As a photographer, I make it my business to educate my clients about all sorts of topics (what to expect, how to order prints, what to wear, etc…). Today I want to help anyone looking for a photographer understand how to find the right photographer for you.

Let’s face it – there are a ton of photographers out there. When you search for one on the Internet, you’ll pull up pages and pages of local photographers in your area. How do you filter and find the best one?  Well, you need to look at their website/galleries/blogs. No blindly calling and scheduling someone. Here are some things to consider when looking through websites:

**Oh, and I wish it never happened, but some artists feel the need to impose their music into your ears (WHY!!! this should be outlawed!), so save yourself an ear-blasting moment and just turn your speakers off, especially if you’re at work…**

Are you in love with their photos?

Are you in love with the photographers images? If you can’t answer yes, get out. Click the X button. If you don’t love the images they produce, chances are you won’t love the images you’re going to get. Photography isn’t cheap (that’s a discussion for later), so be sure to make sure you are confident in your photographer’s skills before you drop money on their services.

Do you enjoy the personality of the photographer?

I give this advice to everyone whether or not they’re hiring me – make sure you LIKE your photographer. If you can’t sit down with them and have a normal relaxed (non-photography related) conversation, walk away. You are hiring a service – one that revolves around a person’s perspective/point of view. Take the time to find out if you’d enjoy working with a potential photographer. One thing that I always look for on websites is their “About Me” page and their “personal” blog posts (also check out their facebook page). I’ve found that while there are a ton of great photographers, the ones that I always hear good things about are the ones who open up and share their lives and personalities (but hopefully in a tactful way). So find out who the photographer is (if you’re really digging their work) and if you could get along with them. It’s important.

Do they reflect your style? Can they produce the images you want to put in your home?

One thing I always ask my clients before a session is “if there was one image from your session that you would want to hang big and huge in your home, what would it be of?” This is what you should ask yourself. What images do you want in your home? Playful? Normal group posing? Lifestlye? A mixture? Artsy images? Clean edited images? Moody lighting? Bright lighting? Close your eyes and envision what you want the images in your home to look like.

Can you see it?

Okay, now only consider photographers who show those types of images on their websites/facebook/blog pages. If they don’t show it, they probably can’t/don’t do it (or don’t know how to..yet).

Do you value their work/opinion/artistic creativity/client experience?

Noticed how I haven’t mentioned price at all yet? There’s a reason for that. Pricing is important (we all have to pay the bills right?) but when seeking out someone to give you a service it is better in the long run to think about VALUE over dollars.

This is where technicalities come in. Figure out what you value – do you want an easy experience (how does the photographer make ordering easy?)? Do you want digital images (not every photographer offers them)? Do you want a specific product (make sure the photographer offers it)? Do you want black and white images or just color (does the photographer offer both? Are their black and whites even pretty?)? Are there certain things you’re self conscience about (does the photographer show women who look like you and makes them look gorgeous?)?

Once you’ve figured out what you value from your photographer/photo session experience, you’ll know pretty quickly who you should choose. And chances are by this point, no matter which photographer you choose, you’ll end up with something you love.

Hopefully all this helped, but if it didn’t, flip a coin – that always helps me decide