Choosing a photographer is a lot like choosing a close friend. You want the person to be someone you can be comfortable with. A good photographer knows how to make you feel relaxed in front of the camera. He or she has the skill and expertise to get the shot you want and like. Choosing a photographer for a wedding, portrait session, or a lifestyle event? Here are three tips to get you started.
1. Look for chemistry
Your chemistry with the photographer has a direct impact on the final product: your photos. How comfortable you are with your photographer will affect how natural your poses and smiles look in the photos. If you feel self-conscious in front of the camera, this may come out in the stiff way you hold your face, your shoulders, or in the awkward way your lips curve up to form a smile. You’ll have a good idea if the chemistry is going to be good by simply looking at your online conversations with your potential photographer. Does he or she sound open friendly and honest? Does he or she answer your questions on time and without hesitation? These are good indicators that you’ll be able to relax and reveal your true self while the shoot is going on.
2. Look for the style you want
Photographers have different shooting and artistic styles which show in the kind of photos they take, the angles from where they shoot, the colors and even the equipment they use. All these come together to create a style of photography that either resonates with you or doesn’t. Look through the portfolios or blogs of photographers on your list and see what style catches your eye the most. For example, some clients want a clean, light and airy photography style with minimal posing, while others prefer posed, colorful and embellished styles. Every client is different, and the same is true for photographers and how they shoot.
3. Look for expertise in the kind of photos you want to be taken
Landscape or fashion photographers hone a different set of skills than wedding photographers. For example, wedding photography trains a photographer to be quick on his feet so that he can capture split-second moments, frame photos for the best emotional effect and deal with different problems that could come up during a wedding like rain, snow, crowds and crying flower girls. Ask the photographer about his or her expertise so you can be sure that the photographer has the skills to take the shots you have in mind.
Photographers specialize in different types of photography. They have their own sets of expertise and ways of telling stories. They also have different personalities that may or may not be the right fit with yours. Pick the photographer who shoots and tells stories in the way that resonates with you and your personal style for the best chance of getting photos you’ll love.
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