With so many talented photographers to choose from, how do you pick which one will represent your brand best?
I’m not sure there is an easy answer to this. But there are a few things you can do to help you choose the right photographer for your brand.
Does the photographer’s aesthetic match your brand’s?
Check out the photographer’s portfolio. I would check both Instagram and their website. Some photographers update just one or the other. This is always the first step towards finding a photographer you’ll ultimately love working with - deciding whether or not you like their style of photography! And consider a few things:
What type of lighting do they specialize in? Natural or studio? If you want photographs in natural light only, and the photographer you’re considering does mostly studio lighting, I would reconsider. Although many photographers do both, and although lighting is lighting is lighting is lighting, no matter the source, natural and studio lighting are indeed different. You have a lot more control over studio lighting. Natural lighting, not so much.
Do you like their editing style? If they edit all of their photos in a light and airy way, but you want dark and moody, you may want to reconsider.
Do you like the way the subjects are portrayed in the images? Do they look comfortable? Are they posed or are they candid (there is no right answer here - it’s just a style preference. If you want candid images but the photographer you’re considering seems to do only posed images, he or she just may not be very good at motivating the client to move in a natural way. And that’s OK, but make sure that’s the look you’re going for). Does the photographer encourage editorial style posing versus natural posing (again, no right answer; just a style preference. But if a photographer’s style is to pose his or her subjects in an editorial way, and you’re not going for that look, you may have a hard time getting that photographer to do something different).
Does the photographer post multiple images from a single shoot, so that you can see what the entire outcome of a shoot will be? Some photographers post just an image or 2 from any given shoot (the best of the best). And often, this is just fine. But if you’re looking to walk away from a shoot with multiple great images, you’ll want to know the photographer can shoot fantastic photos consistently, no matter what. So look for some complete galleries (5 or more images) if you can.
Will you get along with the photographer or otherwise be able to communicate your brand’s image and tone to him/her?
Read the photographer’s bio or otherwise learn what you can about the photographer as a person. This is important. You want to get along with the photographer. Creating images for your brand is a creative process and you don’t want that process to be limited by your relationship to the photographer.
You also want to be able to communicate effectively with your photographer. If they can’t see or understand your vision, usually because his or her photography style just isn’t right for you, you’ll have a tough time walking away from the shoot with images that represent your brand. This means you’ll also want to pick a photographer that can listen to your needs and desires. If the photographer likes to maintain a lot of control over the creative process (which is perfectly OK in many situations), you may end up sacrificing your vision for theirs.
But because you ultimately want to trust your photographer’s creative process, finding a photographer that matches your brand’s aesthetic will be the best way to minimize heartache and to end your shoot with a true celebration!
South Florida Fashion and Branding Photographer