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Choosing the right photographer around the Quad Cities can be challenging. Each project that is undertaken is an important journey with the client and the photographer. From weddings to afternoon gatherings to a pet photo shoot, it’s important to remember to find that photographer that you feel good about. These pictures will hopefully be around for a long time and like any investment of time, doing your research might make or break those future memories you have of the experience.

Make sure to have a budget in mind.

Most photographers will list their prices on their website and let you know about the cost in advance. Each photographer will have a different price and what that includes so it is important to find the best fit for you and your project specifics. Going cheaper does not always mean less quality, more times than not, it might mean you get less pictures overall. Speaking directly with a photographer about the specifics and your budget upfront can do wonders as they want to help your project out as best they can. You can try to negotiate the price if you are on a smaller budget but just understand they might take away things in the package that was selected as well.

Ask for Recommendations from Family & Friends

Whenever I am going on a trip somewhere I don’t know, I ask around and find the people who have been there or know about the area. It helps to have an idea of what you’re getting into and that goes for the same with regard to choosing a professional photographer. If you no one you know has an idea about a photographer, then it’s a perfect time to check those reviews and testimonials on their website and Google. Some of these can be fake but not all of them. Testimonies are normally fluffed a bit but that’s something people aren’t going to make up. Google reviews can be made up though as that’s a way to get ranked and to be seen but averaging it out there is no problem. Once you’re on their webpage they’ll make sure to be trustworthy and showcase their best clients.

Look EVERYWHERE at their photos

Photographers of today normally do not have just a website showcasing their photos. Now, they have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and a number of other social media platforms. They love to showcase and be noticed for their photos so they will post a vast majority of these online. Check out these photos and see if the style they shoot is what you’re looking for. Keep in mind, these are your future memories, how will you remember the pictures?

Set a Goal

Coming into a project and knowing what you want from the session helps the nerves and the photographer themselves enormously. It’s similar to when you go to a Doctor and you don’t know exactly what is wrong and you leave it to the doctor to decide for you. It would help to have an idea of what is going on and then let them know exactly how you are feeling… And when you go to a photo session, having a general sense of what you’d like helps the photographer to plan the photo shoot. Without knowing what you want they have to guess and just use their normal shots and hope you like some of the pictures. If it’s a family photo session, try things like “We want to have some candids of the family interacting or laughing” or “It would be great to have a forest background for the session.” This lets the photographer stay creative and fulfill your goal for the project.

Those are the tips we have to give for right now. Photographers are great people to connect with and they want the best for you and to keep you happy so never be afraid to speak up if something isn’t to your liking.

As always, if you are looking for someone to fit your project, check out my photography and see if we make a match!