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Seven things you need to know about a studio before booking a photo session
1: Are they secretive about their prices?
One should always be suspicious when a studio is afraid to publish their rates on their web site or in their promotional material. Some studios will advertise low session fees and then nail you when it comes time to buy the prints. Do they have a "minimum" number of prints you must buy? Get the answers first on the phone before commiting to even the initial consultation. Many people are vulnerable, especially when the issue is about intimate photos of themselves. The consultation should be an opportunity to answer questions or review the photographer's work, but should not be used as a pressure tactic to coerce someone into buying something they do not wish or can't afford. For more on this topic, see our editorial Photography Sessions: What is a fair price?
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2: What qualifications does their makeup artist have?
Makeup and hair styling for photography is an art that requires special training. Ask to see the certificates of the makeup artist and to see a portfolio of their work. Many studios advertise hair and makeup as part of their package, but few have the talent to do it properly. The makeup is critical and the studio should not have to rely on photoshop retouching to make up for their inability to do proper hair styling and makeup. For more on makeup, please see our makeup page.
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3: Is their promotional material full of hype or facts?
The information on a studio's web site should be clear and concise. If they use a lot of flowery terms designed to woo you but are secretive about the hard facts, then you are being hyped. Terms like "Dream Fantasy Sessions" or "The Movie Star Experience" are designed to create an illusion of glamour that may not be reflected in your final prints. They may try to dazzle you with glam, but in the end, it will be the prints you hang on your wall or place in your private portfolio that will be important. The number of awards or sensational success stories may be nice for the photographer, but this does not ensure that your images will fall into the same category. Look for a studio that is honest, clear and up front with what you are buying and for how much.
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4: Who will be in the photo studio?
We stress comfort, discretion and confidentiality in our business. Doing a photo session, especially one that is of a romantic nature, can be very uncomfortable if you are the nervous or shy type and are doing it for the first time. Some people want no one in the studio while others are more comfortable if there is another woman present. We offer both options depending on what you wish. My wife, Oleanna, is great at making our female clients more comfortable and helps with any "costume adjustments" and also keeps an eye on how you look and can make makeup corrections as we change the lights and set. Before you book a session, discover what the studio's practices are.
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5: Do they try and blind you with razzle dazzle?
If a studio focuses more on dazzling you with shows and glamour rather than focussing on your images, it is likely they are trying to sell you a fantasy. Your images should sell themselves. At the end of the day, when the music stops and the hype is over, it is only your image that you will be putting on the wall. You will not be hanging their awards. You will not be displaying their credits. It is only your image that will stand the test of time. We are a small studio that has down to earth family values and a simple approach to offering you print alternatives. Our presentation is simple. We will sit with you in front of the television to watch your images in a multimedia slide show, review your images with you, discuss the retouching options and listen to your comments. When you receive your prints, they will be better than what you saw on the screen, not the other way around.
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6: Do they have an iron clad guarantee?
If you pick up your prints, and they are not everything that you were told they would be, then that studio should be prepared to either refund your money or make them right.. If you are paying top dollar for your prints, you should expect to receive better than average results. To read about our Guarantee, CLICK HERE
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7: How important are "awards"?
Awards are nice because it provides affirmation to the photographer that their work is recognized by their peers. However many "awards" that photographers have in their credits are from camera clubs and associations that regularly hand out "awards" to themselves. Most people who are members of these camera clubs will accumulate "awards" over time. If a photographer lists a plethora of "awards" in their credits, chances are that they got them from one or more of these clubs or associations.
We are not a member of any "self adulation clubs'. The only memberships we have are to associations in the art world who do not give "awards" to themselves. We have, in fact, received many international awards, however we did not ask for them nor do we seek them. We prefer to let our work speak for itself. At the end of the day, it is not these easily obtained certificates that you will hang on your wall, it is the artwork which you hired the photographer to produce. Look at their portfolio, not these "awards". Find a photographer that has the style you are looking for and expect that when your prints are delivered, they are everything they promised they would be.
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