How do you find the best photographer near you
There are many ways you can search for the best photographer near you. Here are some suggestions I have for you as a portrait photographer in the industry that knows the ins and outs of how the photographer industry works.
Where to Search for the best photographer near you
On Facebook
You can find your photographer near you by asking your friends on Facebook
There are possibly hundreds of photographers in your immediate area. You can start by asking your neighbors or friends. If you put a post on Facebook asking for your friends to recommend a good photographer, you will quite possibly get hundreds of “Me too” responses. Be careful though. You are most likely to get a list of photographers who are just starting our or will not have a lot of experience with real people or with the kind of portrait you want to get captured.
Don’t forget to check out if they have a Facebook page and are active on the page. Look for their website, their phone number, how to contact them, and see if they have reviews from their clients posted. That’s usually a good indicator of a quality photographer. If you don’t see a Facebook page for the photographer, then it is most likely not a professional studio. Be careful, there are plenty of fakes out there.
Check Out the Facebook page for Allie Serrano Portraits
on Google
Do a Google Search for the best portrait photographer studio in your area
The other way you can look for a professional photographer near you is by searching on Google. Here you may get a better listing but be sure to scroll to page 2 or 3 or 10 on Google so that you can an accurate listing of photographers near you, and not just those who have good SEO on their website. You can also look at the Reviews page on their Google Profile to see what others have said that has been photographed by that particular photographer. Check out the Google Page listing for Allie Serrano Portraits
YOu can also look for the best photographer on Instagram
You can also do a search on Instagram, especially if you are looking for a boudoir photographer because Facebook and Google are both known to be protective of pg13 results. Instagram is a little bit more liberal with the boudoir photographers and so most will gravitate their efforts there.
Check out the Instagram Page for Allie Serrano Portraits
What to Look For
Years of experience
When you are searching for the best portrait photographer near you, the first thing you want to look for is do they have the experience. Go to their About Page and see what it says. Does the photographer list their years in business? If their years in business are more than 5 years, you are good. You can see our About Page if you’d like here. This will also tell you that they are not just an amateur or a hobbyist but someone who has been around for a long time and probably will be for many years to to come.
quality work
Photography is a form of art, so you want to look for quality work that best appeals to you. Is there a specific style you are trying to go for with your campaign or photoshoot project? Make sure their style matches yours. Also, look for expressions in the artist’s work especially if you are looking for a portrait photographer. This will tell you whether the photographer has the ability to connect with their client, and thus capture a natural expression and not a fake smile or a resting facial expression. Have you looked at our gallery yet? Check it out.
Professional pricing
If you want a quality photographer, you definitely need to look for one that is priced at the professional standard. Definitely above $1,000. Most likely you want to be in the range between $2,500 and $5,000 for your total spent or more, for a quality professional photographer. We charge $1,250 deposit and most of our clients spend on average $4,500. See our full pricing here.
I hope I’ve been able to help you at least a little bit in your search for the best photographer in your area. There are many other tips, of course, as this is not an exhausted list. If you’d like to book a call with Allie Serrano and ask how she can help you with your next photoshoot project, you can do that here.