When you want to hire a photographer, there are many factors in your decision-making. It could be the talent and expertise of the photographer. It could be value, if you are on a budget. It could be the artistic style of the photographer. It could be the type of shoot — ie, posed in studio vs styled with props vs lifestyle/photojournalism. It could be one thing or all of these things.
The part many people don’t often think about is chemistry.
I know this isn’t dating! 😉 But your chemistry with your photographer makes a huuuuge impact on the end result: your photos. It impacts how much you can relax and be yourself — which is, to me, THE most important part of your photoshoot!
How you feel during your shoot will show in your eyes, your smile, your shoulders…in how you move and interact. Unless you are a professional model or actor, you will be aware of the camera and the photographer, and thus, need to have good chemistry with that person.
How do you determine chemistry if you haven’t met them yet?
For starters, you can get a good sense from how they communicate with you in emails, texts or on the phone. Do they make you feel at ease or like you’re bothering them? Read their blog to get a feeling for their likes and dislikes, and whether they’re serious, quirky or casual. How do they describe their photoshoots, clients or themselves? You can generally tell if you will get along or are vastly different kinds of people.
For me, the main thing I want for my clients is to be themselves. Whether that means telling jokes, singing a song, sitting and chatting, or making fart sounds with their mouth! hahahaa…that hasn’t happened yet, but you never know! It doesn’t matter what it is exactly, as long as they are being real. Don’t subscribe to what you think I want or what you’ve seen online somewhere.
Do YOU. Be YOU.
