Find A Photographer Near Me

Intro

How to find a photographer near me? This is a question that most people will come across at some point in their life. From selling a home to booking a wedding, there are lots of instances or examples of when you’re going to want a professional photographer to capture your space. We’re going to talk about these aspects today.

You need to have an idea upfront. Use Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for ideas. Make sure you have your thoughts and ideas organized and in a space where they can be easily shared. Any example will help them know what you want. Also, know your budget. You don’t want sticker shock. All from a miscommunication. Lastly, know where and when. Talking to photographers is fine, but you won’t get far without a firm date and time.

When you find a photographer, book right away. You might find work you love and availability. Only to find a week later they are booked. You can avoid this by being decisive. And being prepared will help you do that.

You Get What You Pay For

When you find a photographer, you’ll be happy. One of the biggest considerations is price. A budget will wildly affect the outcome. To start, most have minimums. Sure, you can get “just one picture taken”. But if the minimum is $250, that’s a $250 photo. Make sure you understand that photography is art. Haggling over art is tacky. Photographers have packages that will appeal to all budgets. Make sure you hear the photographer out on what they offer.

There are important considerations. If you are paying $20,000 for a wedding, it does not make sense to hunt for a photographer for $500. These are assets you want for a lifetime, and even to pass down. You only get one wedding day, one chance to sell your house, one communion, one bat mitzvah. The sweet taste of saving a few hundred will not outlast the bitter taste of poor quality.

Photographers have a number of safeguards for everyone. Any reputable, professional photographer will use a contract. Any one that does not? Do not do business with them. Contracts protect all parties. So a lack of contract is a red flag. Likewise, you might come across someone who can do fantastic work, but you might only be willing to buy two hours. Don’t be stuck with the realization that you should have just gone ahead and booked for the full event, ⅔ through it and the photographer has long since packed up and left.

Finding the right photographer is important to everyone.

Cell Phones – Put Them Away

Every year, cell phones seem to get better cameras. And this is largely true. A deeper dive reveals some issues. First, you won’t find a photographer who is professional and uses a cellphone to shoot. This is mainly due to the sheer lack of quality when you look at these pictures on anything larger than a cell phone or computer screen. Likewise, don’t

expect people at the event to get good pictures. They don’t have proper gear. Also, are likely not photographers- so getting even one good shot could be a stretch. Finally, you’re going to want them to relax and enjoy what is going on!

Consider having a no cell phone event. When you find a photographer, you don’t want their pictures to include lots of people with phones in front of their own faces. You’ve hired the professional, leave it up to them!

Find the right photographer near you.

What To Look For Online

When finding a photographer, look for these. First, a robust internet presence. This comes in a few ways. First, the website. Is it clean, modern, and shows the type of photography you like? How is the portfolio, is it well stocked, well presented? Overall, does the business show pride in itself? Next, the broader appeal. The Google My Business listing can hold lots of valuable information. From operating times- to something even more crucial. Online reviews.

Reviews are a solid peek into how others view them. You are going to want to go with someone who has plenty of reviews, and at least a 4.5 star rating. Don’t be afraid to give people with a smaller rating than that a chance. But really pay attention and read up on the one star reviews. Feel free to bring them up. Ask and find out what happened, and what was done to fix it.

Know what you need, and what you want.

Where To Look Online

To find a photographer, you don’t need some magic directory. Google is a fantastic place to start. You’ll be able to locate photographers in your area, and can also sort by reviews and price.

Before you make calls, make sure you have all your prep work handy. Time to start looking at portfolios. Get an idea of who is who. Before you start sending emails and making calls, this is a great step in finding a photographer to help you narrow down what you want.
Search facebook for local photography companies. There can be a wealth of information there. Not only could you find a photographer, you will also run into people organizing and booking similar events. A great way to pick up and exchange ideas.

What Is Photography

This is a little basic, but worth mentioning. The first device that would later develop into a camera entered human history in 1717. Back then, it was impossible to find a photographer. It wasn’t until Around 1800, Thomas Wedgwood came up with the first camera model that would get the nod as the first camera.

Today, photography has gone digital. The first digital camera was invented in 1957. Luckily, technology has come a long way. Now, it is easy to find a photographer.

The core function of a camera is to take in light, and record it. It does this with a series of shaped glass lenses, and finally a light sensitive sensor, at the back of the camera. Powered by a battery, the information is stored on a removable storage device. Today, photos are not developed in a dark room. Rather, they are processed on a computer. Here, a wide variety of variables can be adjusted.

Old school isn’t always the best

Types Of Photographers

There are several types of photographers available. Some can cover different specialties at the same time, and some are specialists. You can always quality your search with the speciality. Instead of searching for “find a photographer”, you might search “find a virtual tour photographer”. Small qualifications and deviations like this can help streamline the process.

You will also encounter a variety of experiences. This will largely be reflected in the price. Longer in the industry will not always mean better. Someone who has been a photographer for 30 year might be very old school, and shoot in a dated style. Likewise, someone with very little experience is inclined to make simple mistakes and miss key moments.

It’s important to have blunt and open conversations. Keeping in mind, you get what you pay for. You can find a photographer that is right for you.

Expectations Day Of The Shoot

Once you finally find a photographer, you’ll want to do your very best to get the results you want out of a shoot. Dress to impress. This is very important. While small and minor things can be edited out or added, 95% of the work should be done before the photographer takes the pictures. If you’re showing your home for sale, make sure it is insanely clean leading up to the appointment. Do not have contractors or cleaning people in the space. If you choose to start cleaning an hour beforehand or something else under your control pops up- its industry standard to be assessed a fee.

When you book a photographer, they will turn down other gigs to make sure they can be at yours. It’s unacceptable for appoints to run long without just compensation. The reverse is true. If the space is captured and it looks terrible- not much can be done about that unless it’s cleaned up and reshot with a new invoice, or deal with a large virtual stage bill.

A good photographer will help you understand expectations and the realities for the shoot you have booked. It’s always better to communicate as openly and honestly as you can.

Expectations For Post Production

Depending on your shoot, the size, and agreed upon terms- post production can vary in time length. When you find a photographer, an early question will be finding that out. Overall, do not expect a photographer to hand over RAW assets. Or, assets that have not been through the post production process. Photos are taken with the intent of editing later on. So at first glance, the pictures might not even look good. Never mind being in a file format you would know what to do with.

Post production can take a few days to a few weeks. The photographer is always the best source for that information. And remember, rush options might be available.

Find someone with the right gear

How to get the most out of your photos

There are several options. It all depends on what kind of shoot you had. For real estate, make sure you get the pictures on line as quickly as possible, and deploy the virtual tour to all relevant spaces. Pictures and virtual tours can be put in email signatures. Virtual tours can even be displayed as QR codes.

Wedding and event photography can take longer. You’re going to want to print out these precious moments. Make sure you save some budget to get prints. When you find a photographer, they can help make sure this process is as smooth and easy as possible.

How To Find A Photographer Conclusion

We covered a lot of ground in this blog. Now you can find a photographer. We talked about how to get ideas for your shoot. What websites and other resources you should use. Next we moved into budget considerations. Reviewing cost benefit analysis. Understanding quality of output. And how to qualify potential matches. We touched on cell phones, and their role in capturing your event. What role is and is not appropriate for them to portray.

We talked about what to look for online, and where to look for it. This is vital in ensuring you have exactly what you need and are looking for. We touched base on different cameras, from the origins of photography to digital cameras of today. We also touched on the types and experiences of photographers, as well as what to expect the day of the shoot, and lastly the days after.

Hopefully, this helps you find a photographer. You can always reach out to companies like Momentum 360. We are a full service virtual tour agency that can help with anything relating to property marketing. Don’t forget, you get what you pay for. So when it comes time to find a photographer, make sure you get the very best you can get.