Everyone loves a good working relationship, right? And you… you want to have a great photography experience? These ten foolproof tips will ensure you are the best photography client possible. You’re photographer will LOVE YOU if you follow these ten tips!

Here are ten simple tips to be the best photography client EVER. These tips can apply to any type of photographer or any type of session and are guaranteed to make your photographer love working with you. When your photographer loves to work with you, everyone wins. 

the best photography clients

10 Tips to be the Best Photography Client

  1. Hire them early. Always hire your photographer as early as you can. This means you need to hire them at least a year in advance of your wedding, and at least 30 days before you want to take your portrait session. This gives your photographer plenty of time to get to know you and your personality and plan for your special event. There may be special permits to apply for/purchase, timelines to create, clothing outfits to review, other vendors to plan with, and locations to scout. Making sure your photographer has adequate time to prepare for your shoot means you will have a better experience AND better images. 
  2. Read everything they give you; follow their advice. If your photographer offers any advice in the way of oral instruction, written material, or videos to help you prepare for your session, take a few minutes to listen and/or go over the material to be the best photography client. They are trying to help you prepare for your session. Again, this will help you to have a positive experience and create beautiful imagery.
  3. Show up on time. Make every effort to be on time. Pretend you are a trainee and it’s your first day of boot camp in the Marine Corps. In fact, show up a few minutes early. Time is precious for a photographer, especially if they are shooting outdoors and using natural lighting—even if they are adding artificial lighting. 
  4. Don’t pretend you think you’re ugly or fat. When the photographer shows you the back of the camera or your final images, don’t complain that you’re fat or ugly. We know that IF you REALLY thought you were fat or ugly, we wouldn’t be taking your photos. We will compliment you and generously pet your ego, but don’t go fishing for compliments or pretend to have low self-esteem. It’s not flattering. And, this is also a lot like telling the head chef that their filet mignon sucks.
  5. No screenshots/no downloads. Taking screenshots or downloading images and reposting/printing them is a crime—even if you paid for a session, or bought a physical print—unless the photographer has granted you a limited copyright license to “take screenshots and repost/print them.” If you want to post low-resolution digital images from your wedding or session, then purchase them or make sure you have a limited copyright (permission) to do this. Not only is this theft, screenshooting an image badly degrades it and makes it look really crummy. In turn, it makes the photographer look like they do really crummy work. Also, stealing images from the internet (or anywhere else for that matter), is the same as bootlegging music. Again, it is a crime and it is punishable by law.
  6. No filters. Assuming you do have permission to post the images on social media or print them, DO NOT EDIT THEM. Your photographer created the image… the ART, with a certain vision in mind. When you change that vision without their permission, you violate your copyright agreement with the photographer. More often than not, you also make the photographer look like an inexperienced amateur by slapping a really ugly filter on it and messing up skin tones and proper white balancing.
  7. Always give them photo credit. When you do have permission to post your images online, always give your photographer a photo credit. It’s so disheartening to see you have 1,347 likes from your family and friends and no mention of the photographer who took the image. 
  8. Refer them. If you had a pleasant experience and liked the photographer’s work, refer them any chance you get. Nothing makes me happier than to have a potential client tell me that a past client referred them my way.
  9. If you appreciate their work, stay loyal. If you enjoyed the experience you had with the photographer, use them when you can (and refer them, #8 above). Nothing gets our goat more than to see you bounce around from photographer to photographer like a cheating partner.
  10. If you’re unsure, ask. If you’re ever unsure about what you can and can’t do, or what is expected of you as a client, just ask. I’m sure your photographer will be more than happy to explain it to you rather than discover you’ve done something to make them look silly online in front of thousands of people.

There you have it. Ten tips to maintain a pristine relationship with your photographer!! 

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About Ata-Girl

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I cater to outdoor-loving couples who prefer to have all the realness captured on their wedding days. I am the wedding photographer for the outdoor adventurers, the romantics, the laid back, the snugglers, and those who wish to capture all their realness.

I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journeys and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to get your hands on 20 FREE interactive wedding planning tools that every couple needs, please take a moment to access them here.

I am a published author (purchase my book here), a podcast host (listen here) (watch here) and a WPPI-C certified professional, full-time wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.

When I’m not behind my camera, you can find me hiking, cycling, backpacking, camping, enjoying water sports, listening to music (Elvis and Prince), hunting for arrowheads, reading audiobooks, occasionally eating a few glazed donuts (my only weakness to sweets) and then re-starting my keto diet about every 10 days. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of.