Five Mistakes When Picking a Photographer – from a top Toronto Corporate Headshot And Event Photographer
So you’ve been tasked to get a photographer by your boss. Yes more often than not you need to get someone fast because photography for your upcoming headshots or event was a bit of a rush and an afterthought. Here’s how you can make sure you get the right person for the job and wow your boss and your whole company.
1. Portfolio is Random. Look at the photographers Abilities. Do they have the portfolio to accomplish what you need. I mean for real. Not a bunch of random galleries on their website, but do they have galleries that they can send you to show you they can deliver. If it’s headshots do are they able to photograph both men, women, to look natural as well as potentially tricky things like glasses, receding hairlines, and various skin tones.
2. Post Production is fake. Yes, as much as we hate to admit it, an older woman or man should look natural in photos and not like a blur filter has been put over their face. Make sure to look closely at portraits.
3. The backgrounds are uneven. Can you even believe I’m bringing this up? Well… any good photographer will bring a light meter to their shoot and make sure that the background is even left to right and there aren’t strange shadows. Studio work is an art. Gradients are a different thing but if there are shadows then skip that person.
4. The Shadows on the face are incorrect. Okay, now I’m getting technical, but if the subject has long shadows under the nose that drag into the lip and the side of the face is really dark, this person may have just picked up their camera yesterday. Skip them.
5. They are really inexpensive. Another tip that they may not have the correct gear to be able to provide high quality imagery for your shoot as they aren’t working with the tools to do the job. More than likely you will be paying to do a reshoot if you hire this person, or they don’t have the experience to know how to price what they’re doing. Stay away.
BONUS!!!
6. They are not a registered business. Your business needs to work with other businesses. If the person cannot provide a W9, and proof of insurance walk away, you don’t need that liability.
7. You want the triangle. Fast. Cheap. High Quality. If the person says they can do all three they are not the right person for you. It is a well known industry fact that you just can’t have it all. You can have two of the three so pick your favourite two and go for those.
I hope these tips have been helpful and always glad to advise on projects.
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Toronto Corporate Headshot Event and Branding Photographer and Videographer