It’s that time of year again, fall family photos. It’s like tax time to an accountant. It’s the photographers busy season. For photographers it mean lots of late nights, extra coffee and the feeling of not being able to get it all done.

This year I embarked on a new journey in my business. Well it’s not really new, not even really new to me, but it is something that I had kinda gotten away from and found myself gravitating back too. You see I am a documentary photographer at heart and while I love a good portrait, I love a good story even better. I love a picture that tells a story. One that you know exactly the feeling when you see it or it strikes a memory for you and makes you feel something. This is the photography I want to take. I love a pretty picture of a gorgeous family in a field on a couch as much as the next person. I have images of my own family like that hanging on my wall, but the images that really mean something to me that I will cherish to show my grandkids, show off my beautiful, chaotic life so much more than that.

So how do you know if hiring a documentary photographer might be right for you?

How do you pick the right photographer that will exceed your expectations and tell your story how you want it to be told?

Well, some good places to start is by looking at their portfolio. Do their images speak to you? Do they make you feel something? Do you look at them and think, wow I want images like that? Do they fit in your budget? Remember that cheaper doesn’t always mean better, but we all have a budget to work within. Do you want digital images only to put on your computer, prints to hang on your walls or an album to pass along to future generations? What about a keepsake box with loose prints? Maybe you want both? Does your photographer blog their session so you can share that with friends and family? These are all good things to keep in mind.

So what about documentary photography versus portrait photography? Well here’s a fun little quiz that might help point you in the direction you are looking for!

Want to know more about documentary photography? Check out my  June Monthly Contribution here at Dear Photographer  or come check me out at Momma Got Soul Photography . Feel free to check out my facebook and instagram too!