So, you're looking for a photographer for your wedding or your family reunion or your corporate meeting/event. How do you find and select one that will meet your needs?
From my experience in the business, you find a spectrum of talent from the Pure Gearhead to the Pure Artist.
Having quality photographic equipment is fine, and even preferable if you are a photographer who is serious about their job, but the pure Gearhead photographer is primarily going to talk about their gear or equipment and can seldom delve off into artistic photographic concepts and sometimes they are worse than that, they don't even know basic photographic fundamentals. This type of photographer will impress upon you how good their equipment is and that you'll get great photographs because they have great gear. Watch out for this type of photographer and avoid them like the plague.
The pure artist will have a strong desire to take off the wall photographs using extreme camera setups, angles, techniques, lighting and framing. The pure Artist may ignore photographic rules and will do everything they can think of to be outside of the box. When it comes down to knowing how to use their equipment, it can be hit and miss. The pure artist will have a tendency to be sloppy and get unpredictable results. Is this what you want to pay for?
The best photographers understand their equipment and how to use it to get the result that is required. They don't rely on their equipment for good photographs though, they rely on their knowledge of what works and what doesn't. A good photographer will have a high level of technical skill but will also possess an artist's eye for taking compelling photographs. A good photographer won't take chances with your images and will give you images that will stand the test of time, looking as compelling fifteen years from now as they did when they were first made. The best photographers produce images you'll treasure without blowing it and possess a good balance of technical and artistic knowledge.
The first thing most people do these days is search for one on the internet. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Lets face it, you'll find as many "photographers" on the internet as you will people with a camera. You'll find more photographers out there then you ever imagined and these folks will range from clueless amateurs to top tier professionals. The trick is finding a suitable professional through all the clutter. Here are a few tips on what to ask and what to look for when picking a photographer.
1. Experience
Does your potential photographer have experience with the type of work you are asking him/her to do? Make them prove it. Any photographer who can't or won't show you samples of their work is hiding something. If what they are showing you doesn't wow you, move on.
2. Skill
Not all photographers are created equal. A really good photographer will consistently take really good photographs. Some are formally trained, some are self taught. Training is important, knowledge is more important, ability is the most important thing. The best photographers know how to frame a subject, capture the moment, use the light or create the light they need. If the photographer you're interested in using is talking more about their equipment than they are about their technique and vision, you may be talking to the wrong person. The best photographers are creative photographers. They have a vision and they have an eye and they have the ability to utilize that vision on the fly to capture great shots in changing and dynamic environments.
3. Reliability
Photography is a business and being reliable is probably more important than anything else. The first clue you have a problem is if your photographer doesn't show up for the first meeting on time or is hard to pin down. Pros keep to their schedule and are where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there.
4. Preparedness.
Is your potential photographer prepared for when things go wrong? A good pro will always have backup equipment. Any photographer who isn't packing more equipment than they need to get the job done isn't bringing all the equipment they'll need to get the job done. Yes, a photographer may work light, but if he/she is worth their salt, they'll not have a "single point of failure" on them. That spare camera, spare lenses, spare batteries, spare memory, spare tripod, spare umbrellas, spare everything. One little problem can sink a whole shoot.
5. Attitude.
The best photographers I know never portray themselves as anything less than totally confident. If your potential photographer is not giving you a vibe that he knows what he/she is doing, he/she probably isn't sure of what they are doing. A good pro is confident and reassuring. The best pros aren't nervous or high anxiety. They work confidently and quietly in the background and do their work efficiently without dragging you around emotionally with their every little problem. You want someone you can count on to not be a distraction to your event.
6. Digital Images
I know a lot of photographer who shoot their images in JPG format. Find out what type of image file format your digital photographer is using. The best professionals shoot in what is known as "RAW" format. If you're talking to a photographer who isn't shooting in RAW format, you're talking to a photographer who either doesn't know enough or is too lazy or both. Any photographer shooting file formats other than RAW format is taking an added chance they'll ruin your photographs. Plain and simple.
7. Editing
No professional photographer worth using is going to use anything less than professional grade software to edit your wedding photographs. Find out if they have and are using the industry standards. Adobe Photoshop CSx (not Adobe Elements), Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture are the big three. Other editing programs are for amateurs and if you're looking for a pro, don't hire a photographer with amateur photo processing skills. Lack of editing tools and skills is a recipe for failure and bad results. Also look for customization. Can the photographer do custom editing or styles and provide you with results that aren't canned or cookie cutter effects. Do their portfolio of images all possess the same exact processing styles and look? If so, they probably are using cookie cutter software effects and processing techniques and not really putting a great deal of creative energy into their results. Do you want your photos to look like everyone elses photos? It's okay if a photographer has developed specific looks and techniques, it's another if they don't have the ability to give each job a unique look and feel.
8. Prints
Does your photographer provide prints? If he/she does, you should find out how they are making those prints. Every monkey and their uncle has a desktop inkjet printer and most modern inkjet printers will make a fair print...BUT...you don't need a photographer to make your prints if he/she is doing them on a desktop inkjet printer. Many top photographers will use a professional lab. Find out the name of their lab and find out the reputation that lab has. Lab prints are normally more costly but you are paying a little extra for that better quality a reputable lab will provide. Other photographers may be doing their own prints. If they are, ask them about their printer(s) and how they are color profiling their printer. A professional print maker will insure that the printer they use is color calibrated and that the papers they are using are top quality papers. Any photographer who isn't familiar with color profiles and printer calibrations shouldn't be used for prints. You'll get as good or better result just buying your own printer and making your own prints at home.
9. Cost
Lets face it. The economy has been in the tank so we're all looking for a way to save money. Your first inclination when looking for a photographer may be to find the cheapest one out there. There are a number of reasons why some photographers are cheap to hire. The cheapest are the "guys with cameras", usually amateurs with nice equipment and who want to earn some extra cash. They have real jobs doing something else and are mostly looking for a way to impress themselves or others while at the same time getting a little extra money on the side. They're so enamored with the chance to shoot a paying job they'll quote you a cut-rate price well below the range of the local pros. We call these "bottom feeders." If you're going to pay for a bottom feeder, you'll probably get "bottom feeder" results, which more often than not will not be satisfactory by industry standards. In today's market, you should expect to find a decent photographer with all of the previously listed qualifications to cost at least $100 per hour. The worst thing you can do is select a photographer based solely on what they cost. Look for a photographer who does photography for a living and who charges a reasonable price for their work.