Choosing a Professional Photographer for your Senior Portraits

Choosing a professional photographer for your senior portraits doesn’t need to be difficult.  I hope this article helps you find the right senior photographer to get the best experience possible.

Here are 4 steps to choosing a professional photographer for your senior portraits:

1. WHAT STYLE OF SENIOR PORTRAITS DO YOU LIKE

The first step to figuring out what style of senior portraits you like is to check out photographers with a general web search. For example, search Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest and pay attention to what types of photos you are drawn to. Knowing specifically what you like about particular photos will allow you to narrow down the options to better select a potential photographer.

For example, here are things to look for in discovering what style of photography you like:

• Are the images dark and moody, light and airy, or balanced in their lighting (natural)?
• Are the colors vibrant, muted or creative? 
• Do the images look posed or candid?
• Are the pictures outside in nature, outside in an urban setting or in a studio?
• Is the person in the pictures often laughing and smiling or calm and relaxed?
• Are most photos framed tightly with the person filling most of the frame or framed wide with the background playing an important role in the image?
• Are the images heavily themed with lots of props or simple with maybe a few props?

2. TALK TO SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

I know it’s not always fun to actually talk to someone new or hit that send button to start a conversation but this is a crucial starting point. By talking to potential senior photographers through emails, in person or on the phone, you will be able to judge how professionally they run their business. Will they deliver your photos in a timely manner? Will they misplace your payments or photographs? Are they a licensed business? These are all headaches you want to avoid!

3. BUDGET

Photographer’s rates are across the board from those working for free to $8,000 or more! It is safe to say, you will find a photographer in your budget. Does your budget equate to your goals for quality of photos and experience?

Keep in mind, finding the lowest price photographer is not a good goal, the old saying, “You get what you pay for” is DEFINITELY true of photographers. A low priced photographer is most likely a less experienced photographer with varied image and experience results.

I will say that a less experienced photographer is not a bad thing – I am quite thankful for those who hired me when I was a fresh entrepreneur. The important thing is to decide your comfort level with a photographer’s experience. If the photographer you like is over your budget, keep saving! Your professional senior portraits will be around for a long time. Showing those old photo albums to your children and grandchildren will be a lasting joy.

4. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR SENIOR PORTRAIT SESSION?

You may not yet know what you want from your senior portrait session, but getting an idea of what you want from products to service will also help you select your photographer. I strongly encourage every client gets physical photographs. Physical images could be albums, wall art, cards and/ or gift prints. Get something that will make you happy every time you see it. But I also realize the value and importance of having digital images as well. For instance, digital images are great for sharing on social media, your job applications and as a backup to your printed images.

Types of photographers and what they offer:

• Basic: Photographer places all session photos on a USB or an online gallery. Photos may be edited or might not be as these tend to be the inexperienced photographers. Expect lots of pictures with very few quality images.
• Photographer selects the best images to edit and deliver to you in digital form only. However, you are in charge of your own printing. You can expect a good level of quality images but a lack of service beyond the digital photos.
• Photographer selects the best images to edit and deliver to you in physical form only. However, you may or may not have access to the digital images. These printed images are likely to be a very high quality but not easily shared.
• Photographer selects the best images to edit and deliver to you in your choice of physical and digital forms. This saves you a great deal of time and often results in a wonderful overall experience. This is what most people are looking for in a professional photographer. The photographer will have preferred location options available and may have resources available for you to set up your own makeup/ hair appointment or suggest places to get outfits but you are ultimately in charge of things outside of the session. As a professional photographer, this is how I serve my clients best. I like offering the highest quality service while letting you be in control of what’s important to you. 
• Full service photographer: This photographer is with you from planning to the final deliverables. Locations will be pre planned specifically for your planned outfits, you’ll have a MUA and hair session followed by your photo session and then a ‘reveal’ session where you get to pick out your pictures and products. The photographer may even have a style closet for you to borrow items from. For those who want to invest a lot of time and money in an amazing photo experience – this is it!

FINAL WORDS ABOUT YOUR SENIOR PORTRAITS

When choosing the best professional photographer for your senior portraits, find someone with a style you like. After that, choose a photographer that offers the services and products you desire and be willing to adjust your budget to get the photographer you really want. Keep in mind that when people get digital images only, they will likely share the photos on social media and promptly forget the images in a folder on their computer, never to be seen again. In my opinion getting digital images only is a missed opportunity for a good standard photography service. In other words, get the best service and value out of your session by ordering physical prints from your senior portrait session.

Interested in Nate Robinson Photography for your Senior Portraits?