Professional photography is a luxury service. It is expected for the customer to have plenty of questions going into a session or an event. I equate this to purchasing a car (but on a much smaller scale). Nobody would walk into a dealership, point at a car, sign their life away, then just drive away. You want to know what you’re paying for and what to expect from the person providing you with the product or service. Now I’m sure many people may have many more questions than the six we’re about to list but these are some of the most common questions that come my way.

1.How long have you been a photographer? The longer a photographer has been in business, the more likely it is that it’s not just a hobby for them.

Mike’s Answer: I’ve been a professional photographer for 6+ years and a hobbyist for over a decade.

2.What areas do you service? This is an obvious question but there is a factor that often gets overlooked and that’s weather or not a photographer charges for travel time. Many photographers will add a travel surcharge over a specific distance.

Mike’s Answer: The majority of my photography has been in Westchester County, but I have never been shy about traveling. I do however charge a surcharge for anything over 50 miles ( Hey gas is expensive 😉). One of my favorite weddings happened to be in Montreal Canada!

Elizabeth and Danica's Wedding in Montreal.

3.Which types of photography do you specialize in? It’s uncommon for a photographer to specialize in several different types of photography as they often only specialize in one or sometimes two genres. For example, a photographer who specializes in newborn photography might not be the best candidate to shoot wedding photos unless they have the experience in doing so.

Mike’s Answer: I guess you can call me uncommon. In the past decade I have been requested to jump into many different genres of photography. Some I’ve enjoyed more than others. If I absolutely had to choose one genre it would be Family Portraits. There’s nothing I love more than photographing a family and seeing the look on moms face when she’s looking at the photos of her family for the first time.

4.Do you have many repeat clients? This is a great litmus test of not only the quality of a photographer’s work but of their customer service too.

Mike’s Answer: Absolutely! As stated in my answer to question 2, I’ve been asked to photograph many different genres. My repeat customers are the reason for this. Below is an example of a couple who hired me for their wedding, their first child’s holiday photos (Newborn photos excluded due to Covid), Their first family session, and baby’s cake smash! The same has gone for Sweet 16 Clients who have become Senior portrait clients, and so on..

5. What is your policy on rescheduling a session? An experienced photographer will definitely have a policy in place when it comes to a customer cancelling or rescheduling a photography session. A photographer with policies indicates that they have experience with different types of customers and situations and have created policies accordingly.

Mike’s Answer: I ask for a small deposit when an event or portrait session is booked. If a session is cancelled due to weather then we will reschedule without an additional fee. If my client cancels last minute and wants to reschedule than there will be an additional deposit required. This part of the business has always been difficult for me because although I understand that life gets in the way sometimes, I’m also running a business and that time slot could have been filled.

6.Silent Question: Use your gut to judge their personality and rapport. A photographer’s main job is to capture emotions and moments. If your photographer doesn’t mesh well with you on the phone or in person, chances are you and your family will not mesh well with them at your session and this will show in your photos.

Mike’s Answer: Ah the unspoken question. This one is one of my favorites. Before I ever picked up a camera, I was the epitome of an introvert. Always the shy guy in the room and never gravitated towards conversation. Now, my wife will tell you that I’m nauseatingly a people person. There’s nothing that I love more than interacting with my families during a shoot. The same can be said about weddings and events. When I’m behind my camera at a party, I never feel like I’m working. It’s an awesome feeling and it’s the reason I love doing what I do.

Well, there you have it. 6 questions you can drop your photographers way before your next session and if you’re booking me then we’ve saved some valuable time already. If you can think of any other questions you’d ask your photographer, comment on this post, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading 😊

If you are in the New York or Connecticut area and you'd like to book a session with us we'd love to hear from you. Our contact info is below.

Phone: (347) 880-1463

Email: Michael@legacystudiosny.com