The Importance of choosing the right PhotographerThere is much more to choosing a photographer than simply how good they are, how much they charge or how close they are to you. If the photographer you choose does not share your vision it does not matter if they are the best in the world! Just because they are a 'professional', does not mean you can pick any and get what you want. Photographers have different ways of working and you must make sure you are aware of their style before committing. Equally it is important for the photographer to ensure they are working with the right clients, who know their style and know that is what they want. I have turned down perspective clients in the past simply because they were asking for something I did not feel comfortable I could provide. And I hate turning away work! :) But better to turn it down then end up with an awkward shoot and bad review! Here is a good example of this very situation. I once had a client who was referred to me by their friend who had previously had a shoot with me and her two children. As usual our first meeting was at the shoot. There was a few more of them than was originally planned and older children than I would usually feel comfortable photographing. I could sense during the shoot that they were not overly comfortable and seemed to be expecting me to place them and pose them. This led to a slightly awkward session. I did what I do and needless to say the results were not what they expected. They would have benefited more from a studio session or working with a photographer with a more directional style. This is partly why I have narrowed my photographic field so much to mainly Early years photography. I know what I am comfortable with, what I can do and what I am not so good at. My style is laid back, natural and free flowing, which tends to suit the the early years age range because they require very little direction and posing. You just need to give them something to focus on and play with them. They are children, not Mannequins! So much nicer for parents to see their child's personality come through in the images than just a static pose. That is not to say I don't do any 'posed' shots, I like to add some to the mix as and when is appropriate and the subject allows! If asked to do a family shoot I prefer intimate groups of maybe just the parents or a parent and the child/children. I find Larger groups can be a little distracting and although I may not want the subjects too focused on what I am doing, they do need to be engaged. TIP: Make sure you look at a Photographers work and this should give you an idea of their style. Make sure to ask the photographer how they like to work too.
