You read “5 reasons NOT to have a portrait done (What???)”, thought about it, and decided that you would love to have a portrait you can enjoy for years to come and pass on to the next generations. And now you are stuck with a huge dilemma: how do I choose a photographer that is right for me? Oh, I feel you! I remember the times in my life when I looked for a photographer for my family. It was years before I discovered my love for portraiture and learned to create beautiful fine art portraits. I remember looking at the long list of local photographers (let’s face it, there are so many!), sorting through their websites, and hoping to find the “right one”. Then calling, leaving messages, writing emails, and hearing only crickets back… I wondered how people stay in business not returning my inquiry and assumed they were too busy with sooooo many customers. In the end, I would go to the mall and use one of those “pictures on the spot” places that had a teenage girl lazily take three snaps of my family and print them for me to purchase; I also used a photographer whose pictures looked just like the ones I could get from my point-and-shoot Olympus at the time (still film days!), and I used an upscale photo salon with a very high price and terrible customer service (perhaps I will tell that story one day!) So, the question becomes, who is the “right” photographer and how do you narrow down the list? Here are a few tips to help you decide:
1. Outdoors or in a Studio?
When you think of a portrait you wish to create, what do you envision? Are you looking for a portrait in a park? By the lake? In your backyard? Or, do you wish to be in a studio, without wind and sun, with lighting that is flattering for you and props that go with your style? This is the first question you need to answer for yourself. If you are looking for an outdoor portrait, casual in nature, or more of a lifestyle shoot, then search for a photographer who displays that in their portfolio. Try to get someone who specializes in outdoor portraits and not in everything. When you look at the photographer’s website, pay attention to the location of their shoots as they will most likely take you to one of the places they usually use. As you explore a photographer’s portfolio, look at how their subjects are dressed and if it is cohesive (this may imply that the photographer might give you tips on how to dress). Generally, if they list more than 3-5 genres they specialize in, they most likely are not the best in either field (no offense to my fellow colleagues but we simply have to find our niche and specialize to be good in what we do). At times, you will find someone who does a great job with food or architecture and also takes awesome portraits but you should just pay attention to this element and choose someone whose portrait work “talks to you”. Look at the examples of pictures in the photographer’s portfolio and understand that yours will not look the same but will be of a similar style.
If you feel that studio portrait is what you are looking for, then the number of photographers for you will be substantially smaller. Most studio photographers can do basic headshots but not real portraits. Unfortunately, the craft of studio portraits in a fine art portrait style has not been as popular as outdoor photography. Perhaps because it is much more difficult to deliver. Your photographer has to have a studio space, know how to utilize studio lighting, be skilled in posing their clients, and know how to style them to create a proper studio portrait. This requires education, practice, and mastery of the craft. It is much more difficult to deliver than an outdoor portrait (trust me, I have done both!) When looking for a studio photographer, ask them if they include styling and help with wardrobe, if they have experience with proper posing, and look carefully at the examples of their work. Once again, yours will not look the same but will be in a similar style.
2. Are you a “1 hour, 3 outfits” type OR a “model-for-a-day experience” type?
When you research photographers and visit their websites, pay attention to what the offer will include. Does it say “1 hour and up to three outfit changes”? If so, is this for you? Are you willing to be rushed from one outfit to the next? Perhaps that is what you are looking for, perhaps your life is busy, and you might even want a “mini” session with 20 minutes in front of a camera (to be honest, I am not even sure how that works as it takes me 20 minutes to “warm up” the client and make them feel comfortable in front of my camera, but of course, my style is different). If that is what you are comfortable with, by all means, hire a photographer with such an offer!
Are you a “model-for-a-day” type of person? This does not imply a whole day in a studio. All this means that the photographer will take care of you from the moment you arrive, will have a hair/make-up/styling component included in their service and once the photoshoot is over, you will probably want to go out as you will look and feel fabulous. Pay attention to this element and ask your photographer if they will offer such a service to you. It is important to be styled properly for the portrait to have a look you will absolutely enjoy and a good portrait begins with proper styling. Even if you do not wear any make-up, even if you are a jeans and white shirt type of person and do not wish to be photographed in a gown or a suit, proper styling is very important and will completely change the end result.
3. Natural or edited?
I love going to museums and looking at art. Rembrandt, Vermeer, Caravaggio, DaVinci, there are so many old masters who created portraits we still enjoy today! Do you think their subjects did not have lines and pimples? Or, do you believe that the artists chose to omit those imperfections and portray their subjects in the best possible way? I suspect it was the latter… that is why I, personally, enjoy a healthy level of retouching in portraits. I believe that timeless images should show the best version of us! My love for portraiture was inspired by Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk whose portraits are absolutely incredible!
There is a lot of controversy around editing. Some like their portraits as natural as they can be and others want their lines, wrinkles, and imperfections minimized! To each their own, but you should keep this in mind when looking to have a portrait created. Most photographers do not do a lot of retouching and you need to pay extra if you wish to have your pimples, scars, redness, or veins removed. Most photographers outsource their retouching because they are simply not skilled in Photoshop or any other software that can be used to perfect the photographs. Ask questions, look at examples and decide for yourself what level of retouching is right for you. Once you figure that out, talk to your photographer and ensure they understand what your desired final portrait should be like.
4. Pictures or Portraits?
“What is the difference?” you may ask. The main difference is in the experience you get, the way that experience makes you feel, and the quality of the finished product, and ultimately every person will have a different idea of “good“ and “not good enough”. Let’s face it, we live in a world with a constant race in social standing for the most prestigious handbag, pair of shoes, car, neighborhood, and all the other elements that define our place in our social circles. It all depends on who we are on what we desire and value. Is there a difference between a gown from a luxury boutique and a dress from a mainstream department store? A pair of Louboutin shoes with their famous red soles and a pair of Nine West shoes? A Toyota and a Lexus? A Mercedes and Lamborghini? One can argue that each brand is good and it is a matter of value, affordability, and desirability. The reality is that it all depends on who you are, what you value, and how the item or service you get makes you feel. Have you ever been in a situation where your social circle does not value the same things you do? If none of your friends know that the red soles of your new boots identify them as Louboutin’s masterpiece but get excited over a new pair of Nine West boots, they simply will not understand your new purchase unless you give an explicit explanation. I remember a friend having to explain that her new FURLA bag is expensive and fashionable while a group of women listened disinterestedly as they simply did not hold the same value for that brand. But she was excited, that new bag over her shoulder made her feel great, she was a proud owner of brand new FURLA and she did not care whether her social circle understood her new acquisition. At the end of the day, we get what WE want, regardless of what people think! We do it because it makes us feel good, validates our taste and our status in our OWN eyes, and our own feelings guide our decisions. When we look for a photographer, we look for the one that will meet our desire for a specific level of service and quality of products, and the definition of “good for me” will vary widely. Here is an example of what you might be looking at:
Photographer A takes pictures with their camera and sells digital files for clients to print them using one of the online services. Clients have to decide on how and where to print their portraits, look for a frame or print them on stretched canvas (often not realizing that the materials they chose are of poor quality).
Photographer B plans each photoshoot and styles the clients to match their vision, creating an experience that makes the client feel like a model. Each portrait is perfected and edited with a skin treatment, elimination of flyaway hairs and any imperfections, enhancements of highlights and shadows, color treatment, textures, and overlays to ensure that the end result looks almost like a painting. The photographer takes charge of printing the final products on the highest quality materials to ensure longevity, and portraits are ready to hang upon delivery or come in a luxurious keepsake box to be proudly displayed.
It is not that one photographer is better than the other, they simply offer different levels of service and produce different results. It is all about which one is right for you and that is not for me to decide. We all are different, have different values, and desire different things. It is up to you which photographer to choose, I just would like you to be aware of the difference.
5. Digitals or Printed?
Are you looking for 200-300 pictures on a thumb drive OR for a few printed portraits, wall art, or albums? This is a big one! If you are looking for “digitals only” and you think you would rather print the portraits yourself, please keep in mind that your photos have to be properly calibrated, exported in a proper color space, and of proper size (this part will be done by your photographer and we trust it will be done properly). Communicate with your photographer and ask them for recommendations on where to print your photos for the best results, what paper to choose (each paper choice will produce a different outcome), what mounting is best, and what coating to use to prevent UV damage and protect your portrait from fingerprints. Will you want to have the glass over your portrait or do you prefer the UV coating? If you wish to have a glass, would you want a regular reflective kind or a non-reflective museum glass? Do you like canvas or metal portraits? Ask your photographer to recommend the best vendor for that and ensure you understand how to submit a proper file to the printing vendor to ensure your portrait looks the same as the digital file. A lot goes into making the correct choice and you should definitely ask your photographer if you are purchasing digital files and not the finished products.
If you are looking for printed products, think in advance about what it is you are looking for and see if the photographer offers it, ask the photographer for suggestions as there might be other options you may be unaware of. Generally, each photographer will work with a few vendors of their choice to create the products they sell and each vendor will use specific materials. Go to the photographer’s studio, and look at the examples of what your finished portrait will look like. You should ask them if the portraits will be printed on fine art paper or a photographic paper. Will your portrait be mounted? (If you are puzzled by the word, it means it will have a thick foundation of either mat board, styrofoam, or other material to prevent warping from humidity). What coating will it have? Do you need to frame your final product or will it come ready to hang? If you like canvas or metal, what quality of the materials will be used (there is a wide range on that!) All these questions are very important when making a decision on whom to hire. Ask your potential portrait photographer to educate you on the final product you will receive.
Final thoughts…
On my recent trip to Germany, I observed two girls taking photos of one another. Girl A, a tall blonde with a doll-like face, very comfortable in her skin, posing endlessly, directing Girl B to press a button every two seconds to ensure that every intricacy of her posing is carefully recorded on her phone to be posted to the social media with a goal to awake envy. Girl B, a mid-sized brunette, not necessarily “pretty” by a tabloid definition (not sure such exists, I just lack better wording!) but with interesting features which made her very beautiful in my opinion, and rather exotic-looking, not so comfortable in front of a camera, shily taking directions from Girl A and making comments about her level of discomfort in front of a camera, not wishing to be photographed but rather pressed into the activity by Girl A, most likely wishing to erase the pictures as soon as she gets the hold of her phone… As I observed them I felt that Girl A is a rarity and most of us are Girl B type. The camera makes us shy, and uncomfortable and we often do not want to be photographed at all. When you choose your portrait photographer, be sure to have a consultation and evaluate if the person is right for you. There has to be a certain level of comfort that will allow you to relax in front of the camera. If during the consultation you feel uneasy for any reason, be aware of your intuition, perhaps you are not a good match. We are very vulnerable in front of a camera and you need to be sure your photographer will put you at ease.
With that, my dear reader, it is time for you to go and search for your perfect match. Believe me, there is a photographer for everyone! It is your job to find yours. I am very skilled in creating beautiful portraits and the evidence of my craft is in the awards I have received from international portrait competitions, the praise that comes from my former clients, and the beautiful examples of my work you can see on my website and in my studio. However, I don’t know if I am a good match for you. Take a look at what I can deliver and if you are curious about my skill, schedule a consultation. Hope to hear from you!
Cheers!
Elena