Here's the scenario. You are a hair stylist with a plan to showcase your skills and decide the best way to accomplish your goal is to either start or upgrade your image portfolio. The first thing you do is identify a few clients who are willing to be hair models and begin dreaming up the styles to show off your diverse skills. Next, you need a photographer, so you start asking around or you turn to someone you've worked with before.
At this point everything seems to come together and all you need to do is lock in a shoot date and you are all set. The problem is, your project may have been doomed the moment you selected your photographer - especially if you were only focused on the cost of the photography or the availability of the photographer.
Here are a few important things to consider when selecting a photographer to help you capture the vision you have.
- Don't get stuck on the price - usually the first thing a client asks about is price. Unfortunately, prices are no true and accurate measure of a photographer's skill or experience. Inexperienced photographers may either low-ball their rates or price too high for their skill set. Additionally, highly skilled photographers may charge more, but there is a greater chance that your vision will be captured. So the bottom line is, price should actually be one of the last considerations you make if you really want great images.
- Cut your loyalties - Just because you worked with a photographer in the past doesn't automatically mean he or she is the best person for your project. If you have a specific vision for your images or need a fresh perspective do what you have to do to ensure that your expectations are met. This may mean calling on another photographer and making a sound business decision. The most important thing to keep in mind is, you aren't burning a bridge. In fact, you may encourage photographers you know to step their games up after they see your newest most amazing images.
- Always check portfolios - one of the most common misconceptions about photographers is that we can shoot everything. This myth is reinforced further when you actually fall in love with a photographers work and place them on a pedestal. While, a photographer may create amazing images, you can't assume it applies across all genres of photography. If you are in the market for studio head shots, you should look for studio head shots in a photographers portfolio. If all you see are outdoor shots at parks, it's probably safe to say they don't shoot studio head shots. The rule to always live by is, if you don't see it in their portfolio, they don't shoot it.
with a little patience you will begin to see the science in selecting a photographer and reap the benefits of a sound photography investment.
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