There are many fine senior portrait photographers in McKinney, Allen and Frisco Texas, including David Quisenberry and Aimee Louise Photography as well as myself.  We also serve high school seniors in the surrounding areas including Frisco and Allen.  So how does a high school senior select the perfect photographer from the dozens available to serve their needs?  While the photographer’s availability and price are certainly important, the most important part of the decision making process NOT the one everyone else is using.   The photographer you choose should match what you want in terms of style and your ability to connect with that photographer.

Each photographer’s style is very different so you should definitely take your time examining samples of their work.  1) Focus on how they pose, position and light their subjects.  Do they tend to create most of their images in the studio or on-location Yes, a photographer’s sample book is often their best work, but it’s often their opinion of their best work.  So if you like the images the photographer is showing you in their portfolio, that’s a great first step.  You have to really like their style because if you force another style on a photographer, you will in most cases not be happy with the results.  And, be especially wary of photographers who promise to shoot you using any style you want because that means they just really want your money.

You need to meet with the photographer next.  It can be at their studio or at a public venue such as Starbucks.  Or you can spend some time with them on the phone, Skype or a Google+ hangout.   You do this so you can figure out if this person can connect with you because he or she will be the one coaching you on how to look in front of the camera.  If you are not comfortable with the person, it will show in the images created for you.  A photographer can have the best gear, the best make-up artist, the best lighting style and the most beautiful person in front of them, but if the subject looks lifeless in front of the camera, the images will not be worth using.  The portrait session is a collaboration between the subject and the photographer so you need to be able to trust the photographer’s opinion.

A great photographer will coach you on how to look in front of the camera because most people react in one of two ways during a photo shoot.  First, a lot of people freeze up when a “real” camera is pointed right at their face so they end up looking lifeless and bland in their images.  The second look is from the person all too eager to please the camera so they end up looking too eager or psychotic.  So ask yourself, “can this photographer coach me into looking the way I want to look based on his or her style?”  The most sought after and highly paid photographers are the ones the can consistently pull the “best” expressions from their subjects

So if you find a photographer’s style you like and its a person you can connect with as well as match your budget, then you are well n your way to a great session.