CHOOSING A FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER - BOISE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Deciding to get professional family photographs is beautiful way to capture your family in the here and now, finding the right photographer for the job will go a long way in receiving a final product that you love and can’t wait to hang on your wall for your friends and family to gush over.

In this article I will give you my best tips for finding the right photographer for your family. Let’s get started.

First off, do some recon

Instagram is a great tool for this considering it’s basically an online portfolio. I suggest using hashtags to search for photographers in your area. For example, if you live in Boise you could search #boisefamilyphotographer or #boisephotographer. This is a great starting point to get an idea of what types of family photos you are drawn to. This step will help you know what kind of experience you are after and ultimately help you narrow down your list of potential photographers. Pay attention to what you’re drawn to. Do you like the photos that are exclusively taken outside and are more candid in nature or are you pulled toward the images taken in a studio. Make a short list of potential photographers (and their websites) you think you’d like to work with and move on to step two.

Define your budget

Pretty straightforward me thinks, but worth mentioning. Figure out what your goal is, do you want to do several photo sessions over the course of the year, for different family milestones, or are you looking for a one and done for the year type scenario. Some photographers will offer mini-sessions, which may fit better if you want several different shoots per year, while others, like myself offer an all-inclusive package. Once you have an idea of what you are willing to spend you can start researching the photographers on your short list to see if they fit the bill.

Get to know them

Now it’s time to jump on the web and check out some websites. This is a great way to “get to know” the photographers you have in mind. Check out their About Page to get a feel for who they are. If you are more of a yoga pants and Netflix gal and the photographer is more of a Dolce and Gabana lady, it might not be a good fit. For a lot of people, having their photo taken can be an uncomfortable experience, that’s why I think it’s important to find one you think you would jive with. :) You’ll also want to check out their portfolio to double check that their photographic style fits what you had in mind. If you want more of the candid feel for your family photos and all the photos in their portfolio look posed with everyone always smiling and looking straight into the camera, move on to your next potential photographer. If you have small children, you might want to work with someone who has a lot of kiddos in their portfolio because then you’ll know they are experienced with wrangling littles.

Finally, check to see if their pricing fits your budget (a lot of photographers have this information listed on their website, which is super handy.)

I hope this article helps you get started on choosing the best photographer for your family! My next post will be all about what questions you should ask your photographer before your shoot so you are prepared and get the most out of your session, keep a lookout :)