So you’re dreaming of a wonderful portrait of your family at the beach. First step: time to find a beach photographer! Below are a few tips on finding the photographer who’s right for you.
Ask your friends.
If any of your friends have a family portrait that you love hanging on their walls, ask for the name of their photographer! If they loved the process, they’ll tell you how wonderful the photographer was. If the overall experience was “meh,” any good friend will tell you that, too.
Check out their work.
Every photographer has an online portfolio these days. Do you know what to look for? Are the colors oversaturated? Do they know how to convert a photo into black and white? What overall emotion does the photo convey? Does the photographer’s style show that they know how to convert color photographs into black-and-white oversaturated?
Understand their value.
These days, everyone can be photographers with their iPhones. There are plenty of amateurs out there with fancy DSLR cameras who might charge less than a professional photographer, but you get what you pay for. A professional photographer has the experience to coach people for the best photos, and they know how to adapt to ever-changing conditions at the beach.
Understand their pricing.
Be sure that you understand a photographer’s pricing structure. It’s very common for photographers to charge a shooting fee with a predetermined amount of images included in your packaging. Other times, you have to pay for prints, and you might rack up more costs than you’d originally planned. Be up front about prices. A photographer might list their cost for a studio session and then end up charging you an arm and a leg for prints, so be sure to ask how many images are included in the flat rate for a photo shoot.
Is your photographer a good listener?
Yes, you want your photographer to be a talented artist, but what’s even more important is that they’ll listen to your needs and deliver photos with the kind of emotion you’re looking for.
Are they good with kids?
Let’s be honest—some photographers don’t like working with children. Kids can be challenging when they’re bouncing around and not paying attention. A good photographer knows how to make the process a fun experience for the whole family! They know how to adjust the session for short attention spans and can create authentic candid images. After all, what could be more fun than a day at the beach?
Know the investment of time.
A photographer invests much more time beyond the one hour that you’ll spend during your photo session. They might spend eight hours on editing and preparing photos and another one or two uploading photos, so the portrait fee covers a lot more time that you might realize.
Above all, your photo shoot should be fun!
ElleG Photography is a San Diego beach photographer specializing in family portrait photography at the beach and underwater photo sessions. She loves photographing fellow water lovers with their feet planted in the sand or submerged 12 feet deep. If you have any questions about the best beach for photos or the best time of day for your photo shoot, give her a call at 858-344-1068 or contact her at lisa@ellegphoto.com.
