A Guide To Comparing Photography Services

Are you searching for a professional photographer to capture your precious moments?

As a lifestyle photographer specializing in portrait services for families, couples, and engagements in Calgary, Alberta, I understand the importance of finding the right photographer who can meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through the process of comparing photography services, helping you make an informed decision and choose a photographer that is well suited just for you.

At the end, you’ll find a nice list that summarizes each aspect including examples and differences.

1. Portfolio and Style

When you’re looking through different photographer portfolios, take a mental note of their styles, creativity, and consistency. For example, compare the look and feel of the colours.

Are they warm or cool?

Are they natural or moody?

Are they bright or dark?

You can also compare whether their portfolio has a consistent vibe throughout their work. If it varies a lot or if it looks like the photos were shot or edited by different people then they might not have nailed down the consistency of style so what you get from them might not be what you see on their portfolio.

Look for a style that appeals to you and your vision.

Check out our Portfolio!

2. Experience and Expertise

Carefully review the photographer’s experience, expertise, and qualifications in the specific genre that you’re looking for. If you want family photos, make sure they have a good collection of photos to showcase their work and if they are mostly showcasing couples or weddings, then they might not be the right fit for you.

Compare their years in the industry. Have they been around for 5-10 years or have they only been doing photography for a couple of years? The number of years they’ve been doing this will determine if they’re able to handle tough situations like challenging lighting conditions or even the way they interact with you and make you feel comfortable.

3. Client Reviews and Testimonials

This one could easily be overlooked. Oftentimes, a high quality portfolio and lots of experience isn’t a direct reflection of good customer experience. Believe me, I know from my own personal experience with a family photographer.

Be sure to take a look at reviews and testimonials since they will usually have some honest feedback from customers that have hired the photographers. You can compare the overall ratings which is usually a good indicator but more importantly, read specific reviews to understand how people felt about their whole experience. For example, they might be great with adults, but maybe not so great with children.

See what our customers are saying about us!

4. Pricing and Packages

Start with your budget. Consider the value you get.

Do you get less photos at an exceptional quality for a higher price?

Do you get more photos for a lower price?

Are there options to get prints?

Decide what is most important to you and go with the option that best fits within your budget. Look out for clear and transparent pricing. You can always send the photographers a message to ask what the final price is or if there will be any additional costs or fees like for travel or editing.

5. Communication and Collaboration

Don’t hesitate to reach out to photographers. Send them a message, or ask to have a quick phone call. How well a photographer communicates, how smooth their booking process is, or how comfortable they make you feel, could make or break your decision. Assess how well they answer your questions, discuss different ideas, and understand your specific needs.

6. Contract and Terms

Have you ever considered reading a photographer’s contract or terms of services?

If not, you really should. Know exactly how you can use the photos they give you as well as how they can use them. If you don’t want your photos to appear on public websites or social media for privacy reasons, be sure to ask for a contract amendment.

Understand cancellation terms. Is there a fee for cancellation? Is there a non-refundable deposit if you cancel? Other terms to take note of are delivery timelines, when the full payment is due, and even what happens if the photographer can’t make the photo session.

Comparison Summary

Here’s a summary of all the points we discussed above, with examples:

Portfolio

• Examples: Family portraits, couple sessions, engagement photos

• Differences: Specialization primarily in family photoshoots vs offering family photoshoots but they specialize in engagements.

Style

• Examples: Natural, light, candid, artistic, dark, moody

• Differences: Light, airy, and natural vs a dark and moody theme.

Experience

• Examples: Years in the industry, number of projects completed

• Differences: 10 years of experience but has only done 50 photoshoots vs 6 years of experience with 100 photoshoots.

Expertise

• Examples: Lifestyle photography with a specialization in weddings, portrait photography with a specialization in outdoor family photos

• Differences: Great at taking photos in a studio with controlled lighting vs excelling in outdoor photography with varying lighting conditions.

Reviews

• Examples: Online platforms like Google or Yelp, social media like Facebook or Instagram

• Differences: Lots of positive reviews but they work mostly with adults vs lots of positive reviews and amazing with children.

Testimonials

• Examples: Client feedback, recommendations

• Differences: Super smooth booking process and photoshoot experience is not the most enjoyable vs less than ideal communication but exceptional photoshoot experience.

Pricing

• Examples: Hourly rates, package prices

• Differences: $200 for the photo session and additional $50 per photo vs $300 for 5 photos and additional charge for extra photos.

Packages

• Examples: Inclusions (number of photos, prints, retouching)

• Differences: 20 photos and prints with 1 hour session for $200 vs $300 for 5 photos and no prints with a 20 minute session.

Communication

• Example: Responsiveness, clarity, availability

• Differences: Great communication and quick responsiveness vs poor communication and delayed responses

Collaboration

• Examples: Creative input, flexibility

• Differences: Lots of ideas and caters to specific photography needs vs a standard approach with little flexibility

Contract

• Examples: Booking terms, cancellation policies, usage rights

• Differences: Deposit required at booking plus cancellation fees vs no deposit required with flexible rescheduling options.

Terms

• Examples: Deposit requirements, delivery timelines

• Differences: Deposit required with no timeline expectation vs no deposit required and 2-3 week turnaround time for photo delivery.

Conclusion

By comparing these aspects and understanding the differences, you'll be well-equipped to choose a photographer who aligns with your style, budget, and expectations. Remember to prioritize communication, reviews, and the photographer's portfolio when making your decision.

At the end, decide on your top 3 choices for a professional photographer, because I’ll be talking about some of the important points to consider when you reach out to them in this next article about contacting the photographers.

If you have any questions about our services, feel free to reach out!

Next, we’re going to cover things to consider when contacting the photographers.