Bath and Bristol baby, family and wedding photographer

Picking a photographer, whether for your family photos or for a wedding, is a tricky one for potential clients. For most people photographs are an investment to record key moments in their lives and any post on social media asking for recommendations will return dozens and dozens of names. How to choose? Here is my view on how to make an informed decision and make sure you get the memories your family deserves, with a lovely experience along the way.

1 ~ Their portfolio

It may seem obvious, but you would be surprised of the number of clients who book me, get through their style consultation for their session and then ask me for something completely different from my usual style. Have a browse through your potential photographer’s website or social media and ask yourself whether you love their images: Does the light, posing, colours and locations reflect what you had in mind? If you aren’t sure, ask them to show you full galleries. This is particularly true for weddings, as you can’t rely on a few “good shots”. You need to make sure that your photographer will capture the whole day in a way that “speaks to you”. Once your session is done, there is no coming back on the style – so it’s important to know that you love the atmosphere of your photographer’s portfolio.

2 ~ Their personality

This may seem an odd one, but I truly believe that your photographer has to be the right match for you. This is not only true for a wedding, where you will spent one of the most important day of your lives with them, but also for “smaller” sessions. Being at ease with your photographer means that you will feel relax, the smiles will be genuine. Your photo session will be a lovely experience and your images will show the real you. So by all means, give your potential photographer a call and have a chat! They should also want to know you so that they can ensure they get why your session is important.

3 ~ Their profesionalism

Many people think that this is not important. However for me, this should be a non negociable point. Let me explain. Photography seems so easy. A while back, I watched a programme on the BBC about making an additional income, and one of the suggestion was to take up photography if you have a camera! I know it has been said again and again, there is a lot more to photography than owning a camera. Beyond this, there is also a lot more to it than taking pictures, no matter how beautiful they are:

Is the photographer a registered business? Are they insured (your wedding venue may request this)? People may seek an amateur but this has risks. I have personally witnessed equipment being broken during sessions or at weddings, and this should never be the client’s worry, as all profesionals should be insured for these events.

Are they specialised in the type of photography you are after? Taking newborn photos and photographing a wedding do not require the same skillsets at all. Your newborn photographer will have trained specifically in how to handle newborns, on how to safely pose them and will be a specialist at editing skin tones and removing “spotters” from their images. No matter how great a photographer is technically and artistically, posing a newborn is a very specific thing only those who train for it will be able to do. The same applies to other areas and a good photographer should always be honest with you if something is outside their expertise.

Have this photographer been recommended to you? Take the time to read reviews, ask on local pages on social media (Bath’s Mums (and more) is a good one!) and ask around you. Word of mouth is always my best publicity!

4 ~ Their customer service

Do you remember the photo companies setting up in your local department store to take photos of your baby? We don’t do the same job at all 😉 Whilst we will both provide you with photos of your child, the similarities end there:

They will spent 15 min on you and your baby, whilst a specialist will not clock watch. They will care about the product they deliver, so if your little one is not settling, they will just take their time to make sure they are happy. A newborn session will typically be around 3 hours long. They will also spend time before your session guiding you with decors and outfit choices and also after your session in selecting and ordering your photos.

Some photographers may offer you the comfort of a bespoke studio or offer to come to you. They will have thousands of pounds worth of props, accessories, backdrops and so on. Some may simply offer a lifestyle session without posing, in your home, or an outdoor session.

Some will have minimal contact with you, others will offer a tailored service. Some will only offer digital images, others will provide bespoke frames, albums or other art works. The list goes on, but this gives you a good idea of how much goes into fully preparing for your event or session.

5 ~ Their pricing

Let’s be honest, we often start any research by skipping to this part first! But once again, photography sets itself apart when it comes to pricing. If your boiler needs replacing or your house needs a new roof, the likelihood is that whilst some quotes might be more competitive than others, the ballpark figure will be the same. Only with photography will you find the “same” service offered for £50 or £5000. This is why the other criteria matter: Not all photography is equal. Of course, your budget is an essential criteria, so don’t be afraid to discuss this with your photographer. They may tailor packages to your needs, offer payment in instalments or may offer a gift registry service for your wedding or baby photo session. I truly believe that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to photography and this may be an answer to the pricing issue too.

Marina Feldman is a newborn, child, family and wedding photographer based in Chilcompton near Bath and serving Bath Bristol and surrounding areas.