Why is it important to find a photographer you get along with and like their style of photography? Hire a photographer you like! Trust me!

If it is for your wedding day, you may spend anywhere from 6-12 hours with this person on the most special day of your life. That will be MORE than even your FAMILY and FRIENDS get to hang out with you! (Yup it’s true!!)

If it is for a couples, family or grad session, for the short time that you are with them, you want to feel comfortable with them because your experience with them will affect how you view your images for years to come!

You want to get along with them. You want someone you can relate to. You want someone who understands you so they can capture you and your personalities. You want someone who can help you feel better when you start to feel stressed. Someone who can laugh with you when you’re being a goof. Someone who doesn’t make you feel awkward or uncomfortable in the intimate/romantic moments.

So I highly recommend researching your photographer before you hire them for your wedding/elopement, couples, family or grad session. (Really any session!)

Here are 3 things to look out for or ask when you are looking for a photographer to hire.

1. Look for the STYLE of photography you want to end up with

Dark and Moody or Light and Airy. Even when it comes to that each photographer will put a different tone on the end photo (overall with a bluer tones, or brown tones, etc). A photographer won’t edit their style differently. Just go with a different photographer – that’s OK!

Below is an example of a few of the different styles with one of my images that I edited to show the difference. The left image I would consider light and airy – not a lot of contrast, lighter colors, etc. The middle one is my normal editing style – mid range everything – as the eye would see it – timeless. The right image would be an example of dark and moody – lots of contrast, richer colors, etc. (Don’t ask a photographer to changer their editing style.)

2. Do you like how the photographer poses / prompts the people in the photos?

Why Hire a photographer you like? You will be looking at what they do for years to come! If you want the studio feel, don’t go with a photographer that their images are all outdoor, with wind blown hair and the people aren’t always looking at the camera. If you are a super bubbly person with a big personality, don’t go with someone who’s images are all soft and romantic feeling. Find someone that has your energy! (With that being said, most photographers will do a mix of energy/laughing photos and soft and romantic photos to add variety to your session.)

Below is an example: Left photo I would consider a “Posed Mom Shot” – where the couple is looking at the camera. The right photo would be one that I posed, but prompted them to look at each other. I think I may have even told Morgan to tickle Taylor so they would be interacting with each other creating an genuine and authentic moment. (Basically, I wanted to create this image to look like I wasn’t even there, that it was just a date between the two of them.)

Here is another example of the “Mom Shot” verses a prompt shot. The top image they are looking at the camera. (Classic photo that works great for Christmas cards!) The bottom one shows the love and interaction between the family members but I instructed them to look at each other and laugh. (I probably said something punny – haha – I think I’m funny.)

3. Get to know the photographer

Read their “about me” page on their website. Watch and interact on their Instagram and Facebook stories and posts. Message them and ask them questions, or share what your vision is before booking a session. The more you find out before, the better the experience – or saves you from a bad experience.

I’ve heard so many horror stories when it comes to people booking a photographer that they didn’t mesh with which honestly breaks my heart. Don’t let that be you.

So if you are wondering about me and how I fit into the above tips, this is what I would say about Krystal Moore Photography (or KMP for short):

Dark/Moody or Light/Airy?: I lean more towards the light and airy side of things. I say “true to the eye”. What you see in real life, that’s the colors that I am trying to capture in print. And that is the same with photo coloring. I try to make it as timeless and “as is” coloring.

Posing and Prompts: I do both. I pose people, but I also prompt people with more authentic posing as well. (Running towards the camera, tickle fights, and other movement poses to make authentic and genuine poses come to life.) I like giving both options for variety for the session and because I know people want those posed “Mom Shot” type images where they are looking into the camera, and the interaction poses/prompts that really bring out the personalities!

Get to know Krystal: I’ve done a separate blog post all about me, so if you want to read it, you can find it here. But in the mean time the quick facts: I am a wife since 07.07.07 to the most wonderful man! We have two kids who make my heart sing! We recently got a Berenedoodle, Timber. I’ve been in the photography business since 2010. I love the mountains and want to get there at least once a year. I enjoy gardening, camping, and knitting. I have a love for mini eggs, popcorn and pizza. But most of all, I love Jesus and want to love, bless and serve the people I meet the way Jesus does! That’s me in a nut shell!

And if you think I might be the photographer for you, YAY! I’m currently accepting bookings for this year! Book your spot! Don’t miss out!