• Getting your family portraits done can be quite stressful. There are so many people out there these days who claim to be a photographer. How do you know which ones are legit? How do you know which ones have personalities that work well with your family and kids? How can you tell if they are just some random person who just bought their cameras yesterday?
    Luckily for you, it really isn’t that hard to tell. And I am here to help you figure it all out as best as I can.

    The first thing you need to check out is their website. Look for a website that is well polished, clean, and professional. Now I understand that anyone can have a website, it is still a good place to start. How a photographer presents themselves to the online community says something about their work ethic.

    How they respond to you will speak volumes about them. How quickly did they respond. Were they polite? Professional?

    Next check out their actual work. Look for pictures that you want to have. If they don’t have a lot of pictures of kids and families on their pages, chances are they don’t have much experience there. They might be phenomenal photographers taking gorgeous wedding photos but not have the slightest idea how to handle a newborn or talk to a three year old.

    Another thing to look for is some sort of certification. This just proves that they do in fact have the ability to operate their fancy schmancy camera. Certifications to look for include the NAPCP (National Association of Professional Child Photographers), PPA (Professional Photographers Associations), or even NYIP (New York Institute of Photography).

    The next step is to contact your photographer. Ask them how much they charge and availability. How they respond to you will speak volumes about them. How quickly did they respond. Were they polite? Professional? You get the idea.
    At this point you can schedule a phone consultation. Talk to them. Get a feel for them. Ask them how long they have been shooting, and what they like to shoot best. While on the phone, a great photographer will most likely ask you more questions than you think. They should be getting to know you too!

    Once you have looked at all of these things, if you still feel good you can be safe to make an appointment. Even once you’re there, if it’s not a good fit or they appear distracted, let them know that it’s not working out. After all, you only get one shot to capture a moment in time!