Things Your Photographer Wants You To Know
Hi, I’m Laura and I’m a professional photographer based out of the Orlando area. I specialize in Family and Lifestyle Photography and today I am going to go over a few things that your photographer wants their clients to know. If your first thought is “uh-oh” don’t worry, I’m not one of those photographers that bashes their clients. I’m actually here to help you! Alright, let’s get into it.
#1 It’s okay if you’re nervous or feeling “awkward”
You know who else is nervous and awkward in front of the camera? Your photographer. That’s why we are behind it instead. We magically know how to pose our clients but when it comes to being in front of the camera can be pretty terrible and that’s what I tell all of my clients. You’re doing great and I promise you we are NEVER judging you at all in any way! We are too busy judging our own photography skills anyway.
#2 Your children are NOT a problem
As a Mom of a 6 year old Tasmanian Devil, I know the immense pressure that is forced upon me whenever she isn’t acting perfectly in public. But let’s face it, kids aren’t meant to be perfect, it’s just society that has made us to feel like we are a burden if our kids display any form of negative or expressive emotion. A good family photographer will have understanding and patience. If your photographer doesn’t have those skills then you’re working with the wrong one. During my sessions, I take photos of children in increments. I’ll snap a few shots of them then give them a little mental break. Let them play, have a snack, do whatever they need to do to stay happy. Let them run riot, I don’t care! I love kids. Candid photos are always the best anyway, so even if they are off playing or being silly, those are the memories you truly want to hold on to instead of that perfect family portrait. Just don’t worry about your babies, okay? They are never a burden.
#3 Its okay to ask for a re-edit
Some clients are too afraid to ask for changes to be made to their images in fear of upsetting their photographer but our main priority is to have a happy client. It’s absolutely okay to ask for a re-edit. If you don’t like how you look and want to be slimmed down, or airbrushed, or whatever, JUST ASK! That’s what Photoshop is for baby. If you don’t like the edit your photographer has used for your images, ask for a change. It’s okay! You paid for our services and it’s our job to provide you with photos that you can love and cherish forever so please don’t be afraid to speak up. I get it, it’s sorta like sending a dish back at a restaurant and asking them to remake it. You feel awful don’t you? But trust me, I’d rather have my ego slightly shattered than provide my clients with a product that they don’t like. Happy clients = Happy photography
#4 - It’s okay to haggle the price a little
Okay so this might be a controversial topic amongst photographers. Don’t get me wrong, my prices are my prices and that’s what I’m going to charge. I charge what I’m worth. I charge for my time, gas, and the hours and hours I put into editing. As you know, photoshoots can be expensive but in reality, photographers do not get paid enough for the time and effort we put into our work. BUT take yesterday for example; I was in a Facebook group and a woman explained that she really wants some photos of her kids but she cannot afford those high end prices and asked if anyone was willing to cut her a deal. I’m a mom, I know it costs a lot of money to take care of children and not everyone can afford to hire a photographer so I offered her a deal to help her out. I guess what I’m saying is, it’s okay to tell your photographer that you cannot afford their services. As my Dad used to tell me “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
I could make this into a series over the course of a few posts because they're a lot of things Photographers want their clients to know. Look out for a new post soon.