Friday, December 18, 2009

Choosing a Photographer

How does a photographer find the balance between shooting what he/she wants artistically and photographing what their clients want? Obviously the client should get what they want, they're the client. However, it can be difficult for a photographer to break from their style to adapt to a particular clients needs. Should clients take more time to carefully select a photographer that shares their style, or is it entirely up to the photographer to adapt?

I've recently began going down the road of real estate photography. Thankfully the clients I currently work with share my tastes in style. We work well together. However in the portraiture world I've worked with some clients who have their own idea for the shots. They chose me simply because I was a photographer and my rate fit within their budget. However, our styles didn't mess. I did the job, but acquiring desired results was difficult and I'd often end up with something that I'd probably not put in a portfolio. Artist have a portfolios for a reason. Yes its to display technical knowledge, but more importantly it should present the breadth of an artists style. I have a couple of different styles that I shoot. I often try and get clients to tell me what they liked in my portfolio so that I can get an idea of what they're wanting me to produce for them. This communication between clients and photographers is crucial. Hopefully this insight into one photographers mind helps those who're looking for a photographer make a great decision.

In Christ,
David Price
Black Olive Photographic
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