17 Questions To Ask A Photographer

Alright, you want new portraits or headshots, so you’re ready to commit and hire a photographer — wonderful. You open up a browser tab and search for an Atlanta Creative Portrait Photographer and, “Holy shitake mushrooms, where do I start?!” Yeah, there are A LOT of us. So, how do you sift through the noise? If you know which questions to ask a photographer, you will speed up your search and manage the avalanche.

Hiring the right photographer for you is difficult because you’re placing your trust in a stranger. You want your images to be excellent and have a great experience altogether.

At the same time, you want a photographer who understands your fears, keeps an eye out for that cowlick that won’t behave, and lets you relax and have a blast at your photoshoot. It’s also essential that the deliverables and process to get your photos are what you want and even more.

So. Much. Pressure.

Well, hopefully, I can help you narrow down the field. Below are a series of questions I would ask every potential photographer I want to hire to make sure they’re the best for me.

Questions to Ask a Photographer Before Hiring Them

1. Do they specialize in your desired niche?

The first question to ask before hiring a photographer is, “What do you take pictures of?”

Just because a photographer can take pretty pictures doesn’t mean they’re the best for you. So, work with someone who knows all the quirks and specific tricks of your photographic needs instead of a generalist who might have vague knowledge or experience in an unfamiliar field.

2. What’s their style of photography?

Some photographers like bright and airy photos; others like dark and moody ones. You also have photographers who direct all the poses and are very specific with how their subjects look. Other photographers are more free-flowing, editorial, and capture images as they happen with minimal input.

You’ll want to find a photographer who not only edits their photos in a way you like but also manages the shoot in a way that matches how you like to work.

3. Read their reviews!

Not so much a direct question, but this is research you should absolutely do. The best reviews for photographers tell you a lot about the little things a photographer does that they won’t say outright to you, the client.

You’ll also get social proof from their past clients to validate your photographer’s promised skills and capabilities. For instance, they may bring coffee to a shoot, be super punctual, help with posing, be super fun and friendly, and other small quirky things.

4. Do your personalities match?

As human beings, we like spending time with people similar to us. Working with a photographer fits this trend as well.

If you’re worried about feeling relaxed in your images, working with a high energy extrovert when you’re a reserved introvert isn’t going to help. Try to get a sense of who they are when asking questions to gauge if you’d like to work with them.

5. What’s the pricing structure?

Many photographers have different pricing structures and ways to conduct business. Make sure you understand how they will bill you and what your payments include.

Some photographers do package pricing, where you’ll pay for the session fee and deliver digital image files all in one price. Other photographers charge just for the session upfront (their time to conduct the shoot), and later you will have to pay for any deliverable you want to take home (prints, albums, digital files, etc.). Both are entirely valid business methods; you just need to know which one to expect.

6. What’s the payment structure?

That is how much you pay and when. Most photographers require a deposit upon signing a contract, which reserves the session date. The balance will be due around the time of the session. Different photographers ask for different amounts at different times, so be sure to know the schedule and totals.

7. Check a few albums or galleries.

Ever heard the saying, Even a broken watch is right twice a day? Photographers take thousands of images over a single year!

That’s why I recommend asking to see a couple of full-session galleries. This way, you can determine if they are a broken watch or consistently good across the board. You wanna have difficulty picking your favorite image because they’re all so good, not because there aren’t enough good ones.

• Ask for difficult situations. If your photo concepts require shooting at night or in a dark venue with poor lighting, you’ll want to hire a photographer comfortable with that. Shooting in near darkness is very difficult. Check that the photographer who can shoot in the middle of the day can also handle the evening.
• Make sure the images are sharp!
• Check for composition and how people are posed and staged. 
• Check the subjects’ moods. Do people look happy, relaxed, and comfortable?
• Look for minor, out-of-place details. Did the photographer catch the stray water bottle, exit sign, or tree branch sticking out of someone’s head?

8. What planning help do they provide?

Do photographers help with planning a photoshoot? Well, it’d be ideal, but it’s not mandatory, so you have to double-check it. Ask your photographer if they can help you with picking clothes, locations, parking, posing, etc.

This is also a moment for vulnerability. If you’re worried about your jawline, a cowlick, the shape of your nose, or some other feature, bring it up and ask how that photographer will assuage those fears during the shoot.

9. Do they help with Posing?

I know, I know. We all want to look candid and natural and free. Well, you need some direction to get started, and you’ll want a photographer who provides that. Otherwise, your free, natural pose may not match the composition and lighting the photographer is using.

Check that your photographer is good at giving the level of direction you want or need to feel comfortable. You may want a photographer to tell you exactly how far apart you should spread your fingers and at what angle to hold your wrist. Ask your photographer about their posing style to see if it works for you.

10. Do they have backups?

Backup Gears

For birth or wedding photography, you’ll want to ask your photographer if they bring backup gear to the shoot: cameras, memory cards, lights, etc.

For other types of photography, it’s helpful but not mandatory for your photographer to have backup gear because most photography niches can be rescheduled and reshot. It’s a pain and annoying, but that’s the reality. Still, it’s nice to know they have backup gear, just in case.

Backup Images

Ask a photographer if they back up your images and for how long. I always download and copy all session images to two hard drives before I even start editing the pictures, just in case something happens to my memory cards or computer.

The other benefit is if you lose your digital images because of a computer crash or your prints because of an emergency at home, you can contact your photographer and get your pictures again. I hold onto all delivered photographs forever because computers fail or Apple has eliminated that port from their latest machines. Make sure your photographer has your back.

11. Do they have contracts?

Not every venture ends well. It’s a sad fact of life. To ensure that you and the photographer are protected and get what you paid for, ask your photographer for the services contract.

You’ll also learn small details of things your photographer will and won’t do that you would never consider asking (like if they charge for travel and at what rate). I would not recommend working with a photographer who doesn’t use a contract.

Additionally, ask if they have a model release. It may be part of the services contract or a completely separate contract. Effectively, this document allows the photographer to use any images from your session for their marketing materials and social media.

I have clients who work in government and want a minimal footprint online. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, don’t sign it or ask to remove the language from the contract. Your privacy and comfort must be respected completely.

12. Do they have insurance?

I hate sounding like a downer, but things happen. Ask your photographer if they have insurance to cover their gear and you, should anything happen during the session. It is also a subtle indicator that a photographer is a legitimate business and professional.

13. What’s the image turnaround time?

Yay! The session is complete, and you had a great time. Now, when do you see your images? Ask that photographer when you should expect to see your pictures after completing the session.

Portraits and headshots may take a few days to a few weeks, but a wedding may take a few months. Be clear upfront so you have defined expectations and aren’t surprised later.

14. What’s the image editing process?

This one ties into the question above. Always discuss the image editing process when working with a photographer. Some photographers will deliver fully edited, complete images the first time you see them. Others may show you lightly edited proof images so you can pick which ones you want to order before they do the remaining edits. It all depends on the photographer’s business setup.

Again, make sure you understand how their editing and sales process work so you know what to expect, as this will affect what you have to pay and when, plus the overall timing for getting your final images delivered.

15. What’s the image ordering process?

Linked to the two questions above, you’ll want to know how you’ll get your final images. Does the photographer upload all the pictures to an online gallery so you can download them? Are those images finished and completely edited? Is there an ordering appointment where you view the lightly edited proofs and select which ones to get as prints?

These two options will affect how much you pay and when and the turnaround time for your final portraits delivery, too.

16. How long are images available for purchase?

If your photographer uses an online gallery for delivering and ordering images, you’ll want to know how long the gallery will be live.

Also, can they reopen the gallery later? Even if they don’t use an online gallery, can you call them two years after the session and order more prints? What if your photographer does a live ordering session? Can you order more images later? How long does your
photographer save session images, and what’s their backup strategy?

17. Image Ownership & Permissions

Do photographers own the rights to your photos? Fun fact: when a photographer (or you with your iPhone) takes a picture, that image belongs to the person who took it. Full stop. Just because you paid the photographer to take the photos does not mean you have any ownership or copyright claim to those photos.

This is why contracts are super important, so you know who maintains the copyright to the photos. Now, understanding the legal background here, let’s dig into what questions you need to ask about the ownership of your photos!

Will The Images Be Watermarked?

A watermark is effectively a logo or signature on the final image. Some photographers may require their watermark to be used, and others won’t care. Ask about it.

Can I Print the Images on My Own?

Some photographers will require that you only print images through them. That is to guarantee the quality of the prints delivered (professional printing lab products are significantly better than CVS or Walgreens prints).

Other photographers will offer specialty products you can’t purchase at regular labs but will let you print a standard 5″x7″ through them or your local lab. Make sure you ask about it! Also, some labs will not print photographs taken by someone who isn’t you. You’ll need a print release from the photographer that permits you to print the images.

Can I Post the Images on My Social Media?

Photographers want you to share your images. That’s free marketing for them! These are great organic testimonials for photographers, so typically, 95% of them will ask you to tag them or caption the images with “Photos taken by Jane Doe Photography.”

Some may also request that images posted on social media use their watermark. Ask about their requirements for posting the pics on social media so everyone is happy. Oh, and never, ever put a filter on these images.

Conclusion

So, how to choose a photographer to ensure a great session and even greater results? Just ask them these questions to see if you are made for each other. Hopefully, a few of these were helpful and made you go, “Huh, never even considered that.”

I want my clients to be fully informed, and if they aren’t my clients, then also fully informed to make sound decisions. Regardless of who you hire to be your photographer — me or someone else — I want everyone to get the images they want and have a fantastic experience as well.

If you think I missed something or have further questions about how to find the right photographer for you, shoot me an email and let’s talk about it!