Family photography is important to capture a moment in history whether it is a new child, a child’s birthday or a child entering their teens. As a parent and a Canberra family photographer, I know exactly how important it is to capture those treasured moments.
It is important to update your family photographs every five years. But how do you choose or find a good family photographer in Canberra to capture those lasting memories before they fade?
You want to make sure that your hire the best photographer possible. One that understands you and your family.
How to hire the best photographer for you
Before you start comparing different family photographers in your area, I recommend doing a little research to decide what style of family photographs you would like to have.
There are many styles of family photography – studio, on-location, formal and candid style, at the home to ‘day in the life’ style is just a few that you might be interested in. The best way to start this research is through Pinterest and Instagram. The social media channels will provide amazing inspiration for most styles of family photography.
The moment that you have settled on a style that suits your needs, then this is where you can researching photographers in your local area. Photographers in Canberra have an online portfolio which will allow you to ascertain whether their style equates to yours. You will also be a chance to gauge their experience from their portfolio – is there only one or two families showing or are there many?
Questions to ask your photographer
You have completed your research and you have a shortlist of photographers. What comes next…?
Before your photography session, you should be offered a pre-consultation chat with the photographers. This should take place over the phone, zoom or in a café over a coffee or two.
There are six key questions that you should be asking your photographer. These are:
· Where do you family photography session take place?
· Is the photographer insured, and do they provide a contract?
· How will the photographer help you to prepare for the photoshoot?
· How long will you wait to view and receive your photographs?
· How much retouching does the photographer do?
· How much does a family photoshoot cost?
The information that you receive from your pre-consultation chat should be sufficient to appoint a family photographer.
The responsiveness of the photographer to these questions will also provide an indication of how smooth the photo session will be.
I will explore these in greater detail below.
Where do your family photography sessions take place?
Generally, you should be able to answer this question by looking at the photographer’s website – their portfolio will contain images that were either taken at their studio or on location somewhere – either in a park or reserve or possibly at the family’s home.
However, if that image is not clear from the website, it is important that you ask the question of whether they are a studio or on-location photographer. You also want to ascertain if your favourite location outdoors requires any specific permit to permit the photoshoot. Areas like the Arboretum require approval to shoot there. Your photographer should have access to their information in advance of the photoshoot.
The last thing you want is for your photoshoot to be cut short because the photographer did not get the required approvals.
Is the photographer insured, and do they provide a contract?
Photography is becoming more accessible to everyone as the price of cameras decrease and the quality of smartphones improve dramatically. Therefore, you have a wide choice of photographers to capture your specific and treasured moments. It could be a friend with a camera or a large family photography studio in Canberra that you ask to capture your day. Regardless of whom your select, it is important that your photographer is insured – professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance are a must. With lots of camera equipment lying around at a photoshoot, the last thing that you want to do is fall over some equipment and break your ankle.
The other must is a contract to protect you and the photographer in the event of an unexpected event – be that a postponement or cancellation. You need information on what happens if a child gets sick, but also if the photographer is unwell on the day of the photoshoot. The contact should also carry important information about pricing, use of photos and copyright information of the images that are taken. These little details are important for both contracting parties.
preparations for the photoshoot?
Your photographer will have a wealth of information to help you prepare for your photoshoot. They will have opinions from what to wear to keep toddlers happy during the photoshoot. They may have written a blog post or have an information sheet that they could share with you or will just chat with you on the telephone.
Your photographer should be there and on hand to assist you with any questions that you may have about the photoshoot. Sometimes this information is contained in their FAQs. Alternatively. they may not have the answer immediately, but they use their networks to obtain information about your query.
You also want to have a connection with your photographer. When you have this connection with your photographer you will the photoshoot will be a whole lot smoother when they are behind the camera.
Ultimately you will want a client-focused photographer and one that places your interests ahead of theirs.
How long will you wait to receive your photographs?
During the photo session, your photographer showed you a couple of images on the back of their camera to build excitement. Your excitement is likely to continue to build over time.
Photographers are busy people and may have back-to-back photo shoots across the weekend. After your photography session, the photographer will need to upload the images, back them up and edit them. This process could take several weeks depending on the number of jobs that they have on the go.
However, a photographer should have a gallery of images ready for you within two to three weeks of the photoshoot. This will allow you to select your favourite images and for the photographer to order these through a professional printer. Depending on what you have selected (album, wall mount, of matted prints) it could take another four to six weeks to get your final products delivered.
If you need your prints, wall mounts for a certain occasion such as Christmas or a partner’s birthday you should check with your photographer to save potential disappointment.
How much retouching does the photographer do?
All photographers retouch their photographs whether it is to remove some objects, artifact removal or just to add a preset to bring out a certain style. However, there is a wide spectrum between the amount of retouching that a photographer may do on a particular image.
Some photographers will do very little in the form of retouching (light and shadow adjustments), others will remove objects from the images such as spots, runny noses, or crumbs around the mouth of your toddler while some photographers will take 10 years off your life through airbrushing each of your images in photoshop.
You need to be comfortable with the level of retouching that the photographer is willing to undertake for you. This should be discussed with your photographer in advance of the photo session to save any embarrassment. If you want a natural image then a photographer that is heavy with their retouching may not be right for you.
How much does a family photoshoot cost?
There is no consistent pricing in the photography industry in Australia and family photography is no different. There will be family photographers that ‘shoot and burn’ for only a couple of hundred dollars while there will be others that provide a full service and on-sell albums, wall art, and prints. Just like restaurants, there is a significant difference between social clubs and full-service restaurants.
Therefore, you cannot compare photographers purely on price. When you are doing your research for a family photographer in Canberra you need to find about exactly what is included in the service as there may be a significant difference. The price that photographer charges may also capture their experience, skill level and time in the industry.
If I was researching for a family photographer I would be comparing their terms of service and the final photographs and the cost of service and then make an informed decision. Importantly you should stay within your budget when choosing the right photographer for you as each family has different financial means.
It is over to you now
You have done all the research and you have asked the six key questions prior to appointing your preferred photographer. Now you need to decide. Sometimes go with your first gut instinct when making your selection in addition to the responses to these questions.
I hope that this article has assisted you in making your choice.
Why not get in touch with me to see how I can help you with your family photography needs. Click the link to take you to my contact page and fill in the details and I will be in touch.