If you live in the Detroit metropolitan area, you know that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of photographers that claim to be professional photographers. Truth be told, they may say they’re a professional, but you need to have more than just a camera and a web site to be a professional photographer in Detroit.
When my wife and got married, we thought we had the best photographer in Detroit. We actually won a free engagement shoot with a local photographer, and he said all the right things. He showed us a portfolio (more on this later), and told us about the hundreds of weddings he’s shot and how happy his clients were.
The studio shots were amazing. I don’t think a better picture was ever taken of us, as the ones we got during the free engagement shoot. And why wouldn’t they be? The lighting was perfect. We were posed like models. Really, all he had to do was point the camera and click the button.
A week or so later, we went back to the studio to review the pictures. They were amazing. So, we asked to see his portfolio. And he oblidged. Little did we know that the portfolio he showed us was the studio owner’s portfolio, not the guy taking our picture.
So, based on the free engagement shoot and the portfolio, we hired what we thought was the best photographer in Detroit. Boy, were we wrong.
Fast forward to the wedding night. The ceremony was a candle light wedding, but the photographer did not bring the appropriate equipment for this type of lighting, so we do not have pictures of the actual ceremony. Needless to say, our wedding photos were a disaster.
So how do you make sure something like this doesn’t happen to your memorable event? Simple, just hire the best photographer in Detroit. Below are some helpful tips to help weed out the amateurs and find the professionals:
#1 Make sure you know who will be taking the pictures at your event and if he/she is a full time photographer. Ask him/her what they do the rest of the week. Find out what kind of education, background and experience they have with photographing your type of event. The more you know about your photographer, the better.
#2 Find out how many events like your’s they have worked. If your event is unique or has special effects, like candle light, put it in writing and make sure your photographer is well skilled in these types of events. Ask is they bring backup equipment.
#3 Ask for references and follow up on each and every one. Ask them what they liked about the photographer and what they didn’t like about them. Would they hire them again.
#4 Make sure you fully understand the contract. Ask if he/she provides a written guarantee. Insist that your prerequisites are included in the contract verbiage. Find out your photographer’s policy regarding proofs, negatives and delivery times. Is a deposit needed? And if so, how much? When is it due? Can you make partial payments?
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Lastly, keep a journal with all this information. As you interview many different photographers for your special event, don’t rely on your memory to keep all this data in order. Hiring a professional photographer is expensive, so make sure you do your homework and write it down.
These tips will certainly give you enough information to help you filter out all the amateurs and find the best photographer in Detroit.
Hopefully you found these tips helpful. <u>Photographer Detroit</u> is a great source for much more information and will help you make the best decisions when hiring a professional photographer for your special events.
Good Luck!