How to choose a family photographer can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to start. Whether you want Christmas card photos or a small in-home maternity session, having a photographer who meets your needs is important.

Let’s be honest, you might have the most incredible photographer in the world but if they are not on the same page as you, your photos will fall flat and you’ll be disappointed. Let’s not let that happen! Follow my 5 easy steps below on how to choose a family photographer that fits best with your family and your vision.

1. Know what style you are looking for.

Can I say it louder for the people in the back?? This right here is probably the most important step in the whole process. Think about what you want to capture and how you want it to look. You must know why you want photos, so you can find a photographer who understands your vision and can give you exactly what you want. Consider a couple of questions:

• Do you want to document your family in your new home?
• Do you want to document your family outside in beautiful light, connecting, and having fun?
• Do you want to have a more formal family portrait in a studio with perfect lighting and fine art editing?

These questions will help you narrow down your search and point you in the direction of a photographer who is going to give you photos that make your heart happy. Price point is important but in the end, the price doesn’t matter if you don’t love your photos. I encourage you to find a style that you love and go with that photographer because it will be worth it and you’ll have beautiful photos that match your vision.

2. Know how you want to display your photos.

How are you going to use these photos? Are you going into the session hoping for some good Christmas card photos? Or are you looking for photos to design an album or put some prints up in your home? This can influence what photographer would be the best. Some photographers can help you design your Christmas card. Other photographers can help you print and style wall art.

This is a huge bonus because they will make sure that your prints turn out incredible and then you don’t have to worry about Costco ruining the print. Take the time to browse the product section on the photographer’s site and see what they can offer you and how that matches your display ideas.

3. Use social media to find local photographers.

It’s really easy to google photographers, but I think one of the best ways to find local family photographers is through searching on social media using hashtags like #fresnofamilyphotographer. Most of the photographers in the area will use the hashtag and this gives you access to all of them at once.

It’s a great way to scroll through different photography styles and compare which one has a style that you like. If you find a photographer on Instagram that matches your style, watch their stories, and read their posts. This is a great way to get to know them and learn a little bit more about their process and what they offer.

If Pinterest is more up your alley, you can search for photographers there as well. You can use the hashtag that I mentioned above or just type it out like Fresno Family Photographer or Fresno Maternity Photos. It’ll pull up photos taken by local photographers who have used those words in the captions of their photos.

4. Explore the photographer’s website.

Once you’ve found a photographer that piqued your interest through your social media search, go check out their website. Photographers try to give you access to a lot of information on their sites before you even have to inquire about a session. Check out the different types of sessions they offer and make sure they have what you’re looking for like maternity photos or family photos. Scroll through galleries. Look through their products. This is a great time to see if the photographer checks off your two boxes: style and offered product.

5. Send an inquiry.

Somewhere on the site will be a place for you to send an inquiry to the photographer. This is a great way to get more information about pricing and to see if you click with the photographer over email. This isn’t a commitment or contract, so you’re not tied to anything.

If you send an inquiry and are waiting for an email back make sure to check your spam or promotions folder! Sometimes emails get sorted into the wrong folder and they get lost. It happens to me and my clients every so often. If you don’t hear back, feel free to reach out to the photographer again.

If that photographer doesn’t work for you after a couple of emails back and forth, start the process over again. As I said, it’s better to have a photographer that you connect with, shares your style, and offers the products you want than a cheap convenient, or disconnected photographer. Invest in your family photos and don’t settle for just one good photo, get a whole gallery of photos that you love and want to share.