Five questions to ask any photographer before you book

Portfolios are edited to be persuasive, mine included. These five questions tell you more than the pictures do.

1. Can I see one full gallery, start to finish?

Anyone can assemble thirty good frames. A complete gallery from a single day shows you consistency, and how they handle the ugly hour in the middle when the light is flat and everyone is tired.

2. What happens if you can't make it?

Illness and emergencies happen. You want to hear a specific plan involving named people, not reassurance.

3. How much editing is in these images?

Ask whether skin, bodies or skies have been altered. There's no wrong answer, but you should know what you're buying so the delivered set doesn't surprise you.

4. Who owns the photographs, and what can I do with them?

Print rights, social use, and — for businesses — commercial licensing should be written down in plain language before you pay a deposit.

5. What's it like to have you around all day?

The honest ones will describe themselves accurately: quiet, or directive, or chatty. Match that to what you want. A brilliant photographer with the wrong temperament for your day is still the wrong choice.

Hire the person whose answers you believe, not the one with the best website.

If you'd like to ask me all five, the contact page is right there.