How to Find the Right Photographer for YOU
My life isn’t perfect, and it makes me feel less alone when yours isn’t either!
One of the mamas I had the honor of capturing recently pulled into the parking lot and rolled down her window with an exasperated sigh. Her two-year-old had thrown up in the car on the way, ruining the outfit she’d so carefully picked out. Her other two children plugged their noses from their carseats. She was very newly pregnant, to boot.
“We got this!” I put down my camera, pulled wet wipes out of my own car, and together we got them all ready to rock. It turned out to be one of my favorite photoshoots we’ve ever done.
When you’re looking for a photographer, it’s important to make sure you not only love their work, but you love THEM, too. Your experience is so much more than just your final photos.
I’ve been on the other end when we had our own family photos done, and I know how stressful it is picking out outfits, making sure everyone is fed, dealing with car tantrums on the way; all the while trying not to stress and ruin your own outfit.
When you arrive, you want to be greeted by someone who feels like a friend and helps your entire family to have a calm and enjoyable experience. It may feel chaotic to you, but for your photographer, it’s capturing pure childhood joy. It’s okay to relax and let them run around—toddlers gonna toddler, as they say. (Who says that? Nobody. I digress.)
Tips for finding your photographer:
Friend request them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram! Do it, we don’t mind! Do they share funny cat memes and hilarious photos of their own children melting down, making you feel like you’d want to be friends with them? Or do they put out a vibe that makes you feel judged and nervous? Trust your instincts. You’ll find the perfect photographer for you!
Google them. Reviews aren’t everything, but they can help paint the picture of what it’s like to work with them.
Check out their website. Read their “About” section to get a feel for their personality. See photos of THEM. Also, you want to know who you’re meeting up with in the middle of a park with your children! It’s like a blind date, and you want to feel comfortable.
I love when a client requests me on Facebook, and I get to see the funny and sweet things they share. It makes me want to be THEIR friend, and I look so forward to meeting them and capturing their family! Because here’s the honest truth—I’m a mama of two small boys, the back seat of my Honda Pilot is a dumpster fire, and when you arrive to your session feeling like a hot mess too, it lets me know I’ve found my people.
