What to look for in your
Next Photographer
There are so many photographers out there claiming all sorts of things! How can you tell if a photographer is good?What should you be looking for in a photographer? Well, I've put together a guide on how to tell if a photographer is good based on what I've learned in the industry, and what I personally look at. It's by no means the end-all, be-all guide, and I am by no means the expert on this, but it may help you weed out a few contenders!
Do they listen to what you want and help guide you on what's best?
Make sure they're listening, and offering feedback on what you're saying. If you suggest doing a hike at the most popular mountain in the area at noon on a Saturday for your engagement pictures, they should suggest mayyyybe going at an earlier/later time, less busy day, or suggest an alternative location. Your photographer should help you get the best shots possible. They should be there to help guide you.
Do their prices align with their work?
A lot of new photographers start their prices high because they get scared by the saying everyone is familiar with: You get what you pay for. Just because someone charges $300 doesn't mean their work is worth $300. Make sure the quality and price align.
Do they showcase a full gallery?
If you're not sure if you like their work just based on a few shots and they don't have many portfolio shots available, ask them for a full gallery. You'll get to see their work start to finish. Some photographers include full galleries on their site, others don't.
Do they only have experience at styled shoots?
Why does it matter? Styled shoots are very controlled settings, and often don't cover a whole day of activities you'd normally have at a wedding. It's not a bad thing that a photographer does styled shoots! It's great practice. But you want to make sure it's not the only thing they've done. It's a little trickier to tell if something is from a styled shoot, but here are just a few ways that might hint it's a from a styled shoot:
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Odd "wedding" items (disco balls, llamas, etc)
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Shots of just the bride and groom even if there's a pretty table set up (no guests in the background of any shots)
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Quirky or highly curated shots in a studio or elsewhere
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Only highly curated bridal shots
Do they get a good mix of close-ups, wide angles, different settings and emotions, etc.?
Does the picture tell a story? Does the album tell a story? You want different options! You don't want the same poses over and over.
Do their edits align with what feeling you want to convey and are they decently consistent?
You can find just about any type of photographer with just about any kind of edit out there. Does their editing style speak to you? If you're doing an engagement shoot, you might not want to hire the guy who typically shoots dark and moody street photography.
Do they have a style or two their shots typically lean toward, or are they all over the place? If they have different styles for multiple pictures in a single shoot, or all of their shoots are inconsistent, they might still be trying to find their style.
This isn't a bad thing, but keep in mind it might mean that the pictures you receive might not be the style you want. Typically when a photographer doesn't have an established style or two, it means they might not be as confident of an editor.
If a photographer does have different styles, make sure they're at least consistent in those different styles! It'll be more reassuring to you that they're a confident editor, but you'll also know you'll get consistent pictures back in the style you hired them for.
What to look for:
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Temperature: Do they have some really warm (yellowish) pictures next to cool (bluer) pictures?
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Mood: Are some pictures really dark and moody and others brighter?
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Colors: Are some pictures overly saturated and others are desaturated?
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Would this style last for years? Decades? Is it timeless? Do you want it to be timeless?
