Professional family photos and what to look for in choosing your photographer!

Choosing your photographer.  Seems simple enough right?  That is until you start searching and find there are approximately 932098009275029 million of us floating around.  Overwhelming much? Why yes.  Let’s try to break things down for you, and maybe I can help you out in finding what photographer would work best for you!  (I’d like to say..me of course..haha, but I may not always be the perfect fit!) Lets check out why.

1. Genre. Many photographers focus on certain genres of photography.  These include family, newborn, wedding, etc.  In my humble opinion not every photographer is good at everything.  For example, I do not photograph weddings.  I know that it would take too much time away from my family/newborn clients and it’s just not something I excel at. Yes I could technically get the photos right, but I just don’t feel like it’s something I would enjoy doing, or do my best at.  So I choose to focus on things that I know I do well at, which is newborns, children and family!  Something to think about when looking for a photographer.

2. Lifestyle, studio, or outdoors for your professional family photos? What is the difference? Lifestyle is more documentary. It may tell a story, a day in the life as you will. Studio is more backdrops and posed. Outdoor can be a mix of both posed images or candid shots. I adore lifestyle photos, but I do photograph most of my newborn’s and their families in my studio in a more posed fashion. Photographing families outdoors will always be my favorite for that genre of photography, and my sessions are ran at a bit of a cross of lifestyle and posed. Little bit of both. When you are searching for a photographer, look closely at their work and get an idea which style you are mostly drawn too. Don’t expect to go to a lifestyle photographer and get posed photos. Photography is art and our art will all be unique to each photographer.

3. Editing styles. There are dark and contrasty, bright and airy and more true to color editing styles. Looking at each photographer’s editing style is highly recommended. That is what your photos will look like and if you don’t like the editing then I’d stay clear. TIP: if you plan on keeping photos up for longer periods of time, stay away from the editing “trends.” They will only end up looking dated.
4. Communication! Look for a photographer that is willing to meet spend extra time with you to plan your session. If they are willing to meet beforehand, chat on the phone, and put extra time into making your session special, you will most likely come out on the other hand very happy with your portraits! I love to offer in person consultations.  My clients have told me that it is nice to meet and plan out their session.  If you are looking for a newborn session, it’s also nice to meet the person who will be snuggling on your baby for photos!  This is also a good way to chat about what I have to offer in products and you can get a better idea what would work for you in your home! 
5. Are they a full time or part time photographer? Do they have another job? One isn’t necessarily better than the other, although a full time photographer, may have more options for scheduling and can put a lot more focus on you as a client.
6. Cost. I won’t say much on this, but don’t let cost be your only deciding factor or the main factor. If you love something, save for it. Sometimes the best things come to those who wait! If you value it, spend the money on it.

I hope those are some helpful tips in finding your photographer!  If you’d like to know more about my sessions, just shoot me a message via the contact tab or feel free to give me a call!  I’d love to chat further with you!

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