When Should You Hire A Photographer And Things To Know When Hiring One

For all those who had been wondering about my photographer's whereabouts, I do work with a professional photographer and it has been my wisest decision as a blogger. Most of my pictures, otherwise mentioned are shot by my friend and photographer @armandhugon . It has been a good three years us working together and I'm so pleased I took the leap.

Never had I thought I would work with one when I started to blog, cuz this mama was happy with her tripod/remote and an occasional intervention by hubs served the purpose. Talking about the latter, every blogger under the sun has her own stories, complaints, grievance list about working with their other halves and boyfriends, impatience, clashing schedules and out-of-focus shots being the most common across the table. My case is no exclusion- first I would have to wait for hubs' availability, then I would have had to deal with the irritability specially when asked to do retakes and lastly the lack of depth and quality. The list can go on but it would be too much, I should give him some credit for at least making an effort.

Outfit details

Anyways, a little later I started doing trade shoots with other bloggers. We would meet at a designated place, bring our own cameras, agree upon the number of outfits, spend a few hours and voila! The photo quality improved and I made new friends along the way. It was during one of these trade shoots that I met a girl friend and her boyfriend ( my current photographer ), we did some photos together and it was an instant connection. Ever since then Mauricio Cuevas alias Mau has been my photographer and he knows me so well. I'll have to give it to him for all his effort and patience as I am surely not easy to work with. I make sure I get all angles/shot right, even if it means doing 500 retakes.

The arrangement between my photographer and I

My photographer and I meet once every two weeks for two hours each session. It's usually somewhere close by but if we have to drive somewhere far and he needs to pay parking- I cover that cost. I try to squeeze in at least four outfits and a few sponsored products in those two hours. He charges me a flat discounted rate for those two hours, discounted cuz he doesn't edit my photos. I choose to edit my photos as I like them a certain way, but he would happy to edit it for an additional $ per photo. For all my paid sponsored posts I prefer to bring him along as I like to knock it out of the park. He gets paid a different, normally higher, hourly rate for my paid events, and any other paid sponsored collaborations. Also, I bring my SD ( memory ) card, he uses it with his camera and this way I don't have to wait for him to send me the photos. I have them on me right away.

When do you know you are ready to work with a photographer

If your answers to the questions below is mostly YES, then you are ready to work with a photographer.

1. Are you blogging full time and is your blog a substantial source of income?
2. Are you making enough money as a blogger to hire professional help?
3. Are you done dealing with your husband or boyfriend's tantrums and begging them to take your photos?
4. You fear that asking your friends and family to take photos for you would threaten your relationship with them?
5. Are low quality photos holding you back?
6. Did you land a coveted sponsorship and you really want to give it your best shot?

Things to remember when hiring a photographer

1. It ain't cheap unless the photographer is a friend or an acquaintance and is willing to offer a discount.
2. Fashion photographers either charge you by the hour or by the number of outfits you shoot. By the hour is always cheaper and it entirely depends on your efficiency to switch looks. The more hours you book with them, you could request for a monthly package rate.
3. Not all photographers are the same. Portrait photography, fashion photography, food photography, nature photography, wildlife photography, all are different genres and each requires different skills. You can't expect a wildlife photographer to take your outfit photos. Scout for photographers that have a history of working in your field.
4. Working with a photographer who does photography full time will cost you more than working with someone who does it part time more like a side gig. The only drawback would be the time. For someone who does it part time weekends are the only time he/she would be available, which personally for me ain't ideal, as weekends are for family.
5. When you work with a professional, unless you have an arrangement don't expect to get access to all the photos that were shot. Most photographers will give you access to four-five photos per outfit, but good news- all edited! Ask them to send you photos sans the watermark.
6. Make sure to iron out all the details including payment, photo licensing, copyrights, watermarks, and post production before scheduling.
7. Be courteous and respectful towards your photographer. He is not your spot boy or assistance, so don't treat him like one.

Benefits of working with a photographer

1. The benefits are abound, but the most important is photo quality. You will notice the tremendous improvement in your photos quality which keeps getting better and better.
2. After a few sessions your photographer will get acclimated to your likes and preferences, your best side and your best angles, and I'll tell you- it will be relieving. You will no longer have to set the camera and angle for your husband who would have otherwise just pushed CLICK!
3. You will have your photos edited for you, as photo editing is a whole different world and it ain't everyone's cup of tea.
4. Working with a Photographer will open doors to more healthy collaborations. Consistency across your work always puts you ahead of others.

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