In a world full of amateurs, how do you find a professional photographer?


I see this happening a lot to people on Facebook, they hired someone who suddenly bailed, delivered blurry images, and hasn't once made them feel special. They hire a photographer package from a large company and the original person that did their engagement photos is no longer available for their wedding- chances are they never were.


"But it was so affordable!"- Bride who regretted hiring a photographer for her once in a lifetime event through a cheap, all-inclusive package.


When you go through Lily and Lime, or something similar, you are hiring an amateur trying to get experience through a company who will let any warm body with a DSLR go to your wedding and shoot it.


This is your wedding; You only do it one time. You aren't having $30K weddings every single year. This is your kick off party to your new family, and a safe place to give your friends and families a chance to create new memories together. Chances are pretty high this will be the last time you are all together, so make sure it's good.

Define Professional.

In an industry with no real certificate programs, photography can really be a mixed bag of professionals and wannabes. How do you pick a person that will be there for you, produce consistent work, and know what they are doing? I can't give you a formula that will work 100% of the time, but if I were hiring a photographer, these are the things I would look for.

Contract

Your photographer should have a legal contract with a place to sign that feels secure. It should have a clause that describes how you get your deposit back, what happens if they lose the images, and the products they are agreeing to deliver. You should get a receipt for your payment, and have reminders sent so you know when your session is.

Deposit

You and your photographer should agree on a suitable deposit. Maybe your wedding is far away and it feels like a lot to put 50% down for a nonrefundable deposit fee. Talk to your photographer about it and make sure you can get that back in some capacity in the event you have to cancel. My contract has a tiered system that allows you to get a portion back in the event you change your plans up until a certain date. All deposits are refundable for proposals and sessions for clients coming from out of state.

Reviews

When going to a restaurant, or looking at your next book read, you scour the internet for any negative review that might make you stray away from wasting your time. Photographers are the same. If they have one negative review, we can chalk that up to some misunderstanding, or someone with self esteem issues. If they have multiple that bring up the same issue over and over, it might be best to stay away.

Photo Albums

Does your photographer have multiple examples of their work in multiple places on the internet? How many instagram posts do they have? Is there consistency between the images? When you ask to see a full album, do they hesitate? When looking at images, does the photographer create consistent style that you like? A true professional will feature indoor and outdoor images on their website and social media handles. There should be at least 100 different images.

Education

Photography programs teach people how to use their equipment, but they often neglect the teaching business side of things. Knowing that a photographer went to school for photography could mean absolutely nothing. When corresponding with your photographer, do they come off as a professional in their email correspondence? Do they have a professional looking site and social media?


I hold a Masters Degree in Environmental Management and a B.A. From Texas State University. I have worked in many nonprofit settings, holding jobs with projects that have gained national recognition. My experience is not just as a business owner, but as a project manager. These skills have helped me with managing multiple clients and projects at once, giving me an advantage over the rest.

Bottom Line

Affordability is always a factor, but at the end of the day you are paying someone to be a professional at your wedding and it should be something you consider. You are paying them premium pricing so you know they are going to show up and be fully present for you, look nice, and try their absolute best. You want someone who is going to follow through with what they say, and own it when they don't.


So hire me! Or, someone like me...


Love,


Jessi