The Question To Ask When Hiring A Photographer
If you’ve started your journey of hiring a photographer that will be perfect for bringing your vision to life, you’ve probably laid eyes on some list that covers specific questions you “need” to ask as potential photographers. Those are all fine and great to consider, but it doesn’t matter what equipment they use. It shouldn’t be the first question you ask when hiring a photographer. The photographer may have the best equipment that money can buy, but the photographer doesn’t have the fundamentals of photography and lighting.
Our Perspective
From our perspective, you should research and ask all the questions you need to ask to ensure you feel confident in whoever you hire. More important than how long a photographer has been in business or what kind of flash they use, you should consider the connection you have to them as a person and their work.
Personal Connection
You might not realize it now, but your photographer will be with you all day at your wedding. You can gauge a lot by following them on social media, emailing them, or setting up a meeting/Skype call. It’s an obvious statement, but different photographers have different personalities. If you find a photographer on Instagram who is always wearing bright colors, is a chatterbox and is super extroverted, don’t expect to hire them and then have them lay low and blend into the wall on your wedding day. They will probably become BFFs with your whole wedding party and be hugging your grandma by the end of the night. You don’t need to be best friends with your photographer, but you must hire someone you’re excited to work with for your session. But with that, this will bring us to our question when picking a photographer.
CONNECTION WITH THEIR WORK
You know when you find a photographer’s website, and you’re reading about them and scrolling through the photos, and your heart beats faster and faster, and then you start imagining yourself and your man (or woman) in their photographs? Yeah, that’s called connection. Don’t ignore that tug! You need to reach out to that person! Let them know that not only you felt a connection by just looking at their work, but you’re very interested in working with them soon.
THE FINAL STEP OF THE SEARCH
Find someone you find a personal connection with and whose work has inspired you and touched your heart. Inquire about date availability and any questions that you may have before you proceed with booking. But please, don’t ask every question you find floating around on the internet. Trust that if you like what you see in their galleries, it doesn’t matter what program they use to edit images. Trust that if you love the personality they show on their website, blog, or social media, it doesn’t matter what kind of camera they shoot on.
What is most important to you when looking for a photographer? Let us know!