How to know a good photographer from a bad one, and why not just have mom or a friend shoot some shots for you?

SHOOT: It's simple. Good photographer's are perfectionists, with an eye for detail, and a quick, sometimes impulsive, sometimes far sighted sense of vision. They will patiently explore a variety of options before finding their perfect picture. There is a process involved, and they have a natural (sometimes learned) sense of proportion, perspective, context, light and texture. If you're a perfectionist and you want good work, get a professional. You'll recognise a professional by their previous work, their fee and their style.

Wolf Kettler.co.uk: No self-respecting photographer wants to release photos that are anything but perfect. From a large number of photographs taken during a shoot, only a few will meet the demanding criteria a photographer should impose on himself (or herself). Many photos from a shoot are just not good enough for a variety of reasons - technically, compositionally, pose-wise.

I know of people who think that just because a photograph is in focus and correctly exposed, it is a good photograph. Bless 'em.

If you are offered a copy of everything, you are working with a photographer who does not take (or does not know how to take) pride in his or her work. Not a good idea!

clipped from www.wolfkettler.co.uk Aspiring models often believe that it is really attractive to receive a large number of images immediately after the shoot. Think again! Only the very inexperienced or the extremely naïve assume that it is a seductive proposal by default. In a portfolio, you want quality, not quantity. There are some pitfalls that you want to watch out for: It is not in your interest to receive a copy of every photograph taken. The photographer should take the time to edit the photos and only give you a selection of the best. You do not have the expertise to select the right images from a large collection. Digital or print, a good photograph requires work after it has been taken - and I don't mean digital trickery on a mediocre picture. If you are presented with a CD immediately after the shoot, the photographer has not had the time to do any post-production work on the images (or could not be bothered or did not know how to).