Being in business for over 5 years now, I can confidently say be careful choosing your photographer,
I spent many months seeking legal advice and learning how to properly set up and run a business—it’s a lot of work. I believe strongly in building on a solid foundation and not cutting corners. I also built up my business where I can consistently
produce high quality work, no matter what the enviroment.
With that being said, I thought I’d write a blog for people who are looking for a photographer, and how to find one who is both skilled and legally operating, so they get the best experience. Ultimately, I want people to find the photographer who’s best for them—even if it’s not me. 🙂
Tips for Choosing the Right Photographer
1. Reviews
Look at publicly posted and recent reviews. Be cautious if a lot of reviews were posted on the same day. While even I struggle to get clients to leave reviews, you should see a steady, natural flow over time. Photographers with consistent 5-star ratings and detailed feedback are a plus. Bonus points if they respond to their reviews—that shows they truly value their clients.
2. Responsiveness
Find someone who responds within a day of your message. Communication is key. We all get busy, but it doesn’t take much to send a quick reply.
3. You Get What You Pay For
No two photographers are the same—each is an artist with different levels of experience and tools. Some have 1 month of experience, others with lifelong. Be wary of the “too good to be true” cheap options. I often hear stories of people getting scammed at the bottom tier—low prices, but disappointing results or not even receiving photos. For quality, you want a photographer who can provide high-resolution images. Ask any printing store: 4K or lower won’t print well at large sizes—it may look fine on social media, but that’s basically like posting a phone picture.
4. Business Legitimacy
Check that they have proper business licenses for the area they’re working in. A simple call to the local business license office, or checking the town’s website, will confirm this. I’d estimate 75% of photographers operate “under the table” because they don’t know how to run a legal business. If someone works all over the state without proper licensing, they’re likely avoiding taxes too—and their prices often reflect that.
For example, in South Carolina there are 200+ local licenses. To be licensed everywhere would cost around $25,000+ per year as the base. Every state handles this differently. Personally, I do all my work in Beaufort, SC—but even just Beaufort County has 6 separate licenses for different towns/locations. If I’m hired outside beaufort county my fee may be higher, because I need a license, on average a base license in a area is around 100-200$ not including taxes paid on what your earned in area and you have to be approved by the area to do business.
5. Contracts
Always sign a contract outlining what you’ve agreed to. Trust is great, but a written agreement protects both parties.
6. Pricing Models
Understand what you’re paying for. Some photographers charge a low initial fee, then bill per photo. Others charge a flat rate with a set number of final images. Make sure you’re clear on this before booking.
7. Edited Images
“Editing” means different things to different photographers. Some spend seconds on an image, others spend hours. If a photographer shoots in RAW, editing is mandatory—what you see on the back of the camera is not the finished photo. People sometimes think photographers are expensive without realizing how much time goes into editing. Personally, for every hour I shoot, I spend 10–20 hours editing.
8. Turnaround Time
Delivery timelines vary. Some photographers deliver in a day, others take months. Personally, I schedule editing right after the shoot. Weddings take longer since there are thousands of photos, but I always deliver a few highlights the next day so couples have something exciting to share.
9. Backups & Insurance
Ask if they shoot with backup systems and carry insurance. Memory cards can fail—it’s rare, but it happens. My cameras record to two cards at once for safety. Insurance is also important; many venues require proof from professionals.
10. Portfolio Consistency
Look for consistent style and quality in their portfolio. Unfortunately, some photographers steal images and claim them as their own to appear more skilled. If something looks suspicious, do a reverse image search (in Chrome, you can right-click and “Search with Google Lens”).
11. Check their social media
A quick check on their personal facebook or instagram can tell you alot about a person, even a quick google search of a person or company.
12. Find someone dedicated to you
Find those that are great with communicating, keep you up to date and check in. Great photographer seek to build amazing relationships, its not just about the photos, its creating an experience and be a friend in the middle of it all, someone you can trust :)
I’m sure there are more tips, but these are my top ones for helping people choose the right photographer.