4 Critical Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Photographer

Beside the obvious questions of price and what packages they offer. There's a little bit more you should be asking. Here a few questions you should ask before you say yes to that photographer.

1. Do we receive a written agreement/contract?- This protects BOTH you and the photographer. This lays out the expectations of the session, this should cover payment, guarantees, policies, your rights and the photographers. Both parties should sign the contract before hand. Not having one shouldn't be a deal breaker, but like I said it protects you and the photographer.

2. Do you offer any guarantees? - If the photographer just doesn't execute your vision or your just dissatisfied with your session and photographs what is the photographer willing to do to fix this. It's always better to know this upfront than to just hope for the best.

3. What does your session fee include? - This may seem like an obvious questions, but I have found most people just assume, that price is just for the session. It never hurts to ask what else maybe included, With every session I shoot, I offer a mobile album so you can share and view anytime,

4. What are your payment terms? - Inquiring about payment terms helps you financially plan your session. Ask if there is a session fee to reserve the date that needs paid upfront, or at the time of the session. (This is pretty standard practice, I know I have been burned plenty times for this! Gotta love no shows!) Especially ask about payment when it comes to your order, do you need to pay in full or will a partial payment with the balance due upon delivery work?

Obviously, there are tons of more questions that could be asked. Don't be afraid we, photographers, love to answer them all for you!