What to look for when hiring a photographer.
I will be the first person to admit, I am not for
everybody. No photographer will be for everybody.
When I first started out several years ago, I wanted to
make every client happy by trying to be the type of
photographer they wanted. That turned out to be a
horrible mistake. A true photographer has to be loyal
to himself/herself first. I had to develop a style that I
could consistently shoot. You as the client have to look
for a photographer that consistently shoots the style
that you are looking for. Using flash or strobes, natural
light, family style (looking right at the camera) or more
candids are all ingredients used in developing a style.
Remember the days of Sears photography. Walk in
and get your picture taken and get prints for $20 all
within 30 minutes. That doesn’t work, thats why they
don’t exist anymore. Their out of business.
There is a lot that you have to know to photograph
a person. It’s not even what you might think. You
have to know the person your photographing. Lets say
someone walks into my studio and asks for a session
right then and there. If I were to photograph that
person, the photos may be esthetically correct, meaning
the exposure, color balance, focus, lighting etc, may be
correct, but most people are not relaxed or comfortable
with a stranger taking their photograph. In turn, I
wouldn’t know exactly if that person is giving me a
natural looking smile, or if it’s fake. I don’t yet know that
person.
When meeting with a potential photographer, make
sure you ask questions like... “Can you photograph on
location, in studio, destination, anytime during the day
or even at night for that matter.” If the photographer
doesn’t know how to use light, then their limited to a few
hours during the day when the sun is not too hard or it’s
not too dark. Photographers call this “the golden hour”.
Ask your potential photographer to see prints of
their photography. Photos on line are OK to look at
and make a decision if you want to meet with him/her
for a potential job. Prints are drastically different than
photos your viewing on your iphone, android or tablets.
Resolution has to be at a minimum of 3 to 4 times higher
than a screen for a print to look good. I’m not talking
about 4x6 or 5x7 prints, I’m talking 8x10 minimum, or
in my case I show 16x24 to 20x30 prints. If they look
good, then your guaranteed the smaller prints will look
amazing.
I mentioned earlier in this article that I would be the
first one to admit I am not everyones photographer. If
your looking for someone who will photograph you or
a loved one and hand you a Cd of images, that client is
not mine. To me, that is an incomplete service. I love to
see the reaction on my clients face when they see their
prints and artwork for their home. That look on their
face is what makes my job worthwhile.
To make things clear. I am not an event photographer.
I’m what you might call a stylized photographer. When
a client steps in front of my camera, my job is to try to
bring out the best of him/her and will utilize anything I
have to enhance the conditions that I’m given to create
an awesome portrait of hi