"Wow!! You should use XYZ Photography! They are so cheap!!" Every photographer's worst nightmare. Not because someone is undermining their ability to make a living by being so underpriced that they take away customers, but because generally this is the largest clue that the photographer lacks, among other things, confidence.
Without confidence, success is limited and most often people settle for failure. Confidence, according to Mr. Webster, is:
1 a : a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances
b : faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way
2 : the quality or state of being certain : certitude
3 a : a relation of trust or intimacy
b : reliance on another's discretion
c : support especially in a legislative body
4 : a communication made in confidence : secret "
You see keywords here that are vital to the relationship between a photographer and the client. Faith, proper, effective, quality, trust, intimacy, support, reliance on discretion are all important factors in selecting the photographer to work with you. That's right. With you, not for you. It's a relationship and both parts must be equal and respected.
How do you develop this relationship? First, be selective for the right reasons. By no means does this mean select the most expensive photographer. It means do some research. Ask your colleagues, friends, family members and social peeps. See who they've used and ask what their experience was like.
Your best friend may have used a photographer that had the type of personality that would be bothersome to you, thereby preventing you the ability to relax and enjoy the process. Trust me, a nervous subject is extremely difficult to document in a pleasant manner.
Be observant. The social networks are filled with photographers displaying their work and a valid means of seeing their styles. Many use actions/enhancements and if the proficiency level is strong, you will see their efforts in a much more pleasing manner as compared to someone that is still developing their skill. Over-smoothed skin and extremely sharpened eyes will quickly ruin a favored image.
Research the professional organizations like Professional Photographers of America (PPA) or Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). Both organizations are respected and offer many educational benefits to photographers. PPA offers the Certified Professional Photographer designation (CPP) and requires the photographer to pass an extensive examination and supply a portfolio demonstrating specific photographic techniques, plus maintain continued education and active involvement.
When you find a photographer whose style interests you, look at their images in all of their galleries. Normally, their website will have links to their various galleries and you can see the variety and consistency of their work. Their site will also introduce you to their pricing and packages. You don't have to spend a fortune on photography, but you do want to be educated on what the costs consists of and the difference among your favorites. A lot of the time, photographers starting to build a business feel compelled to use price as a marketing tool to gather new clients and this is the greatest mistake they make. It's the number one reason they are unable to continue in the business by not being honest about the cost of doing business and the amount of profit they require to sustain their living expenses.
When you've narrowed down your choices, schedule an in-person meeting with them and ask them to bring samples of their products if you don't meet with them at their place of business. Not every photographer chooses to have a studio and many rely on public venues. This shouldn't disqualify them. Their specialty may not require the expense of separate studio. Their basic information should always reveal the best way to communicate with them and must include their email address and phone number.
Be sure to ask for references from previous clients and then ask to see a sample from their session. Some photographers use models for marketing material to protect the privacy of clients, but many clients are thrilled to share their images with the world when the photographer is successful in documenting the client in a favorable manner.
Be alert to personality and look for signs of confidence that will help develop trust & faith so you will be more certain of effectiveness, quality, respect, and success. You should expect to make a downpayment when you select the photographer and book a session and being able to trust they will deliver high-quality products will be extremely important to your pocketbook. You should also expect to pay the remainder of the balance at time of session and ordering of product. This is a good time to see their workflow, so be sure to ask their method of payment, selection of images, and delivery of products. You will want to be sure the vendors they use offer archival quality products.
And last, ask about their policies of cancellation; rescheduling; referrals and, personally, I think their community involvement is important. Community is critical to developing business and sustaining it for long periods of time. There are many ways to give back and many charitable organizations are happy to share who they do business with. Local retailers often work with the best photographers for their marketing materials and displays. Many youth sports groups know several photographers and whether or not they were able to deliver the quality of products they needed to record their participants.
Now that you've done your homework, most likely you will find the cheapest one may lack experience or talent or both. Many of these are extremely talented but lack the business skills necessary to deliver your product effectively. This is not always the case, but it is definitely a clue that your investment may be at risk and failure is something you may have to accept. Me? I prefer to choose success.
