I’m sure most of you would have heard of the Afford-A-Graph saga by now. Articles on bad photography experiences have been written so many times, I thought I would approach this topic from the perspective of you, my client, instead of continue the finger-pointing.
Just like when hiring any other services, you expect your photographer to deliver quality work on time and with a great attitude. It causes a great deal of stress to you when these expectations are not met, especially if you’ve superiors to answer to. Incidents like the Afford-A-Graph saga are honestly tales as old as time, primarily because this is a self-regulated industry with no barriers to entry.
The term “professional photographer” has been bastardised in this era I’ve stopped attaching expectations of standards to the term. When someone tells me he’s a professional, I merely interpret it by its dictionary definition, which is “someone engaged in a specific activity as one main’s paid occupation.” Hence, the purpose of me writing this blogpost is not to help you define your expectations of a professional photographer but to help you find a photographer that will deliver to your standards.
Here are 3 things I feel you could look out for when hiring a photographer for better peace of mind:
1. Does your photographer bother to find out your expectations?
Often times, clients are unhappy not entirely because their photos turn out bad but because they have an expectation and reality mismatch. This mismatch can happen with any part of the project - from deliverables to service. Every client has a certain impression of what a good photograph and service is and this is often not communicated unless they’re being asked.
Just like how a good sushi chef would ask you for your dietary preference, a good photographer would find out what your expectations around the project are before quoting for it.
Here are some questions I ask my clients:
- What is the purpose of this photoshoot?
- What is your project timeline?
- Do you have any photo references for the type of photos and quality you’re looking at?
- What is the budget we’re allowed to work with?
I also look out for non-verbal cues. For example: Are you quiet and shy or loud and exuberant? Are there any pain points or sensitivities that you may not feel immediately comfortable to communicate?
Just like how I approach my portrait shoots, I want to know my clients before I work with them.
2. Does your photographer have a robust portfolio to show?
After finding out your expectations, a good photographer will know what materials to pull out to put you at ease that they’re an expert in delivering to your needs. Here are some questions you may want to consider when viewing a portfolio:
- Does the portfolio demonstrate the photographer’s understanding of the subject matter? (e.g.: hiring someone who has worked with kids for a family portrait)
- Does the portfolio demonstrate the ability of the photographer to work in the scenarios required (e.g.: shooting in low light conditions or tight spaces)?
- Are the photos in the portfolio consistent (e.g.: lighting, composition, expressions, etc)?
- How many projects did the photographer present?
- Finally, are you happy with the work presented?
A photographer’s portfolio is a collection of his strongest and most relevant work. If you’re unhappy with it, chances are you will not be happy with the final deliverables. So pick someone with a robust portfolio.
3. How much does your photographer charge?
I understand that every client aims to pay the least for the best quality of work – it’s basic economics. However, good, reliable photographers are rarely cheap.
So why do good photographers charge so expensive? There are a few reasons:
- They’re confident of their workflow and can deliver reliably most of the time.
- They hire crew of great quality and reliability too (e.g.: makeup artists, lighting assistants, stylists, etc).
- They cost for fail-safes to ensure most foreseeable contingencies are taken care of.
- They only accept projects they’re interested in and have confidence in executing perfectly.
Hiring a good photographer comes with an ecosystem of safeguards that ensures your project is executed to excellence despite the circumstances. I like to use this example to help my clients understand the consequence of reliability (or a lack thereof): If you’re hiring a photographer to shoot your company’s CEO, who would only be in Singapore for 1 day, and the photo is going to be used for a cover story on Forbes magazine – a move that could greatly influence his career – how much chance would you take with this photoshoot?
I hope this article helps you pick a good professional photographer that can deliver to your expectations reliably. Feel free to hit me up if you’ve any thoughts :) I’m always happy to hear them.
Till next week!