Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Heather, how did you pick your photographer?

For those of you who aren't on my Facebook or I haven't talked to yesterday you may have missed the fact that I'm completely over the top excited about getting our pictures done next Monday.  We haven't had professional pictures done since Michael was a baby and never since I started getting passionate about photography.  Or picky, either word is appropriate.

With everything we've been through the last couple of years I really wanted some nice family pictures, but the photographers work I was interested in the price range was out of my budget and those in my price range I wasn't interested in (see picky comment above)  Last week while browsing Facebook I saw a picture my friend was tagged in and I literally stopped scrolled, stared at the screen and said "ohhhhhh"  It was beautiful.  Perfect DOF, scenery was beautiful (they live in Southern Utah so of course it was) and it was perfectly soft and focused at the same time.  I kept going back to it.  I wanted to pluck them out, and put me in their place.  I went to the photographers FB page and continued to fall in love.  I've seen their prints around town -- they have some beautiful ones up at the Natural History Museum at SUU.  I had no idea they did people pictures too.  Not just "oh yeah sure, I'll shoot cousin Jane's wedding because I'm nice like that but really I haven't shot people since I had to so wish us all luck!" but great people shots.

The more I looked the more I knew this is who I wanted.

I called and we're set up for next Monday (yeah!) at Wood's Ranch, Michael gets to bring his fishing pole.  Kids aren't natural little models so I think this may be a fun adventure.

*squeeealllll*

So, how did I decide on them?  How do I know that they are the ones for me?  (Ones because there are two halves to P&G.  G does the shooting, P does the editing)  It comes down to a few things, some more linear than others.

  • They fit in my budget, and are willing to work with me there.  No insane sitting fee with required $500 print purchase.  At the same time, you want to avoid someone claiming to be a professional and giving away their time.  I've shot for a few families and not charged much, but I don't profess to be a professional -- for good reason, I'm not.  You want someone who values their work.
  • You don't want to change their portfolio pictures.  If what you see is close to, or in my case exactly, what you want it's a good match.  I kept browsing local photographers portfolios and thinking "well, if it wasn't hypersaturated, over processed, and every eye popping tutorial available online ran on the picture I might like it"  Not a good match.  At the same time if you are looking for that eye popping color dense style that is what you want to see.  A portfolio is where a photographer puts the work they feel represents them the very best.  If you want to change their very best to an entirely different style you might not get what you want.
  • What you want.  You should feel comfortable talking to the photographer and letting them know what you want and what you don't want.  They aren't mind readers and unless you let them know what you want you are likely to end up with their vision for you.  Sometimes people have unrealistic expectations too -- communicating before hand is the best way to learn if what you want is realistic or not.  No one is going to make me some realistic looking teeny tiny model.  Just a tad unrealistic.  The kids will look like kids, Kaede's smile is going to show crooked teeth.  It's a photography session not a magic wand.
  • They don't give out a high res CD.  The most beautiful pictures in the world are going to look like junk if printed by a junk printer.  I've opened prints of mine and been breathless for a minute with what specific printers have done with them.  Quality is in the details and one of those details is in printing.  It important to have someone value their work enough to follow it all the way through so that you have gorgeous art hanging on your walls, not just some CD with printing rights.  Screen resolution pictures so I can show you here, post on FB etc are an entirely different story -- those just aren't big enough to print.
I may come back and add to this, but I work tonight and need to find my way into bed.  Have a great day everyone.

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