the top three
We all know there are tons of photographers out there today. So how do you find the right one for you? How do you decide which one fits you best?
Three things I look for when I book a photographer:
Style
Style is the most important thing to consider when choosing a photographer to capture your memories. If you don't like their style it doesn't matter what they deliver to you, you won't like it. So ask yourself: what is your style like? Do you prefer everyone looking at the camera for each pose, more of a church directory style, or do you prefer real moments over perfect smiles and everyone looking into the camera, more of a lifestyle approach?
Look through your photographer's galleries or blog and see if you love their photos. See if you would love to have a gallery like that delivered to you. If the answer is yes then seriously consider booking them. If the answer is no then move along to the next photographer.
You also have to like their editing style, it's huge. Are they light and airy? Dark and moody? Are the colors earthy or vibrant? You have to like that because I don't know a single photographer that will change editing styles for one client, it's not them.
Communication
Do they respond to emails? Is the photographer your looking for real with you? Are they honest? Communication is important, they need to answer your initial inquiry and they need to be able to answer any questions you might have leading up to the session. Honesty is so important when being photographed, they need to be able to tell you that what you're wearing won't work, the way you're sitting isn't flattering, or the time of day that you want to be photographed won't work. They also need to be able communicate with you if things go wrong: when things come up causing galleries to be late, hard drive crashes, memory card failures, etc. You're hiring them because they have the artistic eye, you like their style, and you trust them, so let them tell you what's best.
Price
BELOW everything else is price. B E L O W ! It does have to fit into your budget, but price cannot be the main deciding factor. You have to invest in art. You have to invest in your memories. If you don't, you won't have quality images that captured your important moments. Most of the time photography is a once a year thing. You have to buy it once a year. Have a flexible budget and when I say flexible I mean set a number, but allow about a $200 increase if needed. So if your budget is $300, you're really probably looking at a $500 photographer (and if you book a $500 photographer it's about $1.37 a day for the year, in case you're wondering). When it comes to photography you get what you pay for. If you're not willing to pay for it you can't expect quality photos. It's as simple as that.
Those are the three essentials you need to consider when looking for a photographer and those should be considered in the order they're listed: Style, Communication, Price.
First I'll just say that my taste is all over the map. I love light and airy, dark and moody, sunset field sessions, and in home lifestyle sessions. I will take them all. So the photographers I hire are completely different from each other; I'm super inconsistent. But overall: I prefer the lifestyle approach to photography. I want moments over poses. I want to remember how I actually felt. What the day meant to me. I want a photographer who is honest with me no matter what. I want to be told if my shirt is too tight or if the way I'm standing is unflattering. And price to me is not the deciding factor. I value my memories so my budget is a little on the higher end. If we're being honest, I've never paid less that $1,000 for a photographer and I have never regretted it. Not a single time. It's what I choose to spend my money on, it's something that I'll have for the rest of my life, so I really don't mind spending a little extra on it. I literally look at the photos we had taken in Paris and our engagement photos all the time. How can that not be money well spent?! I know I'll look at my wedding photos non-stop and when I eventually have a family same thing will go for those photos. So I'll invest.
