Selecting the Right Children’s Photographer

By Marianne Drenthe

Chicago Children’s Photographer Marmalade Photography

There are so many photography choices out there these days making the selection of the best photographer for you extremely difficult.

A few years from now, you hope to be looking back on the years of your child’s childhood with fond memories. The reasons for having professionally taken images of your child at this time are numerous. Because children obviously do not stay little very long it is highly important to capture this time in their lives because the only thing that stands the test of time besides memories are photographs. The digital revolution has brought out so many fantastic photographers but with the good comes the bad as well. How do you go about selecting the best photographer for your family and child? The process in selecting the best children’s photographer for your memories can be confusing and complex. You want to trust that the photographer you choose will be able to bond with your family, with your child and capture the essence of your child. You know that the images that you commission by a professional children’s photographer should stand the test of time and not fall into any sort of trend. You may worry that the images you see in the photographers portfolio are only representative of their very best work and not truly what is typical for a session with that children’s photographer. To help you along the way, here are a few tips provided for you by the founder and owner of well known and respected Chicago Children’s and Baby Photographer, Marmalade Photography, Marianne Drenthe.

There are several very easy ways to ensure you are choosing the very best photographer for your family.

· Read the photographer’s biography page. Pay special attention to the approach that the photographer in question takes. Pay special attention to other clues: does the photographer seem to care about creating a connection or is there much discussion regarding their gear and their accolades? Does the photographer take special time to get to know you and your family prior to “clicking” and “shooting”? It is much more important that the photographer take time out to get to know you on some level (and for you to get to know your children’s photographer) then a boatload of credentials and gear.

· Browse through the photographer’s online portfolio and make sure that the style that you are seeing matches your own. Be cautious of web galleries filled with trendy effects such as selective coloring or cross processing (where there are out of this world unusual colors). A little goes a long way with both these effects and although they are nice a truly capable photographer does not need to showcase so many of this type of imagery to wow a potential client.

· Is the photographer willing to take time out to allow you to view their work in person? A professional photographer that is willing to take this extra time with you is willing to go the extra mile to ensure client satisfaction. I cannot tell you how many emails, phone calls or other conversations I have had with people who have had horrid, sad stories of how they entrusted a friend, relative or amateur to photograph an event or special day and how many images were lost or poorly exposed due to amateur incompetence. With the dawn of the digital revolution there are many inexperienced amateurs without knowledge or the appropriate equipment back up doing “business”. Ensure that you will not fall prey to this, this is why it’s highly important to entrust a professional with your children’s memories. This time in your lives is fleeting and today is not like any other day. Your family deserves the very best in portraiture and you should ensure that you are trusting your memories with someone who will do the job well.

· Cheapest is not best in many things, photography is no exception. If photography is very important to you (and to many people it is highly valued, almost as much as saving for their children’s college educations) it will be well worth the investment you make in getting your children’s portraits done by a quality professional. Do not be scared to ask for testimonials, do not be worried that the photographer will look at you oddly for asking this. Custom photography is a large investment but one that will be cherished forever and will be more priceless than anything else you can purchase. Please keep in mind that the price of a 30x40 Gallery Wrapped Canvas amortized over the years and years of time that you will cherish it is miniscule in comparison to the priceless nature of that very same piece of portrait art.

· Finally, realize the choice of a professional children’s photographer to photograph this precious time in your lives is important and that you should take time to research. The decision to choose a quality professional photographer is more art than science; if there are questions that you have and cannot find by viewing the photographer’s website, simply call or email the photographer and ask!

This article was intended to help you on your journey in finding the very best photographer for your family. If you find it helpful in any way, please feel free to link this article on your blog or within the forums settings, giving full credit to the site author, Marianne Drenthe, a Chicago Children’s Photographer. Keep these few things in mind when going over your choices for photography. More tips can be found at Choosing the Right Photographer, Child Photography Tips, and Recreational Activities To Do After Your Session At Our Studio additional articles written by Chicago Children’s Photographer and Portrait Artist, Marmalade Photography.