A Letter to Those That Want to Hire a Photographer
Dear (insert your name),
I know looking at portfolios and asking for pricing is stressful and you probably have a lot of questions that seem to be unanswered. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that we are here to help you and make it as easy as possible for you.
The first thing I want to tell you is that communication is everything. As a photographer, I was very bad about this, but I’ve learned. If your session is approaching and you haven’t had any straight-forward conversations with your photographer, reach out to them. It’s easy to think ‘they are the one that should be reaching out,’ and while you’re correct, we are human just like you. We get busy, we have unexpected things pop up and we can forget things. I mentioned that I used to be about this. I would get so wrapped up in what was going on in my daily life and I’d completely lose track of what day it was. This happened way more often than I’d care to admit, but I was young and new to photography. However, most of my clients completely understood. It’s life. Nobody’s perfect and things happen. If you’re getting worried because you haven’t heard from your photographer, don’t be afraid to reach out to them.
Secondly, we probably don’t know as much about what you’re wanting as you. Ask your photographer if they can set up a pinterest board for you to share examples of what you like. Many photographers that I know do this because it gives us a bit of insight into your style and what kind of shoot you want (casual, formal, posed, candid, etc.). Even if it’s not through pinterest, ask your photographer how you can send them ideas. They may have another option that is better for them, or easier for you. While this helps them understand what you’re wanting as far as your session, this doesn’t help them get to know you on a personal level. Some photographers have you fill out a questionnaire to get to know you or your family, others have lunch or coffee with you and some will find other ways that they can get to know a bit about you. While this does help the photographer, this is also for you. It can be uncomfortable to have a stranger take pictures of you, but it’s important that you are comfortable with them. Try to do what you can to get to know your photographer. It can honestly make a big difference in how your shoot turns out.
The last thing that I would like to mention is to have fun and don’t let stress get the best of you. If you’re doing a portrait session, listen to some hype music on your way to the session. If you’re doing a family session, try to get everyone laughing and happy. If it’s a couples session, spend some time lifting each other’s spirits. There are so many ways that you can prepare for a shoot. I’ll do a post on this later. Just be mindful that stress and anxiety can be seen in photos and it can make your session feel dreadful.
Sincerely,
Skylar Stierwalt