Tis the season to find a family photographer! This is hands down the busiest season for family photographers, and with so many of us out here, the choices can be overwhelming for you, the searcher. I thought I’d help narrow down your search a bit and list the five signs that I am NOT the photographer for you:

You’re looking for a quick in and out just to “get it done.”

I get it. You need holiday cards, or an updated family photo to satisfy a gift need, but you’re really not looking for a long walk in a park or playtime at home. You want to get in and out and check the thing off your task list. I feel you. But I’m probably not the photographer for you. I want our experience to be fun, and to document the connections between you and your family members, and I have an hour slotted for that purpose. If you want an hour with your family without any distractions, I’m your person.

You’re interested in negotiating the price.

I’m not here to gouge you, but I’ve done the math to determine what I need to charge in order to stay in business, and it is what it is. If you’re looking for the lowest price in town, I’m not your photographer. There are others who are able to charge less, and if price is specifically what you’re looking at when selecting your family photographer, you can probably find what you’re looking for elsewhere for less. However, if you really like my style, and really want to work with me, I offer payment plans for the collections I offer after your session.

You prefer to keep up your guard.

One of my goals for every session is to show true emotion and connection between the people I’m photographing. If you’re more of a “smile for the camera” person, (and there’s nothing wrong with that), you might not appreciate my efforts to get you to move around, let down your guard, and emote. And if we’re perfect strangers, I get that. I’d be nervous about letting myself be open with a stranger as well. That’s why I like to chat on the phone with all my new clients, so we can get to know each other a little bit before we agree to work together. And why I ask you to fill out a questionnaire before our session, so we have some talking points while we play for an hour. I love to find common ground (there’s more of it than we think, these days) and I’m sure we can find some connection points, if we try. Of course, if you don’t want to try to connect, you’re probably going to want to find another photographer.

You want to do it all yourself.

You’re a real independent go-getter, and don’t need anybody offering you a hand through a process, even if you’ve never done it before. (Maps? Who needs maps?) I prefer to offer clients a prep guide before the session, with tips on how to prepare for our session, ideas on what to wear, how to prep the house if we’re doing an in-home session, etc. While I want your family session to be all about you and not the perfect outfit, I also want you to have the most information so you can make the conscious choice on how to dress and prepare for your family’s time together. If you’d rather not have the roadmap, I think there are other photographers who are more hands-off and might be more up your alley.

You’re not interested in printing your photos or displaying them in your home.

I’m definitely not your photographer, if your intention is to keep all your photos on your computer and never to print them. Kids gain a real boost of self-worth and self-confidence when they see themselves in family photos, when the images are hung in places of prominence and displayed proudly around their home. They gain a sense of connection, familiarity, and security to see that they belong to a network of people who love them. It’s not enough just to be photographed (though that’s important, too). The photos need to be seen. That’s why I include a triple-digit print credit with every collection, to encourage you to let me do the hard work for you. I’ll create your albums, and print and deliver tangible prints, canvases, and wall art for you, so you don’t get distracted by life and never print your images.

If none of the above sound like you, and you’d like an hour of your family’s life documented and then displayed prominently in your home, while I walk you through the process and make self-deprecating jokes along the way, then maybe I AM your photographer. You can see the process of working with me here.