How to Choose a Family Photographer: A Guide

One of the things I noticed, is that most moms really don’t know what to look for. Hopefully this post provides some helpful insight when you have the luxury of booking your own family photo session. I’ve seen so many families go through their entire life together and never even think about getting a family portrait done. I’ve also seen so many families get so excited about their family portraits that they don’t take the time to research a family photographer.

There are so many things to consider when choosing a family photographer. I hope this post helps you to figure out what you are looking for, and gives you some insight on how to choose a family photographer.

What you need (or want) will determine who the right Houston family photographer is for you.

Before we begin, you’ll need to think about the level of service you need. A lot of people think that because photography is a form of art, prices come out of thin air. While this could be true for a portion of photographers, it’s not the case for most photography business owners. Typically the most personal and high-touch level of service you’ll need, the higher the price. For the sake of this post, I am not listing budget as a top factor when it comes down to choosing a family photographer.

With that being said, it’s important that you understand what you want from your family photo session. Are you looking for something fun, simple, or formal? How much do you want to spend? Do you want to hire a professional photographer, or are you okay with someone who is just a hobbyist?

Style and Portfolio for Your Family Photos

For some clients, the style and portfolio is perhaps one of the most important things when choosing the right family photographer. 

There are some photographers who are only skilled in natural lighting scenarios, whereas there are others who only shoot with artificial lighting. 

In addition to lighting, you should also consider your photographer’s style (or way photographers edit). Are you drawn to more vivid or natural tones, muted tones (moody), or light and airy? Regardless of what style or styles you look for in your future photographer, consider how well your images will print or display after you’ve received them.

Your level of service

Just as there are various styles and portfolio differences, there’s also a difference in level of service.

Usually, but not always, the higher the level of service and professionalism, the more you can expect to spend.

Do you want someone who will send you tips to help you prepare OR would you like to just show up?

Some personal touch-points that will make a difference in service are: 

• Session Preparation Guides like “What to Expect” or “What to Wear” 
• One-on-one styling assistance through personal shopping, guides, or even communication via text/video chat.
• Reveal and Ordering Appointments or Concierge Ordering vs. online galleries only
• Location selection and other session personalization

Reputation 

When you are looking at photographers, make sure that you look at their portfolio. You can find portfolios online, or you can ask a friend or family member to look over their work.

The best way to choose a family photographer is to look for reviews and testimonials of past clients. You can get a good idea of what to expect from their work by reading reviews and testimonials of their past work. It’s also a good idea to check with your local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints filed against them. 

You should also consider how much experience the photographer has. Do they have experience with families? Do they have experience with children? Do they have experience with newborns? Do they have experience with babies? Do they have experience with families in general?

Other Factors

Communication + Professionalism-

Pay close attention to how the photographer communicates with you and how he/she works with you and your family.

Some questions to think about are: How prompt is the photographer in responding to your inquiries? Do they communicate with you frequently via phone or email to assist and help you with your wants or needs? Are they easy to work with? 

If there was another social media outage where Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp went down, would you still be able to communicate with your photographer?

Overall, your family photographer should have a pleasant demeanor, and they should be able to communicate well with you.

Posed, Lifestyle, or Candid Family Photos

Do you want someone who provides lifestyle or candid photos and traditionally posed images? While some photographers only provide one or the other, I prefer to offer a variety of both in case you would like to purchase wall art or albums. Either way, they should take photos that are unique and fun. 

Budget – Professionally, I believe this should be the last thing to look for when it comes to down to choosing a family photographer. This is because photographer’s take all of these things into account plus their cost of doing business when coming up with pricing. If you’d like a general idea of how broad pricing and other factors could be, compare McDonald’s to Ruth’s Chris or an in-house chef. See how much a family photoshoot costs here. 

How to Choose a Family Photographer Summary

In closing, I hope this post helped you choose a family photographer for you and your family. You can use it as a checklist of questions to ask when choosing a family photographer.

As a Houston family photographer, I help clients like you feel confident in portraits you can proudly display.

Still have questions or can’t seem to find what you’re looking for on the blog or website? Shoot me an email with your name and questions you have.