There are bad photographers out there and they are easy to miss until you are standing under some sad overhead light, holding a frozen smile while they mutter something about “just one more.”
By then it is too late. You are already picturing the awkward, lifeless images you will be stuck with forever.
The first sign of a bad photographer is the silence. They just stand there, clicking away without giving you a single clue about what you should be doing.
No direction, no adjustments, no encouragement.
You could be blinking in every shot and they would not notice because they are too busy staring at the back of the camera like it is going to give them divine inspiration.
Then there is the opposite problem, the constant babbler who throws instructions at you like darts. “Chin up. Chin down. Smile more. No, less. Turn your head. No, not like that. Relax!”
You are suddenly a puppet in a bad improv show, and it shows in your face. Your smile is gone, replaced by the haunting expression of someone who wishes for sweet escape.
Watch out for the ones who never talk about light.
Good photographers obsess over light. They move you around until it hits just right.
Bad photographers leave you squinting into the midday sun or standing under the kind of fluorescent tubes that make you look like a ghost with unfinished business.
If their portfolio is full of people who all look exactly the same, run. That means they have one setup, one pose, one trick, and they force everyone into it whether it suits them or not.
You deserve someone who notices the shape of your face, the tilt of your head, the way your personality comes out when you stop trying so hard.
The real giveaway comes before you even book them. If they cannot be bothered to ask about your goals, your style, or how you want to be seen, you are just another booking to them.
A good photographer will want to know who you are so they can build the shoot around you. A bad one will treat you like a mannequin with a credit card.
Here is the truth nobody likes to admit. Most people do not notice they have hired the wrong photographer until they see the photos and feel that little drop in their stomach.
You do not have to get to that point. Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy during your first conversation, if they seem distracted or bored or like they are already thinking about their next shoot, walk away.
Good photographers make you forget you are being photographed. Bad photographers make you painfully aware of every awkward moment.
Choose the first kind and you will not just get better photos, you will actually enjoy getting them taken.
If you want the kind of photographer who notices the details, chases the light and actually makes you feel like a human being rather than a prop, I can help.
I work with people in Cranleigh and the Surrey Hills to create images that are alive, personal and worth showing off.
Get in touch and let me make sure you never suffer through a bad shoot again.
