Photographers in Toledo

My Friends Experience with Photographers in Toledo and How to Avoid It

Recently, I have become friends with this really great woman. We were talking by the pool one day, and, of course, the conversation turned to photography, my favorite subject! =) Now, it just so happens that she just got married last year. As you can imagine, I of course wanted to see her wedding pictures. The unimaginable? She couldn’t show them to me.

Why, you ask? Well, let me tell ya. She paid a photographer in Toledo to take her pictures. He showed up. He was unprofessional. And he disappeared, without leaving her even a few photos from her wedding day. Now, unfortunately she has no pictures to help her with the memories from one of the most special days of her life.

My point? I was really moved by her story and decided to do some research about this. I found out that there are a lot of photographers that do this, and its not only in Toledo. Trust me, I was furious. Being a photographer in Toledo myself, I don’t want someone so unprofessional giving the rest of us a bad reputation.

So the solution I have come up with was this simple blueprint to finding a reliable photographer in Toledo, so that you don’t go through what my friend went through.

“Pictures are memories, important images of a time in our lives we do not wish to forget.”

How to Find a Good Photographer in Ohio & More:

The #1 rule to hiring a professional-photographer in Toledo is to make sure that he/she has the skills to shoot the type of event or shoot that you’re hiring them to do. So it’s a good idea to check out their portfolio and see if they have the “chops”.

Now, let me explain a bit more, so no one misinterprets or misunderstands what I am saying. This doesn’t mean that if you’re looking for someone to shoot your dogs playing in the backyard, they need to have pictures of dogs playing in a backyard. It just means they need to have quality images, that prove they know what they are doing behind the camera.

It means “Hmmm…I like this one,” or “Oh! That one is nice,” or “Oh, hey! I can see myself doing something like this.” I think you see what I mean, yes? Do you like their style? Does it connect with you on a personal level? Don’t overlook this!

Rule #2 is to make sure they’re the perfect photographer for you. You need to know what you want. Are you looking for a wedding, portrait, commercial, or landscape photographer in Toledo? You don’t want to hire your local photographer that specializes in landscapes, if you’re shooting a high-end wedding or event in Toledo.

The #3 Rule is to find a photographer that is happy, and outgoing, but professional. You don’t want to have a demanding, non-likable, and serious person that is not going to make you or the people they’ll be working with feel comfortable.

Rule #4 Make sure that the person you talk to is the person that is actually taking the pictures. Some companies will send somebody you’ve never met before. This is a big problem with photography businesses in Toledo, because you want to make sure that you get along and know the person that will be shooting your wedding or event.

Rule #5 will be to make sure you have a date and contract set with the photographer. You don’t want to end up without a photographer on the day of the wedding or event in the last minute, because they found another gig to shoot for more money.

Rule #6 is to make a plan with them. Make sure that you get all the special moments that you might have in your mind. You can help the photographer get more creative and teach them a thing or two. Some common shots are the wedding dress, bride, groom, HIGH priority guests, and more.

There are a ton of things that are coming to mind about finding someone that will shoot the most amazing wedding for you. These are just some of the few that came out right now. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through this ever again. As a photographer in Toledo, I like to offer my customers the best VALUE in the world and I would never even think of NOT finishing what I was hired to do. I take pictures because I love my job and it gives me joy and honor to have a chance to shoot someone’s wedding.

I mean, come on, seriously? Can you imagine that? This is a pretty big deal. Hopefully, this helps the people of Toledo looking for photographers for weddings, portraits, engagements, etc. find a photographer that won’t do what was done to this woman.

Do you know anyone that’s been through a similar situation in your area? What advice can you add for people that are looking to hire photographers here in my area Toledo, OH?