Choosing the Best Photographer for Your Family

Fall is the time when photographers are booked to the max. How do you know who is actually skilled and who is just putting on a smoke and mirrors show? Will your session be as good as the images you’ve seen them put on display? It can be overwhelming to not only find a good fit but it can also be very difficult. Basic supply and demand, when everyone is looking for the same service, that service becomes a hot commodity. I’ve been there. I’m going to walk you through some steps I take to ensure that I’m going to find the best photographer for me.

Family Photographers

INTENTIONS

First ask yourself why you are hiring a photographer. What do you want to do with your images? What’s the purpose of this session for you? Is your desire to get some great images for your profile pic on instagram? Do you want to just share it online and get the satisfaction of all your family “ooh-ing and ahh-ing” over how beautiful you all are and then forget about it until the next session comes along? If this is the case, then I’m probably not your photographer. My clients will absolutely share online and get the “oohs and ahhs” and they will usually change their profile picture as well. But that’s not the reason they hire me and this. isn’t why I hire a photographer for my own family. My clients want tangible memories. This is much more than a fleeting photography session. They are looking for family photographers in Birmingham AL because they want their home peppered with gorgeous fine art images of their children and albums lining their shelves that act as art pieces. These images are memories and heirlooms. So when you are hiring a photographer, ask yourself: what do you want to do with your images?

how to know which family photographers in birmingham al to hire

Asking Family Photographers

ASK

Have you ever hired someone based off of what you’ve seen online and when you go to get that product or service, its not what you expected? (the whole world just raised their hand). We’ve all been there. It can be SO frustrating! Let me tell you, if you are concerned that a photographer might not deliver what you are seeing on their website or instagram feed, just ask them for some full gallery examples! It’s a great idea to get a good feel for what a complete session looks like to make sure that things are consistent and the style you like. Being one of the many family photographers in Birmingham AL, I know I would be happy to send over sample galleries to anyone that would ask. If you’re happy with the way those complete sessions look, chances are you will be happy with your own session.

how to know which family photographers in birmingham al to hire

Contacting Family Photographers

COMMUNICATE

Take a really good look at how the family photographers in Birmingham AL communicate with you. In the age where everything is expected in a split second, I’m not necessarily talking about the speed of the response. You’re looking for quality communication not quick communication. Now, if you get ghosted run. Run far away. But I’m going to let you in on a secret: most photographers use automated emailing systems that respond for them. That quick response? It’s not always them. So that’s really a poor indicator for how good of a communicator they are. When I’m looking for one of the family photographers in Birmingham AL for my own family session, I’m looking for what they are telling me. Are they paying attention to my questions? Are they confident in the details? Do they let me know what to expect or am I left hanging and not really knowing what’s going on? These communication emails or phone calls will also tell you a lot about their personality. There is a photographer for every personality and the one you’ve reached out to might just be the wrong personality type for you. It’s ok to want to like who you hire. My clients truly end up feeling like wonderful friends after we have our session. That might seem cliche…but I’m telling you it’s absolutely true.

how to know which family photographers in birmingham al to hire

Hiring Family Photographers

BOOK EARLY

I know summer just kicked off but I have had my photographer for the fall booked for a few months now! Booking your family photographers in Birmingham AL early will give you more leverage in finding a good fit for your family. It’s no secret that everyone and their brother hires a photographer in the fall. This leads to overbooked photographers that, unfortunately, have to turn away inquiries because they just don’t have enough hours in the day to take on one more client. When you wait to book, your take the risk of not being able to hire your ideal photographer. By booking early you also have the luxury of getting priority booking so you can choose a day that works best for you.

I hope this was incredibly valuable to you and I really hope you start looking for your photographer now! If you think that we would be a good fit, you can reach out to me HERE.

If you enjoyed reading this you might also enjoy these:

THE KEY TO FINDING THE BEST BIRMINGHAM PEDIATRICIANS
BOUTIQUES IN BIRMINGHAM AL | 3 THINGS STYLISH MOMS DO DIFFERENTLY
THINGS TO DO IN ALABAMA WITH KIDS

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    Luxury Omaha & Lincoln, Nebraska maternity, newborn and family photographer specializing in motherhood storytelling and custom heirloom artwork. From handmade albums to exquisite, museum-worthy frames, my passion is to serve my clients by designing artwork for them that will last generations.

    hello@virginiaschultzphoto.com

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