How to find the perfect photographer for YOUR family

Shopping for a family photographer can be a daunting task. Case and point – go to your local mom’s Facebook group and type the word “photographer” into the search bar. Chances are, you’ll find an overwhelming number of photographers serve the area where you live.

How do you even begin to navigate finding the right photographer for your family?

The secret to finding the best match for your family boils down to your approach. Your top priority should be to find a photographer whose style resonates with you.

I would describe my outdoor work as 80% unposed and 20% posed. I am a “storytelling” photographer and love to capture authentic moments, but I wouldn’t describe my work as purely “emotive.” I am drawn to rich colors and subtlety dramatic skies. You can see more of my work here.

Other considerations (which are too often prioritized) such as word of mouth and budget are important but should come into play AFTER you as the customer learn what style of photography you want.

I think there is often a misnomer out there that every photographer can be all things to all customers. Photographers have different strengths, styles, and specialties. Photographers commonly receive inquiries from would-be-customers who ask them to produce a style of image that looks nothing like that photographer’s portfolio. In some cases, a photographer might be able to pivot and change styles, but the customer in this scenario is also risking disappointment.

My indoor work — which I am just about to launch! — is what I would call “timeless neutral.” I only shoot wardrobe that is white or light neutral. My studio setup will never include anything more than some basic seating, a plant or two, or a nice boho textured rug.

The would-be-customer is better off taking time to look over each photographer’s portfolio (found on their website and/or social media) and asking the question, “Can I see myself or my family in these images?”

Pay attention to the colors, the posing (or unposing), the mood of the photos. Make a list of artists whose work resonates with you. You can then begin to weigh each photographer’s pricing and offerings or reach out to previous customers about their experience.

The above image from Anne Marie’s Photography beautifully captures the artistry behind her work. Her style is bold, cinematic and unposed with editorial influences.

You see, there is a photographer out there for every budget (we all started out just happy to have people in front of our lens). And while some photographers enjoy a larger customer base than others, almost every photographer can point to previous clients who were over the moon about their experience. So again, these considerations should be secondary.

Princess Grace Photography epitomizes a light and dreamy style of photography. Her visual style perfectly captures the magic of love and family life.

It is sometimes helpful for would-be customers to have the language to describe the style of photography that speaks to them. That way, if you do end up crown sourcing, you are more likely to get recommendations that are in line with your style. For example, instead of saying, “Can anyone recommend a family photographer?” you could say, “I am looking for a family studio photographer whose style is light and airy, and traditionally posed.” Or, “I am looking for a photographer to do a bold, emotive maternity session.”

Iya Estrallado Photography has mastered a story-telling style of photography. Her use of props, outfits and location work together to produce images that are both whimsical and timeless.

To help you determine your style, I’ve compiled the work of various artists from around the world and featured them in this post. Together with each photographer, we’ve come up with words to describe their work. This is meant to aid you as the reader as you identify the styles of photography that fit you and your family’s personality and aesthetic. I encourage you to click on links for each artist whose work resonates with you to see more images that fit their style. I would love to hear your comments about the style of photography that resonates with you personally!!!

Fiona Lane Photography sets herself apart from other photographers by wholly embracing mood, warmth and color in her images.

Southern Shoots Photography produces images that are bold, creative and fun! He specializes in using technical lighting both in and out of the studio.

Julia Rintz Photography showcases her artistic talent by producing work that is bright, bold and colorful!

How to Include Your Pet in Family Photos

A few months ago, our family lost a pet. He had been our companion for almost fourteen years. I knew he couldn’t live forever, and he had had a few emergency vet visits and near misses over his latter years, so I thought I would be prepared when his time came. But, if you’ve ever lost a pet, you know that nothing will actually prepare you to say good-bye. It’s remarkable to me the place these creatures hold in our lives. For example, as our Jack boy aged, his anxiety and health issues became more severe and complicated. This exacerbated a host of “problems” in our lives: lack of sleep whenever there was a thunderstorm, boarding and vet bills, messes to clean, etc. Yet, I truly feel that although these things in some ways made our lives more stressful, his presence simply made our lives better.  

I think its natural when a pet dies, to have some guilt. I should have done this differently or better. I should have had more patience. I should have given him more walks. That sort of thing. But near the top of my list of regrets is that although I have many pictures of Jack, and even several I carefully planned, shot and edited ones, I don’t really have nice family photos that included him. I know all the reasons for this. They were legitimate. But gosh, how I wish I had just somehow made it work to get a nice, annual family photo that included our Jack boy. As a photographer, the thought that I never did, really makes me kind of ashamed.

So, knowing those obstacles that prevented me from taking our family photos which included my dog, I want to give others some tips about how to overcome those obstacles, so that one day, perhaps after your pet has crossed over the rainbow bridge, you will have a beautiful memory captured in a photo to always look back on.

1.       Hire a professional. The number one reason why I never included our family pet in our annual photos was because I always took our own family photos with a tripod. It’s difficult enough to capture humans this way, but adding a non-human into the mix, especially when certain members of the family (ahem) are already impatient with the whole family photo concept, makes this task seem impossible. Professional photographers have experience working with children and pets and will understand how to take meaningful, story-telling candids. This leads me to my next point, which I think is crucial.

2.       Forget the cheesy grins. Um. . . you know how we have been trained to pose for pictures facing the photographer with one . . two. . . three. . . cheese (!) smiles. Don’t ask your pet to do that. They don’t understand. Sure, as a photographer, if you want me to, I will try. I will make goofy kissy noises, say whatever to try to get your dog to look at the camera. Whatever. But heres’ the thing, the one, two, three, cheese poses really just make everyone tense. Your dog will sense that. They’re behavior will reflect it. And honestly even if I get your dog to look at the camera, his expression will be the same one he gives you when you say “treat” or “walk” and the whole photo can come off as well, cheesy. Instead, let your photographer capture you playing fetch with your dog, rubbing his belly or patting his head. Let him be a dog.

3.       Choose your location carefully. As a photographer, for liability reasons, I won’t agree to take pictures of your pet off leash unless we are in an enclosed area, even if he is voice trained. I can and have taken pictures of families with their pets on a leash and I can honestly say those photos turned out really nice. But if you really want the freedom to play with your pet as described in point two, consider your location carefully. If you want to include Fido, consider your own home or backyard. Also, consider your local dog park, and procure the proper permits to use it, if necessary. I personally scouted several dog parks in my area as potential photo locations. My favorite local spot in terms of lighting and scenery was the Urbana Dog Park. I would love to photograph and family there sometime!

4.       Finally, RELAX! Don’t think of your photo shoot as a task to perform, think of it as a chance to capture a memory of your favorite day. Sure, you might be wearing nicer clothes, you may take more time with your hair and makeup that day, but in the end, let your photographer worry about angles, and lighting. Just enjoy your family — including your fur babies — and let me do the rest!!