7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Photographer

If you plan on hiring a photographer, whether for family pictures or a business headshot, you’ve probably found yourself inundated with hundreds of options from which to choose and a throbbing headache. With so many photographers vying for your business, how do you know which one is right for you? What questions should you ask to help you make the best decision? What are the benefits of hiring a professional photographer versus a skilled hobbyist? How can you ensure that you are hiring a photographer who will meet or exceed your expectations?

 

Checking out websites and portfolio collections is an excellent place to begin, but no decision should be made before having a one-on-one conversation (over the phone or in person) with prospective candidates. The default questions that most people ask before hiring a photographer are about prices and about digital file offerings, but these two questions offer little to no insight into the quality of the final images and don’t provide a true apples-to-apples comparison of photographers. Before jumping on the phone, have the following seven essential questions at hand and a notebook to jot down your thoughts.

Question #1: Do you have many repeat clients?

Gorgeous website and glimmering portfolio aside, the true test of a phenomenal photographer is how many clients come back year after year to work with him or her again. Asking this question before hiring a photographer is a great litmus test of customer service as well as quality imagery.

A baby is sitting on a couch with blue eyes.

A little girl sitting on a bench during a family photo shoot .

A young girl in a blue sweater standing in front of a pillar at Washington National Cathedral.

A young girl sitting on a couch in front of a painting.

Question #2: How much experience do you have with creating newborns/ young children/ family portraits?

Perusing online portfolios is certainly a great place to start, but keep in mind you’re only seeing the photographer’s select images, which may not be representative of a full portrait shoot package or their overall experience. Rather than allowing a few beauty shots to influence your decision, ask about how many years the photographer has been in the industry, how the business began, and what environments they tend to shoot in.

Also, if you have any special concerns or unique requests, be sure to ask them if they have any past experience in that area as well. For example, do they have any experience photographing family members with limited mobility? Or if you’ll be incorporating the family pet into the portrait, have they worked with animals before?

Julie Kubal provides questions you should ask when hiring a photographer for custom family photos. This family portrait session was taken in Mitchell Park in Washington, DC. 

Question #3: You can Photoshop out the bad stuff, right?

We’ve all got bits that we’d like to change – blemished skin, under eye puffiness, a few wayward strands of hair, which makes editing software such a blessing. However, not all photographers edit images to the same degree or in the same way. Experienced photographers will use posing, location scouting, and camera settings to prevent eye sores, but minor touch-ups are inevitable. Because editing in Photoshop can be very time-consuming, be sure to clarify how many images get full editing and if any additional fees may apply.

 

Question #4: How should I prepare my family before the portrait session?

Professional photographers will be able to supply lots of tips for how to prepare for you family portrait session and ways to make the most of your appointment. They will want you and your family to feel comfortable and have fun. Be sure to ask what colors and styles of clothing they recommend, if you should bring a change of outfit, how they will handle a fussy child at nap time, and what they will do if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Photographers who stammer around these questions may not have the level of experience or charisma necessary to pull off a seamless photoshoot.

Baby being licked by puppy pug for Excellent Holiday Card Photos

Question #5: When will the edited photos be made available for viewing/ purchase?

Every photographer has a different process, some whip out edited images in a matter of days while others may carefully retouch and color balance photos and have a processing time of 1-3 months. Some photographers will polish all your photos, while others may only edit the images that you decide to order. It all depends on the photographer’s style, quality standards, number of images, and overall workload.

on location family photographer Julie Kubal in Alexandria

Question #6: What photo products are available to purchase?

There’s an industry phenomenon known as “shoot and burn photography,” which refers to photographers that shoot hundreds of images, do very minimal editing (if any), burn them onto a CD, collect the bill, and walk away. I recommend always working with a full-service photographer who will fully edit the images and hand over high quality prints and products that put your photos on display. However, every family and child photographer offers different photo products and varying quality standards. Before booking a session, ask what deliverables are available and if you can see any finished samples.

 on location baby and family photographer Julie Kubal in Washington DC

Question #7: You know your industry much better than I do. As I’m searching through dozens of photographers, what is it that makes you stand out from the rest?

Evaluating portraiture and various photographers can be a tricky business for someone not familiar with the lingo or the industry. This is a great question to an “insider” help you navigate the search a bit more effectively. Invite photographers to answer honestly and to open up about how they differ from their competition. Their answers may be related to photography style, equipment, turn-around time, price points etc.

 

How to choose the right photographer for you comes down to equal parts online research and one-on-one interaction. There are hundreds of family photographers in the Washington DC area alone, and it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed and confused by how to pick one person out of such a massive crowd. Use these questions – and the positive feedback of past clients – to help you narrow down the search, and eventually land upon the one photographer who best fits your family’s needs.

Have you ever hired a family or child photographer? Any excellent interview questions that you’d like to add to the list? Tell me in the comments section below!

About Julie

I photograph the ever-changing lives of children and their families, capturing their unique spirit. I’m passionate about creating warm and meaningful artwork through modern portraits and lifestyle photography at a location of your choice in and around Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

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Are we a match? I would love to learn more about your family and your photo session wishes and to share more about how I work. Together we can decide if my approach is a good fit for you!