There are a lot of photographers out there. If you search for a photographer local to you, you are bound to come up with page after page of different options. How do you choose one that is right for you? How is it possible that some photographers charge so little yet others charge so much more?
* What is your style?
First of all, have a think of what style of photos is it that you are after and what do you like. Is it a relaxed outdoors session, is it a very posed studio portrait? Browse through a few photographer's websites, get inspired. Then choose someone who has a style that speaks to you, someone whose photographs you could see hanging on your wall.
* Why do they charge so much?
The next step will be the cost of the shoot. Lot of people are surprised by the cost of a photo session. They think the photographer spends an hour on a day and snaps away, downloads photos and sends them onto you (or prints and delivers them), right? Before I got into photography, I found it hard to justify how much photographers charge. Now I realise that having a photography session is more of an investment, more about art a little bit less about budget. Generally, you get what you pay for.
I have learned through my own experience just how much work is involved in creating beautiful images and the cost associated with being a photographer. The clicking away part is great fun, very creative and best of all you get to interact with your clients, you get to meet new friends, you get to cuddle a beautiful newborn baby and take lots of photos of them.
The part that customers don't get to see is the editing of the images, the colour adjustment, smoothing and removing things, adjusting the crop so that the composition looks perfect and lots more that takes hours of time. That is not taking into account their travel to you, their insurance, training, cost of their website and any other essential things for running a business. By the time a good photographer is finished editing an image he or she has fallen in love with it and starts treating it like their baby :) I often find I download the images from the shoot, have a quick peek, thinking perhaps I will just edit one.... A few hours later I am sitting and editing and suddenly realise it is well past reasonable time to have gone to bed :) When I am not editing I am researching new props, new ideas, planning my next shoot, learning about lighting, watching tutorials and teaching myself to do some more magic in Photoshop for composite images or booking my next training. Sometimes it feels that I live and breathe photography, but I love it and I think that is a huge part of being a good photographer. To have the passion, have the spark, to want to make the clients feel comfortable and create stunning images that can be treasured for years to come.
Another part that will be factored into the price of a photo session is the photographer's equipment. Cameras, lenses, flashes, props, computer equipment, editing software, it all adds up. When choosing a photographer and looking at their price list sometimes it is tempting to go with the bargain offer, but if you are looking for a newborn photographer you might want to check that they have some sort of newborn training under their belt, that they are properly insured because nobody wants to think about accidents, but they do happen and it is best to be covered.
* Do you click together?
Last but not least is chemistry. "Chemistry??" you may ask, but yes chemistry has a lot to do with photography. It is about clicking with your photographer (no pun intended :) ) You need to feel comfortable around your photographer, let's face it, most of us hate being in front of a camera and smiling into a lens. It feels strange, embarrassing and just uncomfortable. So having a photographer who makes you feel at ease, who chats to you and makes you laugh, encourages you, helps you to pose your body so that you look your best, all of this does help to relax you and it will show in the photos. You will be able to tell if the smiles are real or if someone has been asked to sit, look this way and smile... If you enquire about a photo session with a photographer and don't feel that you are on the same page and are not connecting with a particular photographer, well maybe ask a few others and see if you find the right fit for you.
Once you find someone who takes amazing photos of you and your family or your baby, they will become YOUR photographer because you will want to keep coming back to them and recommend them to your friends. I love having clients who come to me through word of mouth referral as that means my clients liked me, liked my work and enjoyed the experience, and that is what I get up in the mornings for.
If you have any questions, ideas or would like to enquire about booking with me get in touch. I look forward to meeting you soon. Magda x
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