Authored by Michelle Fairbrother in Photography
Published on 10-13-2009

Whether it is for a wedding or new baby pictures, graduation or a birthday, learning how to hire a photographer is very important. It is not just as easy as going by word of mouth or choosing a photographer out of the phonebook because these are special events and they need to be photographed properly.

People don’t want to spend money on a photographer that has no idea what they are doing and who produces pictures that that are no better than those taken with a disposable camera. It is going to take some time to do research and find out background information on a photographer in order to be able to decide whether or not they have the right amount of experience and skills.

To hire a photographer there are a few different topics in particular that should be covered. By focusing on these areas more than anything it is going to really help with the decision and narrow down the huge selection.

Make a List

The best way to get started when trying to hire a photographer is to make a list. This is one of the best tips because it helps with staying organized and offers a sort of starting point. Just be careful to only include photographers that have the particular area of expertise that is required. There are some photographers who only do business with baby photography or wedding photography while others have talent in various areas of photography.

On this list should be information such as the names and contact numbers or websites of the different photographers to be considered. This is going to make it much easier to narrow things down and start to get a better picture of which photographers are most suitable for the position.

Do Some Research

After this it is time to do a bit of research on the different photographers listed. This is going to involve finding out how long each photographer has been in business, where they went to school, what other credentials they have and so on. The more information that is found on each photographer the easier a decision this is going to be.

It is important to also do research by taking a look at their portfolio. All professional photographers have a portfolio which is a showcase of their work to give potential clients a better idea of what they are capable of. Anyone possibly hiring a photographer should absolutely take a look at some of their previous work and see if it meets a high quality standard and if it is the style of photography that they are looking for.

Research is a crucial part of hiring a photographer and it is easy enough with the Internet and word of mouth through family and friends. References are important and getting reviews from different people can be really helpful here.

Meet in Person

The last step once the list has been shortened to just a few names is to meet with each of the remaining photographers. This is very important and gives a potential client the chance to talk one on one with the photographer and get to know more about them. They will also be able to make sure that the photographer is focused and that they are going to capture the occasion properly. If the client and photographer have two different ways of thinking then things are just not going to work and the pictures are most likely not going to turn out the way that the client was hoping.

These are easy steps that can be taken in order to find a decent professional photographer with talent and experience. Hiring a photographer should not be the most difficult thing but it is important to have patience and hire someone that is going to be worth the money and time. Especially considering that most events and occasions that people hire professional photographers for cannot be relived, it is even more important to hire the right photographer.