Important Questions to Ask Your Family Photographer Before you Hire Them (Episode# 141)

Helping of Happiness

“I love capturing connection and genuine interactions within a family and allowing kids to be themselves. Whether you’re in the trenches of motherhood with little kids at home or trying to savor your “lasts” before they leave the nest, I am here to photograph it.” - Bailey Makaimoku

Important Questions We Should Ask Our Family Photographer Before Hiring Them:

Ask how long they have been working as a photographer

Do they have a website? Check out their work ahead of time to make sure you like their editing

Ask how they interact with kids

If you have a strict deadline- make sure you ask how long it takes to get your pictures back

Is your photographer going to find the location or are you?

Does the photographer help with suggestions for coordinating outfits?

Outfits to avoid in a family picture:

Avoid Neon colors, these can throw off your skin tones

Being too matchy matchy - have your colors coordinate, but don’t have everybody the same. Different textures are so cute!

Don’t pick outfit colors that will blend into the background you are shooting in front of - such as blue at the ocean or white in the snow

Avoid large logos that can be distracting

Number one rule of thumb when picking out your clothes for a family photo: Start with Mom’s outfit!!

Moms are usually stressed out getting things ready for the family photo. Mom needs to feel comfortable, feel like it looks good and beautiful. It’s always so much easier to find kids outfits to go with mom’s outfit instead of the other way around.

Bailey’s posts: 7 Important Questions to Ask Your Photographer Before Hiring Them (Part 1) and 7 Important Questions to Ask Your Photographer Before Hiring Them (Part 2)

Best places to get your pictures printed:

Nations Lab : they have regular deals and their shipping is quick. Their individual images for smaller prints are comparable to the cost of Costco's

Mpix - “We did our Christmas cards through Mpix this year and I got so many compliments on them. so many options for services such as albums, large prints, even printing on different types of services for canvas (wood, metal, etc.) and a sales page to see what other discounts they are offering. And BONUS: They always have a good percentage off for your first purchase through them.” - Bailey Makaimoku

Shutterfly- known for their photo books and albums, they also do great photo printing and always have good deals going on.

Bailey’s FAQs for a Family Photographer | Best Places to Print your Pictures

If you are interested in learning more about photography (even if you are just using your cell phone!), check out this episode we did with Jana Bishop: 5 Simple Ways to Take Amazing Photos (Episode #99

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