You're in need of Family Portraits, so naturally you begin your search for Photographers in your area. You may hit up google, or Facebook or do a hashtag search on Instagram or maybe even get some suggestions from friends!

All of these are great options in finding YOUR Photographer!

BUT the truth is, NOT EVERY PHOTOGRAPHER IS A GOOD FIT FOR EVERY PERSON!!! There, is said it! But honestly, I say this in love and I say this to help us focus both as Creatives and as consumers, to know what we want and not just settle for the first thing we come across.❤️

As a Photographer my desire is yes, to press the shutter button on my camera BUT even more importantly, it is to create beautiful images WITH you. Its to provide you with a personal service that will result in THIS very season in life being captured and displayed on your walls with generations passing my them for years to come.

Sometimes we get so used to this Fast Food lifestyle of jumping in and out of services so quickly that we barely recognize the faces right in front of us. I think I speak for many Photographers when I say that we desire much more than that for you when it comes to preserving these precious days we have at hand. We want to sit with you, get to know you, work WITH you.

And something that must be said here is ITS OK TO WANT WHAT YOU WANT!!! AND TO FIND EXACTLY THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU!

So with all of that said, here are some helpful tips in finding YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER!


1) Know your End Goal

CD's, Digitals, Prints, Wall Art, Albums...sadly in this digital age we rarely go into our Family Photography process with the concept of Heirlooms on the forefront of our minds.

Our first thought is how many digitals we can get vs. how many long lasting heirlooms can we have forever, to admire now AND to pass down to our kids.

Ya'll, how many CD's with photos do you have sitting in a drawer somewhere that you haven't even thought about in YEARS. CD's ya'll. How many of your computers actually have a CD drive on them anymore? As technology evolves and changes, so do the methods in which our images are stored, so something that may seem so current and relavent today may not even be able to be read by our computers 5 years from now! Honestly ya'll, as a Photographer, thats such a sad and scary thought. That all these precious memories that both you and I are capturing, will possibly go down with whatever outdated technology they are currently being stored on.

So I suggest that when you are looking for YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER, keep this in mind. Does your Photographer specialize in providing you with the best prints possible so that these memories are preserved and not just forgotten about on some disk somewhere?

Not all prints are created equal and not every Photographer offers Heirloom Quality Prints. In the future I will be doing a comparison between prints from local stores ( Walgreens, CVS ), consumer grade online print shops ( Shutterfly, Snapfish, Mpix ) and Pro Photographer print shops. There IS a difference ya'll. I don't say this to be a print snob... not at all. PRINT YOUR PHOTOS! Anywhere, always... BUT, if you are seeking out a Professional experience with a Photographer that can provide you with the best prints, that will last longer, then DO IT!.

2) Know your Style

Do you love bright oranges, huge pops of color? Or is your home adorned with more neutrals and cream tones that you want to reflect in your images?

The great thing about Photography at this present moment is that there are so many styles to fit any sort of aesthetic.

When I'm referring to style, I'm not referring to

When looking for YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER, 100% KEEP IN MIND YOUR STYLE and find a Photographer that matches.

Not fully sure what your style is? Ask yourself these things >>> Do you love all things DARK & MOODY? Or are you more about that SOFT, LIGHT AND AIRY feel? Or do you prefer something a little bit more in between?

I would say that my style is more of the in-between. I love to allow families to wear the tones and colors they prefer best, that match their own personal aesthetic while personally editing the images to be good in between from light and airy and dark and moody.

3) Know your Feel

Trendy? Traditional? Themed? Classic? Formal? Casual?

These are important aspects to consider when looking for a Photographer.

Are you looking for more Traditional Posed portraits? Or maybe more interactive casual images of your family that highlight emotions, laughs and smiles. Or maybe a good solid mix of both.

Are you envisioning indoor studio type images or outdoor? The possibilities are somewhat endless but knowing the overall feel you want from your images will help TONS in the Photographer finding process!

Conclusion

Its 100% a good thing to know what you want! Look for a Photographer that provides you with what you ultimately want in the end, who has a similar vision when it comes to the STYLE & FEEL of your Photographs! Be open to researching these things so you know what you want and be CONFIDENT in your choice of Photographer.