There may be a difficult choice to narrow down your options for your executive headshot or for your corporate event. Despite the availability of talented photographers, there’s also a risk of overpromising and underdelivering.

Make sure you look out for the following signs and red flags when hiring a professional photographer for any occasion:

 

 

Red Flag 1 – Amateur Shooting Style

hiring a professional photographer

Unfortunately, some photographers label themselves professionals when they’re nothing but amateurs. If you work with them, there’s a good chance you’ll have a collection of tacky photos that you wouldn’t be too proud of. 

An excellent way to understand whether a photographer is really a professional is by looking at their portfolio and seeing their shooting style.

Check to see if there are any distracting elements cluttering the background. This means the photographer ignores detail and cannot deliver professional-quality photos. 

See if the images have any unusual shadows, which shows that the photographer doesn’t know how to use flash properly. Observe the angles from which the photos are taken and see if the photographer tends to tilt or skew the photos they produce awkwardly.

 

 

 

Red Flag 2 – Lack of Authentic Reviews

Calgary photographer reviews

People trust the experiences of other people. Professional photographers know this and try to showcase as many reliable reviews about their service as possible. If the photographer you plan to work with does not have any online reviews or has only a few that look suspicious, it may be a concern. Look for reviews on websites other than the photographers. But even then, you could still come across fake or bought reviews. 

Try to avoid photographers who only have perfect scores and raving reviews. It’s only natural for people to make mistakes–even professional photographers. So look for photographers who have a few critical reviews besides several good ones.

 

 

Red Flag 3 – All Talk; No Show.

hiring a professional photographer

An impressive portfolio does not make a photographer the right choice for you. Check out the photographer’s website and social media content to find out what their work is about.

Are they only talking about themselves and how “outstanding” they are? Or are they showing their expertise by providing helpful content? While you may be impressed with the photos they have taken for previous clients, you might want to know if their written content showcases your skills. 

Most photographers take on jobs in different genres of photography, such as beauty, fashion, business, real estate, events, products, interior design, etc.

Check out how they talk about these different genres to see if they understand what’s required to meet different client requirements.

 

 

Red Flag 4 – Poor Communication

Professional photographers are busy people, so you might find that some of them do not respond promptly to your messages. This may not be a red flag immediately. Instead, be wary when the photographer is consistently late with replies after you’ve communicated with them several times.

Make sure you stay far away from a photographer who doesn’t even have the decency to apologize when they’ve responded late to your messages. 

Even for photographers who respond quickly and regularly, observing how they communicate with you is essential. They may only talk about themselves, what they can do, whom they’ve worked with, and how much they charge. Instead, you need to work with photographers who patiently listen to your needs and respond accordingly.

You must look for someone who has a planning session before the photography.

These are the top red flags you should look out for when hiring a professional photographer. Other than these, you should also consider their pricing and availability and the time taken to finish the project.

These tips will help you choose a photographer who can deliver the quality of work you’re looking for according to your expectations.