A few years ago, only a few people could boast of having professional photos – they were mostly models (acting or beginners) and public people. Today everyone can become a real star of the photo area for a while, and the choice of a good photographer is a big part of the success.
Before you choose a photographer for your photo shoot you should do some thorough searching for a suitable candidate and decide for yourself whether he is the photographer you feel comfortable working with and whether he can provide the result you expect.
How to choose a good photographer?
It doesn’t matter what purpose you are planning to hold the photo session – to fill your portfolio as a model, to update the page in social networks or just for a family photo album (as they say, “as a keepsake”). Never enter into a contract with the first photographer you see! Before you make your final choice, you need to work with the following information:
- Portfolio .
Portfolio is a business card of any photographer, here you can see the best works of the master. If during the process of studying the photos you have a feeling of lack of harmony in the pictures, you do not observe the unity of style, then it is better to look for another specialist. For example, you prefer bright, cheerful photos, but in the portfolio you see mostly melancholic black and white shots. In this case, your collaboration is unlikely to bring the desired results.
2) Work Experience
This is not the main criterion for choosing a photographer, but you cannot ignore it completely. Experience allows you to quickly find an approach to different models, to find a special angle, to notice the “zest” of the landscape. Even at the stage of photography an experienced photographer knows exactly what kind of result he will get. A professional has all the necessary equipment. At the same time a beginner can offer some fresh ideas, an unconventional look at ordinary things.
- Comfort of communication
If you feel uncomfortable with the photographer, it will be hard to work with him – you won’t be able to relax, and you are unlikely to enjoy taking pictures, which will affect the result of the photo shoot. - The cost of services
A high price is not an indicator of an incredible skill of the photographer. In fact, a low price does not mean that the quality of the photos will be bad. Refer to an average price in your city – so you’re sure you won’t make a mistake.
Where do I look for a good photographer?
In the past, to find a photographer you had to buy a newspaper with ads and start calling around. In this case, there was no opportunity to look at the master’s work and study his style before a personal meeting.
Today’s opportunities allow you to organize your own personal photo shoot from the comfort of your own home – after all, all you need is access to the Internet:
- Photographers’ Websites.
An experienced photographer, who has something to show, necessarily fills his personal website. On it you can find the master’s work, prices for his services, visually determine the style in which he works and understand whether it suits you. - Social Networks
Almost all photographers have pages on Facebook, Instagram – you can search there, where you feel more comfortable. But be ready for the fact that many of them will turn out to be very inexperienced novices who are just starting their way in photography (they usually have very few uploaded photos and they are all the same type). - Acquaintances, friends
Chances are at least someone you know has asked a professional photographer (wedding, graduation, family photo session, children’s party). Find out their opinion about this photographer, look through all the photos (including unprocessed ones, if you have them of course). - Advertising
Photographers often advertise on local TV channels, on the radio, in popular periodicals. Determine what audience the source is designed for (TV is often watched by people in years who order family photo shoots, fashion magazines are read by young people – here, most likely, photographers working in a glamorous style are advertised). - Search engines.
If you type “photographer’s services” into the search box, the system will give you all the possible options – these are pages in social networks, websites, and message boards. You will only have to study the results of the first or third page and find what is closest to your needs.
In general, the search for a photographer for a photo shoot should be comprehensive: get a recommendation from your friends, look at their photos, find a photographer in Instagram, look through his portfolio and the latest photo shoots, go to his site (if any). If you are happy with everything you see – call and make an appointment.
A meeting with a photographer is not only a chance to get to know him or her better. It is also a chance to get answers to the most frequently asked and, therefore, the most relevant questions.