Social media has made it easier than ever to find a photographer. You scroll through Facebook or Instagram, see a beautiful image, click over to a photography page, and suddenly you're looking at Christmas minis, newborn sessions, senior portraits, weddings, or family sessions that look exactly like what you've been searching for.

So you book.


But here's a question most people probably never think to ask:


Did the photographer you're booking actually take the photos that convinced you to hire them?


It seems like that should be a given.

Unfortunately, it isn't always.

Inspiration and advertising are two very different things. Photographers look at other photographers' work. We follow artists we admire, save inspiration, learn new techniques, attend workshops, purchase templates and backdrops, and constantly look for ways to grow creatively.


There's absolutely nothing wrong with inspiration.


The problem begins when someone else's photograph is presented in a way that makes potential clients believe, intentionally or otherwise, that it represents the photographer's own work.


If you're advertising a session using an image you didn't create, the client isn't seeing what *you* can produce. They're seeing what **another photographer** produced. And those aren't necessarily the same thing.


A photograph is more than a backdrop.

This is especially important with themed and styled sessions. Maybe you see an adorable Christmas setup and immediately want to book it for your children. Or maybe it's a gorgeous newborn image, a dramatic senior portrait, or a beautifully posed family.

It's easy to think: "They're offering that setup, so my photos will look like that."


But owning similar props doesn't recreate a photograph.


The photographer behind that original image made dozens of decisions to create it...lighting, camera settings, lens choice, composition, posing, styling, color, retouching and editing.


Two photographers can stand in front of the exact same backdrop with the exact same camera and create completely different photographs.


**The setup isn't the skill.**


Your portfolio should show what YOU can deliver.

A photographer's portfolio is essentially a promise.

It's saying:

"This is what I create. This is my style. This is the quality of work you can reasonably expect when you hire me."


That's why authenticity matters so much.


Clients aren't expected to know how to analyze lighting or editing techniques. They shouldn't have to investigate every image on someone's business page to figure out whether it belongs to that photographer.

They should be able to trust that the work being used to advertise a photography business actually represents the work of the person they're considering hiring. That's a pretty reasonable expectation.

Before you book, look beyond one beautiful image.

If you're investing in professional photography, spend a few minutes looking through the photographer's body of work.

  • Do their images look consistent?
  • Can you find examples from actual client sessions?
  • Do you see the same style across their website and social media?


For something important—especially a wedding, newborn session or once-in-a-lifetime milestone—ask to see a full gallery.

A photographer shouldn't only be able to produce one amazing photograph from a session.

You want someone who can consistently create beautiful images throughout it.

And if you're ever unsure whether an advertised image is actually theirs, it's perfectly reasonable to ask:

"Is this an example of your own photography?"


That's not rude.

That's being an informed client.

Professional photography is built on trust.

When someone hires me, they're trusting me with something I take very seriously: their memories.


  • They're trusting that the photographs they've seen from me represent what I'm capable of creating for them.
  • They're trusting my experience.


  • They're trusting my consistency.


  • And they're trusting that when I show them my work, it's actually my work.


I've spent years developing my style and learning my craft. Every photographer who has put that kind of time into their business deserves credit for the work they've created. And every client deserves to know exactly whose work they're looking at before they spend their money.

So when you're choosing a photographer, don't book simply because you fell in love with one beautiful photograph.

Look at their work.

Look at their consistency.

Look at their experience.

Ask questions.


And most importantly, make sure the images that made you fall in love with their photography...


...are actually their photography.


Beautiful images may get someone's attention.

Authenticity earns their trust.


Love you guys!

Kristin LaRue

Kristin LaRue Photography

Photographing the people you love since 2008.