How to Pick your Family or Newborn Photographer

When you decide to book a Jacksonville family photographer to make photographs of your family it can be hard to know where to start looking. You might ask some friends for recommendations, do a quick Google search or even consult one of the many local FB groups for suggestions. And those are some really great places to start. But if I may, I want to make sure you know the most important thing to look for when booking a family photographer:

Do you jive with the photographer? Do you get a gut feeling that your family and the photographer would be a good match?

If I had to guess, you probably put a lot of thought and time into picking out your wedding photographer. You would be spending the day with that person and they were responsible for catching every important moment of your wedding. Not to mention the big chunk of change you had to lay out for it. So when it comes to family photography you might think, “Eh – any photographer will be fine, I just want to get it done.”

I encourage you to dig a little deeper. With any luck you will find a photographer that you love and continue to use them year after year. Not only does it make your life easier (no more late night Google searching) but it also creates a tradition for your family. Your photographer gets to know your family and I can tell you they genuinely love seeing your kiddos grow up over the years.

Make sure you pick a photographer that has a similar vibe as you and your family. What do I mean by vibe? What is their personality like? Are they a goofy fly by the seat of their pants type of person? If they are, does that calm you or stress you out? Perhaps they are more formal and methodical with their sessions. Again, is that reassuring to you or is it stressful? Or maybe they are somewhere in between. Are they easy to communicate with and happy to answer all of your questions? Think about what you want in a photographer – personality, level of customer service, style of photography and price are a few good places to start.

Why is this important? I’ll tell you why. Being able to get along and jive well with your photographer can make or break your session. If you find yourself at ease and very comfortable in front of them your pictures will shine. If, however, you just can’t seem to jive (are you sick of me using that word yet?) or relax around them that too is going to show up in your photos.

Sometimes you won’t really know how well you mesh with your photographer until you get to your session. But I encourage you to research their website, check out their social media posts and read reviews. That should give you a pretty good idea of the photographers style and personality, and then you can decide if it fits with yours.

This can be a lot of work at the beginning, but I have some good news! Once you find that perfect photographer you get to stop looking. And you’ll feel confident that you will get amazing photographs and have an amazing experience year after year.

Would I like to be that perfect fitting photographer for your family?? Of course! I cherish my returning clients year after year. When I tell you that it brings tears to my eyes to see their growing children – that were once tiny newborns in front of my lens – I am not exaggerating. Over time clients start to become like friends and family to me. And I am so grateful for the community that I have built over the years. Will I be everyone’s cup of tea? Ehhhh probably not. I might make too many corny jokes for some people.

If you would like to find out if we are a good fit, please send me a message on the contact page. I’m happy to chat with you over the phone, on text or through email. I can’t wait to meet you!