Help me figure out how to find a photographer!

[bisous]

We're doing a photo shoot as part of our family reunion/Christmas celebration with DH's family this year. I'm looking for a photographer but I'm really picky.

What I want is to pay a person by the hour. I want this person to take hundreds of photos and to help us with posing and positioning etc. We have a very high quality camera and DH can handle all the settings etc. In fact, he's our usual photographer. But he needs to be IN the shots. I want this person to give us the shots in RAW, unretouched. DH is also the photoshop guru. It will be a big group and there will be changing lighting (it will be at sunset). How do I find the right person?

[Philly Mom]

Do you have a local Facebook group to ask or friends who have used someone they like? My guess is any photographer will want to use their own equipment. When we just did it, we paid for 2 hours. I used someone who many friends had used and I had seen the results.


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[Corie]

I usually send out an email to all my local friends and ask them for referrals.

[specialp]

I would do a FB post in your local community. You probably will not find a true photographer. This is their art and they want to use their equipment, their camera settings and brand of retouching (so not going to send out RAW untouched images because that wouldn't be reflective of their work). If your DH wants to use his camera and do the settings and retouching himself, finding a photo assistant might be more economical. One of the teacher assistants at school does this on the weekend and her main job is getting people into place.

[mackmama]

A photographer will not use your camera. Sounds like you should ask a friend or an aspiring photographer- post on "gigs" on your local Craigslist.

[bisous]

I guess I don't really need the photographer to use our stuff but getting the RAW images is really important. Around her most photographers charge for a package that includes a sitting and a certain number of touched up images. We want to be the ones selecting the best images and fixing them to our specs. I think we'd be willing to pay a little more to have that option but it isn't easy to find.

I do think maybe we want a photography assistant. Posing and getting decent shots IS important to us though. So tough!

[HannaAddict]

As others said a "real" photographer isn't going to agree to any of that and use your camera, not control the images and not worth it to just get paid by the house (and if by the hour expect several hundred dollars per hour at least). You need a true amateur or assistant. Good luck, it is such an art that I don't know many even "mom" casual photogs who would agree to that.


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[LBW]

Maybe a photography student from a local college or high school?

[mackmama]

I guess I don't really need the photographer to use our stuff but getting the RAW images is really important. Around her most photographers charge for a package that includes a sitting and a certain number of touched up images. We want to be the ones selecting the best images and fixing them to our specs. I think we'd be willing to pay a little more to have that option but it isn't easy to find.

I do think maybe we want a photography assistant. Posing and getting decent shots IS important to us though. So tough!

Most professional photographers won't give you RAW images, so your best bet is to look at craigslist and explain what you are wanting. Likely an aspiring photographer.