Choosing The Right Photographer

Choosing a photographer for your wedding or session is a daunting task. Do you choose price? Or Quality? The sad truth is sooo many people regret their decisions when choosing their photographer. No worries though! I’m here to help you! 

There are lots of websites to sort through, blogs to pour over, and advertisements everywhere. It can seem almost impossible to find a perfect fit! The good news is that with a little time and effort, you can do your own research and find a photographer that’s just right for you.

Search Close To Home

A great way to start your photographer-seeking journey is by asking friends and family if they recommend anyone in the area. Chances are good that they’ve worked with (or know someone who’s worked with) a great photographer for portraits or life events. Chances are also good that a photographer who’s worked well with people close to you will also work well with you! Almost all of my referrals are word of mouth, and those clients generally end up not only being my photography subjects, but my good friends as well!

Using Facebook and internet searches are also great ways to find local photographers. Most professional photographers have a strong online web presence with portfolios of their work for you to browse. Once you’ve found a few studios you’re interested in working with, don’t be shy about setting up interviews! Schedule a phone call or casual in-person meeting to get a feel for the photographer and his/her process for creating images. It will quickly become clear whether it’s a good fit for both of you!

Think Of It As An Investment

It’s no secret that great art is expensive, and this can be the case for photographers as well. Remember that these images are an investment – in yourself and in your family. Good photographers intend your images to be family heirlooms and plan for this by offering archival-grade print products built to hold their color and detail for a lifetime.

Although choosing the least expensive photographer may seem like an attractive option, there is most likely a reason they’re so cheap! Great photographers with good client service are typically booked solid and price themselves to reflect this. If budget is a main concern in selecting a photographer, try contacting a few “dream” photographers and let them know your intended price range. They may be willing to work with you and offer payment options or smaller packages to fit within your budget.

Pro Tip

Why Prints Are Important

When you choose to purchase only digital files from a photographer, there’s a big risk that your final products won’t be to the quality or standard you were hoping for. When you purchase a print product from an experienced photographer, they may spend hours perfecting the crop and colors of the photograph to produce the best possible result when printed.

This process of color correction is often overlooked, but absolutely essential to reproducing what you see on your computer screen accurately onto printed media. Most consumer-facing print labs also do not offer the standards of color quality that professional labs do, and you may find yourself with prints that are muddy and awkwardly trimmed!

Personality Fit

This one is sooooo important!

Have you ever met a new friend, significant other, or business contact that you just “click” with? Your personalities seem to fit as though you’ve known each other far longer than you really have, and you feel comfortable in conversation. Finding the right photographer should feel this way as well – at least to a certain extent! Trust me on this!

You are hiring a photographer to understand what makes you special and bring out the best in you on camera. It’s essential to find someone you feel comfortable with, someone who can really see what makes you who you are and translate that into visual art. This special chemistry will make all the difference in the final images!

Interviewing Your Photographer

If you’ve found a photographer whose portfolio strikes your fancy, the next step to take is to pick up the phone (or schedule an in-person meeting) for a little interview. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions you want answered and feel out if it’s a good fit for you and your family. We’ve created a little interview outline here for you, but feel free to add your own questions and ideas to the list!.

Q: How long has your studio been in business?

A: I’ve been in business for 6 years now, and I love every second of my time with you clients.

Q: What type of photography do you specialize in?

A: I specialize exclusively in glowing, colorful, natural light images in relaxed, lifestyle settings.

Q: What are your session policies?

I am happy to provide session policies to you in an easy-to-read .PDF guide upon request

Q: What products do you offer to
display images?

I offer a wide range of handmade, archival quality photo products to make your memories last for a lifetime in beautiful physical form, including albums, gallery canvas, hand retouched prints, and more!

Q: Do you limit the amount of sessions you book?

I limit bookings to 5 sessions per month and 2 weddings per month to ensure incredible service for my clients. My goal is exceptional quality, not quantity.

Why buy an album?

Photographs are meant to be printed. There is nothing quite like an exquisitely designed, handcrafted photo album to display and preserve your images in a way that everyone can hold and enjoy. Although online galleries and digital image displays are becoming an increasingly popular, inexpensive way to display photographs, there is still nothing like a physical photo album.

Albums are books which tell your story. Well-designed albums inspire and elicit a wide range of emotions in incredible detail and brilliant color. Many photographers will spend hours or even days to craft a design that shows off your images as individual works of art. Albums are well worth the investment – they will last a lifetime and make your images accessible to anyone, anytime!

Ready to book? With me? 😀

I can’t wait to get started with you. Let’s open the conversation with a free initial consultation! In it, we will go over my services, portfolio, and most importantly, your love/family story, which I would be honored to tell through beautiful imagery. Please reach me anytime via one of the methods I’ve listed below.

Cell: 602.303.7042

Email: hello@shaleenadanielle.com