How to Find a Photographer

Whether you are a blogger, getting married, or looking to get a family portrait, there are a few tips on how to find a photographer. Photographers are a HUGE part of the business of blogging. In turn, I have gotten to work with a couple amazing photographers over the years. There were certain questions and conversations I had with all of them when we first started working together to make sure that their skills and styles were in line with what I was looking for. So I thought I’d share a few of those tips on how to find a photographer here…

Let’s start with square one: Where to find a photographer…

There are a few different ways to find a photographer and these include: putting up an ad, online research, and references from friends.

When I was looking for a photographer to work with, I put out an ad on a website called barefootstudent.com. It’s like craigslist, but for students. From there, my ad was automatically posted to multiple job listing sites including LinkedIn, Indeed, and a few others. There is a cost of $50 to advertise for one month, that is all it takes to get a couple job applications. I put an ad that read the following and found my darling, Taylor.

Fashion Blogger looking for a looking for a dependable photographer/videographer with a reliable vehicle to become a part of and grow with my team.Needs to be available once a week: weekdays and weekends. Able to travel (nationally and internationally.)Knowledge of editing software: Photoshop, camera raw, Adobe Premier, etc.Photography includes Editorial, lifestyle, flatlay, etc.Videos include: 4 videos per month, (travel vlogs, look book videos, curated how-to videos)Please send email with subject title PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER APPLICANT and include your Instagram, website link and/or portfolio if applicable.

Now more than ever, it is easy to find a photographer online. Especially with social media platforms like Instagram. Just search #LAPhotographer #weddingphotographer (or whichever city you are in or looking for) and you’ll have thousands of options show up before your eyes.

Ask around. Word of mouth is how I find 99% of the people that I hire for my business. It is easier to hire people others highly recommend and had a great experience working with.

Have a conversation…

Be as clear as possible about what you are looking for. Show the photographer examples of photos and editing styles that you like. Make sure to do your research on their own website/social media profiles so you are familiar with their past work. Obviously, what you want should be in line with what you’ve seen them produce already. There are different types of photographers with different styles: landscape, portrait, food, wedding to name a few.

Also, be completely honest with them. If you have angles that you prefer or are self-conscious about certain things, let them know! I always tell my photographers that it’s okay to direct me. Hey, if it means I am going to look even better in the photo, then yes, please! If I need to suck in or smile more, I ask them to tell me.

Pinterest is another great resource tool for putting together inspiration images. You can create your own Pinterest board like I did for my favorite photographs and send it to your photographer to view. Plus, a fun little secret about Pinterest, if you scroll down from a single photo you are looking at, it will show you more similar options.

Finally, when you start shooting with a new photographer, have faith. You may think an idea of theirs won’t work, but you can’t see what they see behind that lens. Plus, something that looks just okay on the camera can look completely different once edited. I love to hear my photographers’ ideas and have them give me direction. It’s the combination of my creativity with theirs that makes taking photos so fun for me!