How to Choose a Good Photographer
I've been a photographer for several years, and if it's one thing that I can help others with, it is how to spot a good photographer. Working with other photographers, you tend to notice certain traits that all good photographers seem to have in common. This article is designed to help you recognize a good photographer, and stay away from the bad ones!
Step One- Use the Internet
With the Internet playing such a large part of our daily lives, it is only natural that you should first do some basic searching to find a photographer. Any search engine will find a photographer's website in your area, although it might take a bit of digging through the results to find the websites that you are looking for. A good photographer will have a nice, sharp website with a sample of their work on it. Look for a photographer that has a variety of photos, that are all high quality. Good photographers have a large base of clients, so make sure that all of the pictures that you see are of different people. Finally, send the photographer an email to inquire about their services- any good photographer will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible (even in the busy season).
Step Two- Meet the Photographer
Once you have a short list of suitable photographers, be sure to sit down and actually meet the prospective photographers. Any good photographer will be assertive of their work, and will speak about their work with confidence. In addition, you also want a photographer that is personable. As a photographer, I always hear my clients say, "You're so easy to work with!". That is what you are looking for- find a photographer that you can become comfortable with. When you are the most comfortable, that is when your pictures will really shine!
Step Three- Talk about locations
Once you've found a couple of photographers that you can be comfortable with, and have high quality work, talk to the photographer about shooting locations. If you prefer studio work (which I absolutely hate, what's the point of cookie-cutter pictures?), check out their studio. Otherwise, ask if you can drive by their photo locations (most are usually public areas anyways, or at least visible from a public road). Any good photographer will have numerous locations available, and will be able to give recommendations based on the type of photos that you want. In addition, any good photographer will also be able to tell you what locations would be perfect for your personality. That's what you're looking for, after all, a custom photo shoot.
The Final Step- Book Your Shoot
At this point, you should have your perfect photographer selected, and you should have chosen a good photographer. So go ahead and book that photo shoot and relax- the photographer will do the rest. As long as you are relaxed and willing to listen to the photographer's suggestions, your pictures will turn out great! Make sure you tell your friends and family members about your photographer's great work also- word of mouth is the best advertisement!
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