Traits to look for while Choosing a Professional Family Photographer
Portraits are the best way to immortalize a piece of history. In the nobility and aristocratic times, people used to sit still for hours to get their portraits created by renowned artists. With the invention of the camera, the process became simpler and a family portrait is ready in a matter of minutes. With the rise in mobile devices, capturing a moment has become accessible for all. Yet, for precious moments such as pregnancy announcements, newborn photographs, or family photographs, it is better to leave it to a professional family photographer.Â
Why Opt for a Professional?
Professional family photographers have the required expertise as well as the right pieces of camera equipment to make a family photograph a cherishable asset. A simple Google search may yield multiple results about family photographers in Los Angeles but it might be difficult to separate an amateur from a professional. Thankfully, looking for certain traits can help you choose the right photographer for your next family photo shoot.
Traits of a Professional Family Photographer
Shoot Style & Portfolio
Photography is all about perspective and every photographer has an unique photography style that showcases their perspective. Some excel in candid shots, while others bring out the magic of posing in their photographs. Some can create a wonderland from unique costumes and prop choices in their studio, while some can work on outdoor shoots on location of your choice. Based on what kind of family photograph you visualize yours to be, you need to choose an expert accordingly.
Most family photographers tend to share their portfolios on their website. Browsing through the photos will give you an idea of their expertise. You can also talk to them to understand if they can deliver what you wish.
Experience
A novice photographer is someone who entered the field recently and is looking to build a portfolio. They are full of new ideas but lack the finesse you get from someone with years of experience. On the other hand, someone with experience will be restrictive in terms of innovation but compensate with quality. A novice would be open to ideas and suggestions whereas with experienced photographers, you are done with the session quicker and you don’t need to sift through multiple images to choose your favorites. Just like with any professional skill-based jobs, you can avail photographers with varying skill levels with pros and cons of each level.
Services provided
Photos Retouching
Unless you are going with a photographer who possesses the superpower of clicking perfect photographs every time, you also need to factor in retouching. Retouching doesn’t mean the kind of heavy duty photoshopping done for social media or any magazine. Retouching for family portraits involves removing unwanted elements such as a rogue leaf photobombing your photograph, or a blur from a moving object. Retouching also allows someone who winced at the wrong time, to look normally at the camera or remove the drool from the toddler’s mouth. Retouching takes additional time and would extend the turnaround time.
Framing
While many photographers may not specify this on their website but you can get your photos framed at additional costs. This saves the efforts of getting the photos manually printed and having them framed. Most photographers work on referral basis with professional framers and can also provide referral bonuses.
Reviews
No matter how good the marketing is, people tend to believe the words of other customers more. Look into the reviews from other clients on their experience. How accommodating they are around children, corrections to final photos, priority to clicking good photographs over building their own portfolio. Ask about the behavior of the photographer and crew at the time of shoot.
Cost & Booking Schedule
Depending on the expertise and the add-ons you choose (framing, props, etc.), the overall cost of the photography session increases. Novice photographers would charge less compared to experienced photographers but you can end up compromising on the quality. Experienced photographers can charge from $300-$1000 for a 3 hour photography session.
When it comes to booking schedules, opting for a family photography session would be depending on the availability of the photographer. Novice photographers can be booked ad-hoc while you may end waiting for weeks (even months during active season) for an expert photographer. The key is choosing someone who provides a balance between the cost and urgency.
Wrapping Up
Booking a family photographer for your next photography session may look like a daunting experience but in the end, the results tip the balance in the favour of booking one as early as possible. Following a step by step method based on our explanation here can help you in measuring the pros and cons of different photographers and choosing the correct one.
