What do People Say?, Tips for Finding the best Photographer for You!

I know…when it comes to choosing a photographer you have a plethora of options. In town photographers, out of town photographers, newbies, seasoned pros, natural light shooters, studio shooters, etc. Does it really matter who you choose as long as the price is right? I think it does!

I’ve written this series to walk you though how to find the best photographer for you! (Links to the rest of the series are at the bottom of this post!)

Know what others say about them.

In this online world, it can be hard to decide fully what you are getting when you hire someone. You can find yourself wondering the following:

• Will my photos look that good?
• Will they value my time and vision for these photos?
• Will they be timely in their photo delivery?
• Am I going to regret hiring them?

One great tool when you are looking for a photographer is to look at what others say about them.

“Nice photos.” is ok.
“She takes beautiful photos!” is better.
“We LOVE our photos! Totally obsessed with them!” is great.

Let me give you a secret tool though here. You do definitely want to know if their clients like their photos, but I suggest also looking for hints of the experience. In the reviews, mentions, and comments you want to look for how the clients felt as well. When you look at a photo you remember how you felt in that moment. If you felt rushed, unappreciated, frustrated, or awkward because of something your photographer said or did, you’ll remember those feelings when you look at your photos later. Look for phrases like these:

• “She made us feel comfortable in front of the camera!”
• “He felt like a friend even though we’d just met that day!”
• “The weather was crazy that day, but she bent over backwards to make it work and to calm my worries. I can’t believe how amazing the photos are with such bad wind!”
• “He was so good with my child when she threw a fit! So patient and made me not feel like a bad Mom for having a tantrum kid during the shoot!”

Chances are the photos really are amazing, but when you add in the layer of emotion and good memories tied to the photos that’s when you reach the point of “obsession” over the photos. I can think of two different couples sessions we’ve had. Both have given us BEAUTIFUL photos, but I’m only obsessed with the photos from one of the sessions because of how the photographers made us feel during the sessions. I was eager and excited to leave a review for one of them and I don’t think I ever left a review for the other.

Marquette LaRee: Rather than me blab on here, let me share a few words from some of the #PricklyPearVIP (my past couples and clients!)

Rachel:

“I just need to tell you that a couple of days after the wedding as I was seeing pictures from my friends and family I was so sad. As a mom yourself, I’m sure you know the havoc that postpartum hormones and changes in your physical appearance can cause your emotions. All I could think of the pictures I’d seen was that I looked huge (even though you made me feel like a rockstar during the photo shoot) and I made peace with the fact that I’d probably feel the same way when I saw the ones you took.

Today when I nervously opened your blog, I saw pictures of a happy, confident bride and I have you to thank for that. I cried happy tears because I love them so much and I know it’s because you were so encouraging and kind while we took them. Thank you for giving us beautiful photos of our day that we’ll be proud to show forever.”

Peter:

“My wife and I were married October 14th. When we first spoke with Marquette she was totally excited and easy to talk to. This same energy went in to our engagement session and reflected in our photos. We are awkward at times when taking photos but she made us feel comfortable the entire session. The day of the wedding she was fantastic! She somehow captured all of the amazingly special moments during the event! She is also incredibly talented and stepped in to help the bridesmaids while they were getting ready whenever it was needed. Her turnaround time for our photos were quick! They were uploaded before we even made it back from our honeymoon! The photos turned out way better than we could ever have hoped! Huge thank you to Marquette and her assistant, Claire, for recording the memory of our day!”

Kirsten:

“Marquette was the best money I spent towards my wedding. She is so easy to work with and is so understanding and incredibly personable! I love the fact that she too is a mom and was not afraid to pick up my son and hold him while still taking pictures. The quality of pictures didn’t change either when she was holding him, all pictures are equally as beautiful and amazing! Something Preston and I will treasure for many years to come! I LOVE all my pictures and I couldn’t be happier!”

I loved getting to be the sidekick for Rachel & Jaime, Peter & Samantha, and Kirsten & Preston. Their words meant so much from when they first sent them and still touch my heart.

If you want to meet more of the Prickly Pear VIP and read what they have to say and see if they address any of the fears or concerns you have, I’d love for you to check out what they have to say. You can find their words any of the following places:
Marquette LaRee Weddings Page
Marquette LaRee Facebook Reviews
Google Reviews
AND there are reviews throughout the website!

With the posts in this series you have all the tools you need to find the best photographer for you!

Is Marquette LaRee the photographer for you? Click the topics below to get all the tips and tools!

• Style and Posing
• Pricing Structure
• Area of Expertise
• What People Say

Are we a good fit? I’d love to invite you to take a look around! Here are some great places to start to see if we are the best fit:
https://marquettelaree.com/about
https://marquettelaree.com/blog
https://www.instagram.com/marquettelaree/