Our one-step guide on how to ruin a perfect wedding, bar mitzvah or graduation party would look like this: trust it to an amateur photographer. But you don’t want that, do you? Ok, here’s how you find the right one:
Define your project
First things first, what is it that you need to be captured? Come up with a short but detailed description of your project/event. Include a bullet list of all the important aspects of it, so you’d know right away exactly what kind of photographer you need and could narrow down the search.
Look at their portfolio
If you can’t find one, it usually means one of the two: either they don’t take themselves seriously, or you weren’t looking. Most professional photographers have websites, social media pages or platform accounts (like lots of photographers on Humans.net) where you can check out their previous work.
Make sure of their knowledge
This is easy to overlook, especially from a client standpoint. Photography is one of those jobs where anyone can be taught the basics and start working.So make sure the photographer you hire really does have knowledge of photography. See what he/she is blogging about. Is it educational for you? Does the photographer offer workshops for other photographers? Has he/she written any books or made any courses? None of it is a must, but signs like these make for a good recommendation.
Check their reputation
What happens if you Google the photographer’s name? Has he/she worked with some renowned clients or participated in any outstanding projects? Do your research and find as many testimonials as you can: maybe the only bad review came from a situation similar to yours.
Make sure you connect
No, it’s not about breaking your wedding vows on the very first day. It’s about making it work with the person in charge of your Instagram likes for the time being. Meet in person and make sure you click with them; otherwise, consider finding a better option. You don’t want to feel uncomfortable and your photos to look staged, right?
Discuss the conditions
Let’s say you’ve checked all boxes. But suddenly the guy is only willing to work from 12 to 4 on that day when you will only be getting started. This is why you need to figure all of this out beforehand: exactly when, where and how sober you want your photographer to be. What should they wear? How soon will you get the photos? How much do they charge? Is it too much? If only there was a way to know the average market price.
