How do I find a good photographer in Orange County?

Or really, how do you find a good photographer in your own area?

You are trusting your family to the hands and eye of the photographer you are working with, so this is a crucial step. You want to focus on these three things: Know, Like, & Trust.

You want a photographer who will take the time to get to know you. We personally use our specially designed questionnaires with all of our families so that we can get to know who they are as individuals and how they interact together as a family. You want whoever you’re working with to place this as highest importance because you want this to shine through your images.

Second, you want to make sure that you get along with your photographer. This seems like a no-brainer, but some people will just book someone because they like their work without taking into account this important aspect of the search process. If you don’t get along with your photographer, it will show in your images. At Kincannon Photography, we want you to get to know us to determine if you like us, so please ask us questions, joke around, have fun. We want to get to know you and we want you to get to know us and like us!

Third, TRUST. This is the most important piece. You are entrusting your photographer with creating and capturing memories of you family that you will hand down to your kids and they will hand down to theirs. Make sure that they have created an environment of trust, where you know that you can trust them with such an important task. They should be knowledgeable about what they are doing and be able to walk you through the process easily and effortlessly. If you get responses like, “well, I don’t have any specific locations to recommend, but where would you like to do it?”, or, “I just show up, take some photos, then send them to you on a disc”, you may want to ask some other questions just to make sure you can trust them. For that, we have come up with some questions you should ask yourself and your photographer when you are on your search.

Questions to ask when looking for a photographer:

How will I get my images?

This will typically be answered in a couple different ways. Usually they will tell you they will deliver the digital images to you on a disc to print yourself or they will tell you that they are full-service and handle everything from session planning to print and product delivery. Be aware that if you go with someone who just delivers the digital files, you will have to be careful when printing the images because some image sizes naturally crop some of the image out, whereas with a full-service studio, they should be able to advise you on those croppings and help you choose the best images for the best products. In case you’re wondering, Kincannon Photography takes a full-service approach.

How can I know these images will work well in my home?

Your photographer should ask you questions to determine what you are wanting as an end result of your session. In this way, they can determine what you will be doing with them and where you will be placing them. They should also get to know you well enough to format your session with what helps your family’s interactions shine through. In this way, they can format the session to go well with your home. We personally recommend that people send us images of the areas they are going to be putting their images on their walls so we can plan well for them.

How can I make sure I look good in my photos?

Ask this question to your photographer. They should be able to tell you how to coordinate outfits and things you can do to look good in your images. We personally supply all of our families with a session guide that explains everything so they are set for their session.

I keep hearing about shoot and burn photography. That sounds painful. What exactly is that?

We hear this a lot and the simple answer is, “shoot and burn” photography is when a photographer shoots your session, then gives you a disc or flash drive of images. If you prefer this type of photography, please be aware that the print lab you may use will, more than likely, not be able to match the color you see on your computer. Also, be careful when printing because certain sizes naturally crop some of the image (ex: 8×10 prints, canvases).

How far in advance should I book my session?

As soon as you know you want one. This may seem a little drastic, but it is very true. When you are booking a professional photographer and you are thinking about getting some photos done for Christmas, for example, you may be thinking that you’ll get them done in November. One problem…everyone wants to get their photos done for Christmas in November. The result is that all of the dates are going to book up quick and by the time you get to November, or even October, there may not be any days left. Also, you typically want to give a couple weeks after your session for ordering everything and delivery time to get the images by Christmas. So, when should you start planning for Christmas? During the summer. It may sound a little early, but think of it this way. If you start planning in July and book your session for August or September, then you guarantee that you will be able to book a session in one of those months. If you book it in September, for example, then you can have the images by October and get all of the prints, products, and cards by early to mid October. Then you have plenty of time to get them sent out by November with plenty of time to reach whomever you’re sending everything to and it guarantees they will get it in time for the holidays. Most people don’t think about everything that is involved with photography, but please do plan enough time in advance, so you don’t have to rush at the last minute.

Do you Photoshop the images? If so, what do you typically focus on and why?

This is a good question to ask because it will give you insight as to whether the photographer heavily edits the images (removes facial characteristics that you may want to keep), or tries to keep things more natural. For instance, at Kincannon Photography, we believe in capturing who you are as a family and being real about it. That being said, we do remove blemishes, edit crazy fly-away hairs that may get in the way, and remove strange items in the background (ex: trash cans, etc.), on all of the ordered images. We also do some color correction and Photoshop for clarity, brightness, and enhancing the image, but we don’t edit the subjects to where you can’t tell that it is them. :)

Should I tip my photographer?

Some people ask about this. We have received tips before, but this is a personal preference. If you feel the need to tip your photographer, then by all means, go for it. If they went over and above like a server might at a restaurant, then feel free, but just know that we, as photographers, don’t expect a tip.

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Orange County Family Photographer, Kincannon Photography is a professional photographer in Orange County, California capturing newborn, seniors, dog, children and family portraits.

Kincannon Photography is based in Yorba Linda, and serves all surrounding areas including Newport Beach, Irvine, Corona Del Mar, Brea, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Villa Park, Laguna Beach, Newport Coast, and other surrounding Orange County metro areas.