How to Find Photographers Near You
Are you trying to find a photographer near you? Going on vacation and need family photos? Proposing to that special someone and wanting those memories captured forever? Whatever the reason for the photos, selecting your photographer can feel like a stressful task, but it doesn’t have to be! Try following these tips when choosing the best photographer near you to capture your memories.
What to look for?
When looking for a local photographer, there’s a few key things to keep in mind; budget, editing style, and overall vibe!
Budget - Check to see if they list their prices online, if not you can always send them an inquiry and ask for a pricing guide!
Style - Make sure you really like their editing style. Your contract will likely state that you may not edit the images so it is important that you actually like the way this photographer edits their photos. Check out their social media and website for examples of their work!
Vibe - will you vibe personality wise? When having your photos taken, it’s much easier to relax and get great photos when you’re able to connect with your photographer!
Now that you know what to look for, let’s talk about where to look.
Where to look?
There’s a few places you can find professional photographers near you; Google, social media, and referrals.
If you have a referral, you can go straight to that photographer's website and check out their portfolio. If you don’t have anyone specific in mind, you can do a simple google search for photographers near you. If that doesn’t yield the results you want, or you want to look further into a couple options, go on instagram or facebook and type “[your city] photographer” into the search!
Referrals
Personally, I think referrals are the best way to find the perfect local photographer for your needs. Referrals, or word of mouth, is when someone who has previously worked with a photographer, or knows the quality of their work/professionalism, recommends them to you. If you’re traveling and don’t know anyone in the area that you can ask, a great resource would be the hotel front desk, your BnB host, your server at a restaurant in town, or really any local you come across!
Google is a great place to start when trying to find the best photographer near you. You can keep it simple and search “photographer near me” or you can narrow your search by trying something like “Boston couples photographer” or “Southern Maine family photographer”. The world is your oyster on Google so make sure you’re specific or you’ll have hundreds of options to sift through.
Instagram is the perfect social media for photographers. It’s a great opportunity to showcase a photographers style, personality, and even share updates/availability. Many photographers use hashtags on their photos to help potential clients like you find their work! You can even niche down further by searching “[your city] family photographer” or “[your city] engagement photographer”.
My Facebook page isn’t much different from my Instagram. However, this is a great way for anyone without Instagram to see a more updated portfolio. Websites are usually updated less frequently than social media so I think it’s really beneficial to check these out in addition to a website. Photographers also often post updates about sessions or sales on their social media accounts so if you see a photographer you like, you may want to follow along to see if they have any availability coming up!
TikTok
Although TikTok isn’t the first place I go when looking for a photographer, it can definitely be a helpful resource! You can see examples of the photographer's work as well as videos that showcase their personality. Another great thing about TikTok is that a lot of photographers post behind the scenes videos so you can get a better idea of what a photoshoot with them would look like!
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve done your research on photographers near you, it’s time to inquire! Go to the contact or booking page on their website and send over an inquiry. It’s totally normal to send inquiries to multiple photographers, especially if you aren’t sure of your budget/availability. Just remember, ghosting isn’t cool! If you’ve decided to go with another photographer you can simply let the others know that you’ve found someone who suits your needs.
Are you planning a trip to Southern Maine next summer? Do you want to find a photographer to capture your vacation memories or a surprise proposal? Click here to inquire about working with me!
