How to Find a Photographer For Your Fashion or Lifestyle Blog
So your fashion and lifestyle blog is picking up steam, and you’re ready to take your content and presentation to the next level - i.e. - hire a professional photographer. Congrats! Quality photography is a valuable way to present yourself and your brand professionally. So how does one go about finding and securing a pro photog, anyway?
As a pro photographer as well as a professional talent recruiter for national companies, I’ve developed a general model for finding the perfect photographer for an assignment:
Research
Google really is your best friend here. Think up a few different search terms and try them in both a web and image search to get a full set of results. EX: “Fashion and Lifestyle Photographer in Chicago, IL.” or “Fashion blogger photography, Chicago.”
When doing the image search, look for images that appeal to you, and find out who shot them. (A professional fashion blogger should always credit their photographer.)
Don’t forget to search for fashion and lifestyle bloggers you admire! Find the top bloggers in your area, and then follow the photo credits to their respective photographers.
Qualify
Since you won’t be asking the photographer to submit an application, you’ll need to do your own version of background-checking. Google their name, their email, and scan through their social media. Bonus points if they have an engaged following. Do you get icky, creeptastic, or omgican’tbelievetheypostedthat feelings while looking at their instagram? Don’t ignore those red flags. Move on to another candidate.
Look through their portfolio or posted work online to verify that they have experience shooting in the genre and style you are looking for. Obviously photographers are great at taking creative direction, but if you’re looking for VOGUE and their portfolio screams “80s wedding photography,” you probably won’t be happy with the results.
Request Estimates
Narrow your search results down to your top 3-5 photographers. Email or message them all with a general scope of the project, what you expect to receive, and ask for their availability and estimate or rates. Include as much detail as possible: where/when/how many looks/link to your blog.
Be prepared to receive estimates that are over your budget. Professional photographers make a living off their work, so they price accordingly. If it is way outside your budget, a polite, “That’s currently over my budget but I will keep you in mind for future projects!” will work fine.
If their estimate is somewhat close to your budget, consider responding with an ask about how you could lower it to meet your budget, and let them know what it is. Sometimes a photographer may consider lowering the job price if you agree to doing one less look, or making the shoot less difficult/time consuming.
Secure the Date
Once you’ve agreed on price and project scope, lock in the date. Get it on the initial estimate if possible to make sure everyone is on the same page. A few weeks out, nail down the exact timeline.
Plan Your Looks
Start planning your outfits as soon as possible and keeping your photographer updated. A week or two out, your photographer should know exactly what “feel” you are going for, as well as exact locations. Sometimes your photographer will want to pick the spots themselves, and sometimes they will rely on you to make those choices. Either way, make sure you are both on the same page for look and feel of the shoot. This will ensure that you are both happy with the results.
Happy Planning!
-Alissa