengthy and hard process, and sometimes the price on that can be daunting to some. I always recommend clients to weigh the costs and benefits of the session. Do you update your photos often, or is this a once in a blue moon sort of occasion? If so, it may make more sense to splurge on a photographer whose work is a little more expensive. 


Cost can sometimes correlate to the amount of time a photographer can allot your session, as well as the quality of material they use. It can also allude to experience they may have in comparison to others, but higher cost may not always mean they are the best. This leads to…


2| Does their style of work match what I need?

Think about choosing furniture for a room. You know what you want and what style you’re going for, and you purchase the furniture in response to your ideas. The same can go for choosing a photographer. You may have an idea of what sort of style you’re going for, and you should take time to look at a photographer's profile and decide if they match that style. A photographer may be flexible to an extent, but it may be unrealistic to ask them to do a completely different style than what they offer. Like any form of art, photographers have unique styles. 


3| How long will I wait for my gallery? 

This may be a question for your photographer. Say you’re in a rush to get a session done and need them for some reason (ex. Christmas cards). Depending on a photographer's business, the turn around period may vary. It is always good practice to inquire with them about their turn around period so you are not anxiously expecting the photos or disappointed that they didn’t make it in the time you needed. Take this with a grain of understanding that your photographers are people too with families and various other responsibilities. 


4| What do you specialize in? 

As I alluded to before, photographers have unique styles but they also have very unique skill sets. Some photographers specialize in weddings, others in newborns, others in lifestyle, others in animals, and so on. There should always be communication with your photographer on what their specialty is, and I encourage you to look at examples of the specific type of work you are looking for. If the examples are not so readily available, never hesitate to ask the photographer if they have some examples of it in their gallery to give you a better idea! 


There are so many more things I could go on and on about in the future regarding questions to ask yourself or your photographer. Maybe I’ll do a part two soon, as I find these ‘preparing for your session’ blogs helpful. 


As always, contact me if you have any questions! Until next time!