What to Look For When Choosing a Professional Chicago Photographer

There are many reasons why you or your company may need to hire a professional Chicago photographer. Whether it’s to photograph your place of business, take employee headshots, photograph events, or the many other important reasons you hire a professional Chicago photography company – it’s very important you hire a good one!

Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the country, and there are many Chicago professional photographers to choose from. It’s important you spend some quality time evaluating them and not just select the first one you come across; it can make all the difference.

Here are the top 5 things to look for when selecting a professional photographer in Chicago:

1. Experience

While this should go without saying, you should always look at the experience of the photographer (or any professional for that matter) before hiring them. As simple as this may sound, many people fail to do this and just hire the first “professional” that comes up on their computer screen. Before you give them a call, have you looked at the website of the professional photographer you are considering? The best Chicago photographers will not only have a website, but will have a portfolio that is plentiful with pictures of their work.

Don’t just look at their website, but Google them. They should have reviews on sites such as Google, Facebook and Yelp. What are their customers saying about them? How established is the Chicago professional photography company you are considering hiring? Have they not only displayed samples of their work, but also samples of the type of work or photo shoot you are considering hiring them for? These are all types of questions to ask and things to consider so you can be sure you’re selecting the best Chicago photographer for your next project.

2. Professionalism

Professionalism is another area that should certainly be evaluated before choosing your next photography professional. You want to be as certain as you can that your Chicago photographer will maintain the utmost professionalism before, during, and after the shoot. Don’t just call and assume that because whoever answered the phone was nice, that you should immediately hire that Chicago photography company. You may want to meet with your photographer beforehand to detail your project needs and evaluate what their response is, and not just take the easy way out and hire someone you spoke to for 5 minutes over the phone.

You’ll want to clarify exactly what you need done and exactly what you expect not only during the shoot, but after the shoot as well. It should be a very pleasant experience meeting with the Chicago photographer you contacted, and if it’s not and you don’t feel he or she exudes professionalism, you definitely want to go in a different direction. Remember, especially if you are hiring a Chicago photography professional on behalf of another person or company, they are essentially going to be representing you since you’re the one that hired them. So do everything you can to make sure your photography professional is truly “professional” before you hire them. It will make the shoot much easier and both the photography company and the final work product will reflect well on you for taking the time to truly evaluate the photographer you hire. And again, meeting with the professional Chicago photographer personally is the best way to evaluate how polished they are.

3. Unique Ideas

When selecting a Chicago photography company, you want to ensure they have some unique ideas and an original approach to your photography project. Almost anyone can take pictures these days, but you are likely hiring a professional Chicago photographer in the first place so they can do something that will differentiate your project in a great way.

Whether you are photographing people, places, or events, it should be done in a unique way that sets you apart from everyone else. It is not just the quality of the professional photographs you are having made, but the way in which they were taken are very important so as to illustrate originality and creativity as opposed to being “run of the mill” pictures. In addition to speaking with the photographer in detail about your shoot, the photographer’s portfolio can also help in this regard to show what unique shoots they have worked on in the past. So put some thought into how you can make your pictures unique and original, and the Chicago photographer you hire should have a unique perspective as well on how to make your important photo shoot the best it can be!

4. Personality & Comfortability

Evaluating someone’s personality may initially sound silly, but it is extremely important when selecting a professional photographer in Chicago. You want to hire someone that has an engaging, upbeat personality, as this will translate into how the shoot goes. It also extends to how much creativity the photographer has which will hopefully translate into many unique ideas you may not have thought of that will make your important photoshoot original and unique.

When choosing a professional Chicago photographer, your comfort level is key! Developing a trusted relationship with your photographer is paramount. Doing so will mean there shouldn’t be any surprises and that you both know what to expect. Remember, you are not hiring someone to simply take pictures; you are hiring a photography professional to tell the story of your company’s brand or special event. A skilled professional with a great personality who asks a lot of questions and is truly interested in your ideas and preferences is the Chicago photographer you want to do business with.

5. When in Doubt, Check References

When you have several Chicago photography companies that seem like they would do a great job, and you need to narrow down the list, check their references. Any professional Chicago photographer with some experience under his or her belt should have a list of references at the ready. Taking the time to check the references of your photography professional can mean the difference between a shoot that turned out well and a shoot that turned out amazing. It’s definitely worth taking the time to check references to be 100% sure that you are selecting the best Chicago photographer for your important project.

The Takeaway: Finding the Best Professional Chicago Photographer

You should treat hiring your Chicago professional photographer as you would in hiring any professional such as a doctor or lawyer. A professional Chicago photographer can help your business in many ways, so you want to ensure you do the legwork to learn and get to know them as much as possible before making the hiring decision. Most of all, keep a positive outlook on the process! It should be a fun process getting to know the photography professionals in Chicago, examining their work (photo’s are fun!), and ultimately selecting the one you feel will do the best job for your corporate photography project.

Have you ever thought about enhancing your business’s brand through professional photography? Do you have questions on the photography strategy that would work best for your business? Please let us know in the comments section below; we would love to hear from you! Please also free to Contact Us Here or at 312-623-3456.