Heading somewhere fun on your family vacation and want to get some professional photos done?

My family recently went on a trip to Maui for Christmas and I wanted to get some professional family photos taken while we were there. I didn’t know when we will go back as an entire family and I wanted family photos where I looked nice and not like I was being the mom and photographer at the same time.

In Fresno, I usually take our family photos which means I don’t show up in as many photos. I also wanted to just focus on being Maddie, mom and wife, during this session and not Maddie, mom, wife, and family photographer.

So here’s my process for finding a photographer in an unfamiliar area.

1. Search for family photographers in that location. I start with a light google search and then I move over to Instagram and search there as well. I look under hashtags in the area like #mauifamilyphotographer or #mauiphotographer and then go from there. If I see a style that I love, I’ll stop and check out their profile and then head to their website.

2. Read reviews! Read about different people’s experiences with the photographer. It’s a great way to better understand the kind of energy the photographer is going to bring to a session and if that’s a good fit for you and your family.

3. Check out their Instagram and website – How active are they on Instagram? This is another great way to get to know someone and their style. Watch highlights and read captions to get a feel for their voice and body language. It’s really important to me that they have a website because it gives them a greater level of credibility in my opinion.

You can always ask your photographer if they know anyone in the new area. Because of workshops, I have a network of photographers in and outside of California that I could recommend. If you can get a referral from a photographer you know and love, that’s an awesome place to start!