Family portrait photographers and Stephanie

There are a number of incredible family portrait photographers located within the Tampa Bay area and more immediately in Clearwater. Because I like to be aware of other photographers operating in my area, I have scoped out a number of their websites. Many of them offer friendly, prompt service, gorgeous images and reasonable pricing. Placing myself in a potential client’s shoes, I can tell how difficult it must be comparing and contrasting all of these great service providers. You want one-of-a-kind images of you and your family, but how do you differentiate between Beautiful Beach Photography A and Lovely Clearwater Photos B? So, this blog post is here to make the decision a little bit easier and hopefully give you more of a sense of who I am, why my brand of photography is unique and what you can expect while working with me.

Family portrait photographers are different people

A family portrait photographer of 1890. 

Frances Benjamin Johnston, Two unidentified women being photographed, 1890, cyanotype [Source]

This seems really obvious, right? But the fact that there are different people operating behind the camera, images and nicely designed website can get lost amidst all of that information and marketing. With a few photographers already in mind, I suggest you open several tabs to differentiate between their websites side-by-side. Looking at each of their websites in turn, do you get a sense of the person (or people) behind the images and text? More importantly, does he or she seem like a person you would enjoy spending an hour with or more? Do they seem dependable? All in all, how does this business present themselves? These are all questions you should ask yourself while looking at their websites. My about section, FAQ and blog posts give a sense of my personality and work ethic. 

There is not one way to create an image

Finding a unique style of photography is something family portrait photographers – actually all kinds of photographers, from fashion photographer to photojournalist – work on throughout their lives. Once we get the basic technical skills down – creating a well lit, nicely composed photo that isn’t fuzzy or noisy – we try to hone in on what differentiates our images from the thousands we see every day. Ask yourself: “Can I see this photographer’s work hanging in my home?” Moreover, as you go through the photographers’ galleries, does their work remain consistent? Last and most importantly, as you’re looking through these images, do they evoke any emotions? Do you get a sense of these people’s identities and rapport with one another? Many people can take a well-lit photo, especially with the capabilities of cameras today. It takes a good deal of time, dedication and practice to create photos that create a story. I actually ask myself this question any time I update my portfolio.

Besides seeing if a photographer fits your budget, I hope these two considerations – the family portrait photographer you’ll be working with and their particular style of photography – help to narrow down your options. By spending only an extra few minutes to see if your vision and the photographer’s aesthetic are similar, making a decision will actually be far quicker and more satisfying. 

Have you taken a look at my website and feel that we're a good fit? Great! Head on over to my services page and let's get started!