Looking for a Photographer for a Shoot?
You’re probably looking for the right photographer, but it doesn’t come easy unless you personally know someone that you can trust. When you do your initial research online, you are inundated with so many recommendations and so many choices; it gets confusing. There are a lot of amazing photographers, some who do this full-time and others who are turning a hobby into a part-time focus.
So, how do you choose? On what do you base your choice? What questions should you ask before hiring a photographer?
This post contains links from sponsors, who are all highly recommended by local Moms from our Facebook group.
Here are a few steps that can help you hire the right photographer:
Make sure you know what area(s) of photography he/ she is specialized in.
There are several areas, fields or types of photography but knowing the photographer’s specializations will help trim down your choices. Below are some of the areas of photography and their descriptions to help in your selection:
Family Photography: Normally covers from maternity, newborn, children, senior and family portrait (can be indoor or outdoor). Schools often use family photographers to do school photographs.
Newborn and Fresh 48 Photography is really popular. We recommend Stefanie Rose Photography. She also loves to work with expecting families for maternity sessions and also enjoys milestone sessions to capture those sweet phases of childhood that slip away all too quickly! She has been shooting for over 15 years, but has specialized in newborns the past 10 years making them more of her focus.
She shoots newborn sessions in the comfort of your own home. And she brings her studio and props to you! Fresh 48 sessions are quickly growing in popularity, and done within the first 48 hours after baby is born. She’ll travel to your hospital or birth center to capture those first few hours of babies life earth-side! Her Instagram and Facebook have examples of her work
Check out our Newborn and Maternity Photographer Guide too, which has our favorite local Recommendations
Another great option and highly recommended local Photographer is Arielle, who covers Newborn, Lifestyle and Weddings. She is a mother of three little ones and a lover of all things comfy and cozy including; yoga pants, plush blankets, and fuzzy socks. She specializes in bright and dreamy lifestyle newborn sessions. She captures Love, Joy and the tiniest details you never want to forget! Check out her Instagram and Facebook to see examples of her work or reach out to her.
She wants to offer you a $50 discount off your first shoot, when you mention Plano Moms.
Fashion Photography: Generally very creative since its primary purpose is to sell a product or service. In this genre of photography, it involves much teamwork between the owner of the product/service, the photographer and the model.
Portrait Photography: According to Wikipedia, this is the photographing of a person or group of people that capture the personality of the subject(s) by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A portrait picture might be artistic, or it might be clinical, as part of a medical study. The headshot is a specific portrait where the focus is on a person’s face and usually used for personal marketing or branding.
Conceptual or Fine Arts Photography: Think of this as several photographs that convey the photographer’s story that he/ she wanted to share. The photos are mostly about showing emotions, important ideas, and creativity.
Fantasy Photography: This is really cool if you are looking for something to capture your imaginations and fantasies. You or your kid might want to be a mermaid or ride a unicorn, or out of the ordinary imagination you have, like maybe cuddle a lion. Photographers in this genre achieve fantasy style by using both real-life costumes, makeup, props and combined it with post-processing. How cool is that!
There are too many to describe, but other genres include Aerial Photography, Food photography, Photojournalism, Travel or Wildlife Photography, etc.
Ask friends, or in this case, you can check our list below.
Asking friends and family or a reputable online group for a referral can be of significant help in getting your search started. When you have a list of your top choices, then you can take a look into their services, and begin eliminating those who aren’t a good fit.
Call and do interviews.
There are no right or wrong questions, but these few questions may guide you in picking the right one:
- How long you’ve been in the business?
- Do you have any professional certifications?
- What kind of equipment or gear do you use?
- How would you describe your style of photography?
- What exactly is included in your packages?
- How many hours for the entire photoshoot?
- How much do you charge for overtime?
- How long does it take to get the photos?
Pick your Photography Style.
You may think that this is not a necessary step in hiring a photographer especially if you just want a straightforward family photoshoot, but this is important since your photos may not look like what you are expecting it to be. You don’t have to narrow in on one style since most photographers can do a mix of different styles. You have to know what you like to make sure you get on photographers who can do it. However, if you leave everything to the photographer, then you can skip this step.
Do your homework.
After doing the interviews, take time to check the websites and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest) and read reviews and testimonials about them. You should be able to see some sample of photos which will give you an idea of the photographer’s style. Also, the website design will surely show the photographer’s personality, and you should be able to get a good feel about the photographer.
Once you have decided the right photographer for you, you may also discuss essential details before the scheduled photo shoot like the location, the wardrobe, the props if you want to bring or if he can provide some and of course, the contract.
You might need ideas for a great location for outdoor photoshoots in and around Plano.
Below are the Plano Moms community recommended photographers in the area:
Natalie Roberson Photography
Lisa Renee Photography
Urooj Photography
Amy Parks Photography
Blush & Rose Photography
Kathryn J Birth Stories
Bay Productions
Gia Randazzo Photography
Kimberly Craig Photography
Ashleigh Orchid Photography
Memry Box Imagery
Cyndi Rene Photography
Marie Brock Photography
Whitney Hoosier Photography
RD Images
E4C Photography
L&IT Photography
Chelle Cates Photography
Rachel De Bell Photography
Jenny Havens Photography
Stephanie Villarreal
Laura Tye Photography
Arielle Humphries Photography
Jessica Cernat Photography
Missy Ann Photography
Ashley Pease Photography
Keli Melo
Emily Prizer Photography
Ashley Sanderson Photography
Brandi Thompson Photography
Dahlias & Daisies Designs
Mallory Kee Photography
Courtney Marie Photography
Mercadee Grace Photography
Crystal Forbes Photography
Jessica Ortiz Photography
Cyndi Williams Photography
Jessica Hanson Photography
Stefanie Rose Photography
Dani Pruett Photography
Lane Grey Photography
Benish’s Photography
April Sapp Photography
Natalia Florencio Photography
Ashleigh Coelho Photography
Rebecca Rice Photography
Kimberly Milano Photography
Jessica Saucedo Photography
Vanessa Martins Photography
Holly Jayroe Photography
