What am I looking for in my photographer?

I got to thinking, if I was out shopping for a photographer what would be some the qualities I would be looking for?

When I receive calls from potential clients shopping for photography, one of the things I try to always ask them is,

"What is the most important thing to you about the photography you are looking for?" A find lot of people are caught off guard by this question because their mind has been focused on the logistics of obtaining a photographer rather than what is most important to them. There is no right or wrong answer, but it helps my prospect to stop and think about what their needs and wants really are. It deals with the emotional side of why we are doing our photography rather than just the logical side.

As I ask myself, from the client's point of view, what would be the things that would be important to me and what I would be looking for, here are a few of the things I came up with. See if

they resonate with you.

#1 I might look for someone who is smart, funny, has a pleasant, polite and friendly personality. Someone that I feel is talented, sincere and truthful. Someone I believe in.

#2 I would want them to be talented and creative in a way that captures my looks and personality in a positive light.

I would want someone who took some time find out more about who I am as a person.

#3 If it is my photography, it should be more about me than it is about them. They should work with me to get my ideas and thoughts about what I am looking for in my portraits. They should be looking out for my best interests.

#4 My photographer needs to see the value in me as a person and endeavor to capture that value in their photography.

#5 Wouldn't I want someone who builds me up, who realizes that this may be new to me and that I might feel very awkward and apprehensive, as well as nervous. I would want someone that reassured me, helped me feel comfortable and feel good about myself in a sincere and positive way.

#6 It could be important that this photographer sees past just my outward looks and looks into my heart to see and capture who I am within and without.

#7 It should be important that this person understands how important this photography is to me now, but also understands, and helps me to understand, how important this photography could be to me, and possibly my family, in the future. I will be capturing a specific moment in time and in my life that will never exist again.

#8 I would want someone whose style and examples of photography are consistent with my personal likes and taste.

Do they have guarantee that I will be thrilled with my portraits?

#9 It would turn me off if I felt my photographer was just in a hurry to get me in and out. If I felt that they weren't personally invested in me. Is it just about the money or do they really care about the people that they work with?

#10 If I could find all or most of these qualities in my photographer, it wouldn't matter so much to me if they were the lowest priced, because they would be well worth the investment if I have a great experience and get what I am really thrilled with. Our photographs are a legacy that live beyond ourselves.

This is the kind of photographer I strive and want to be for my clients, because these are the things that would be most important to me.