How to Choose the Right Brand Photographer for You
Hint: It’s more than a camera.
Google “brand photographer Chicago” and you’ll get a hundred results in four seconds. Your search will be filled with talent, solid portfolios, professional website, and pricing that is all over the place.
Why does it still feel so hard to find the right one?
Because you’re not just looking for someone who can operate a camera. You’re looking for someone who can see you — not the polished, LinkedIn-ready version of you, but the actual human driving the business. The one who lights up when they talk about their work. The one who has opinions and quirks and a specific kind of oomph that doesn’t fit neatly into a bio. Someone you feel you can connect with and relate to.
Here’s what to look for.
Someone who asks questions
Does a photographer send you their pricing and packages first, or do they ask you questions first? Neither approach is wrong, but one will suit you better.
For me, I like to ask questions. What are you building? Who needs to find you? What do you want people to feel when they land on your website? What part of yourself never quite shows up in photos?
These questions help me learn about you and your project. I personally only say yes to projects where I feel some kind of connection with the person in front of me. That’s usually when I produce my best work. My goal is always to create photos I love, too. (Entirely selfish? You can decide.)
My entire process is built 50% on planning, preparation, and strategy before the camera even comes out. We have to be good collaborators first.
Someone whose portfolio shows a range in people, not just aesthetics
A gorgeous portfolio is still full of information. Look closely: Does everyone in it look the same kind of comfortable? The same kind of styled and posed? If that’s what you want, cool. If you want more of your personality to shine through, take note.
A photographer who takes the time for people will have work that reflects a wide range of humans — different energies, different body types, different ways of being in front of a camera. The backdrops will be entirely different because they are selected with the client in mind. This kind of consistency will show in the quality and in their style of finishing the photos.
Personally, I like to pay attention to how a photographer edits their green tones (some are dull and desaturated, while others are very bright and saturated), as well as their skin tones. I edit skin tones to keep them consistent between sessions and across different lighting scenarios. That way, when images are displayed together on your website, they still look cohesive and high-end.
I’ve already said it; there are tons of talented photographers whose work I admire. It’s about finding the right fit (for both client and photographer).
Someone who talks about the experience, not just the deliverable
“You’ll walk away with 50 edited images” is fine information. What does that actually mean for you?
Look for how a photographer talks about the session itself. Do they describe what happens before the photos get made? Do they mention how they handle nerves, or the moment when things click, or what they do when the energy in the room shifts? That’s where the real work happens, and a photographer who’s paying attention knows that.
The images are the evidence. The experience is how they’re made. And how will that translate into the 50 images?
Someone whose values aren’t buried in fine print
You’re going to spend a few hours with this person. You’ll trust them with how the world sees you.
A photographer’s values will be woven into how they talk about their work, who they photograph, and whose stories they celebrate. Common values often matter more than a list of deliverables.
I sometimes will insert a home page link into an LLM to see what messaging it gleans. AI is really good at spotting patterns.
If you’re a person who takes up space in a way the world (especially this current one) doesn’t always make easy — as a woman, as a queer person, as someone who doesn’t fit a particular mold of “professional” — you deserve a photographer who’s not just neutral about that but actively glad you walked through the door.
Someone who’ll tell you the truth
The best brand photographers aren’t “yes, beautiful, perfect!” people. They’re the ones who will gently tell you that the location you love won’t photograph well, that the outfit that feels safe isn’t doing you any favors, or that the version of yourself you’ve been performing for the camera isn’t actually the interesting one.
That takes trust, and it takes someone who respects you enough to tell you the truth. Find someone who’ll push back — kindly, with intention — because that’s the person who’s also invested in the outcome.
A note on fit
Here’s the thing: even a great photographer might not be the right photographer for you.
Skill matters. Chemistry and communication style matter, too. It also matters whether you feel comfortable in that person’s presence or like you’re trying to impress them.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not for everyone. I don’t want to be either. I want to work with people I feel genuinely aligned with. I want to feel comfortable being myself, too, because that’s when I do my best work.
That’s why I do all my discovery calls face-to-face on Zoom. We can see each other and get a better sense of each other’s communication styles. I even have a disclaimer when you schedule a Zoom that it’s informal, and to bring whatever beverage and show up in whatever clothes. I’ll likely be dressed in messy art-making clothes or clothes I can work out in afterward.
I wrote this post because these are the things I believe about this work. I also believe in the power of knowledge, especially when it comes to investing in photography.
If what I’ve described sounds like what you’ve been looking for, I’d love to connect.
If it turns out I’m not your person? That’s okay too. The right fit matters more than booking any particular photographer, including me.