We wanted to dive in a little bit deeper on the topic of your photographer’s and videographer’s personality. We think that it’s important to find a personality that jives well with you and your family.
Why it matters for different types of shoots
Sumi and Steve Camarillo Ranch Wedding
For weddings
The media team will be with you as much or even more than your own bridal party. This typically depends on whether or not you’re delegating tasks on the day of. Photographers and videographers will be with you for your entire wedding day, so it’s important that your personalities vibe well together. There will be some stressful moments and some great highlights. You want to make sure that your photographer/videographer will be able to roll with it all! Sometimes the photographer will be the last person to you right before you walk down the aisle. If you need any words of encouragement or a ride out of the venue they’ll be the ones to give it.
Natasha and Roby embrace
For engagement and couple sessions
We highly recommend doing engagement sessions and couple sessions, especially before a wedding. This is a great way to test your photographer’s communication skills before a larger event. It can be surprisingly difficult to be on the receiving end of modeling directions. If you’ve never had your photos taken professionally, I highly recommend doing this to see your own coordination, comfort level, and style. This also makes for great slideshow images if you choose to do that on your wedding day.
For family, maternity, and newborn sessions
There will be lots of personalities within your family that you’ll have to consider when choosing a media team. I feel like the most important factor especially if you have children or animals is high energy and patience. An hour session could go by really quickly or seem to drag on. There are some people that know how to keep a baby comfortable, some that are straight out of the gates good with kids, and others that are simply dog whispers. You want a photographer who will make your family feel comfortable because it will show in the final edited images.
Spectrum of Personalities
Below I’ve listed some personality types. I don’t think that a person has to be on or the other, the best media team, in my opinion, are ones that have these different personalities built within the team or individuals that have the skills to thread between these spectrums and take up the skills necessary to get the job done.
Big ego vs humble
If you have a photographer who as a big ego and you see yourself being timider or laid back it can be intimidating talking to your photographer or asking them questions. Humble media teams tend to be more patient but if you have an assertive family, then the big ego photographer could do better in standing their ground and sticking to the schedule then the later.
Extroverted vs Introverted
There are some photographers/videographers that are open to sharing their whole life story with you. Then there are others that would much rather hide behind the bush to take your photos. It’s good to consider if you prefer to have the silence constantly filled up during an event or session or if you like quiet moments to sort out your thoughts.
Hands on vs Hands off
Some photographers will have to move your hair or adjust your clothing. Modeling photos can be exhausting and sometimes we have to herd some large groups. You may find yourself being pulled and pushed into position. There are some photographers that are very hands off and will give all of their direction vocally which is perfect for those that don’t like being touched but can be difficult for those that are uncoordinated. I’m personally pretty hands-on and will begin the session with “Is it okay if I touch you?” follow by “I’m probably gonna do this a lot today.”
Overall
We think it’s important to meet your photographer/videographer whether online through a video chat or in person before booking. You can see whether or not you connect and if you can trust that person to document your life.
It’s perfectly okay to pass on a media team if you don’t feel like it’s a good match. If we’re not compatible with a couple, we won’t book with them knowing that there’s a photographer/videographer that’s a better fit. It is important to build a good relationship because more often than not there will be other occasions where you’ll need a photographer and videographer. It’s best to find a team that you like working with so that you feel comfortable reaching out when the next special event occurs.
What are your tips on finding a photographer or videographer that’s the right fit for you? Share them in the comments below.
