An engagement is one of those days you only get once. The photos from it will hang on your wall, sit in your parents' living room, and eventually be shown to your own kids — so it's worth spending a little time choosing the right person to capture it, instead of booking the first name that comes up.
Look at a full gallery, not just the highlights
Instagram feeds are curated by definition — everyone's best twelve shots look great. Ask to see a full, unedited-selection gallery from a recent shoot. This tells you much more about consistency: are the in-between, candid moments handled just as well as the posed ones?
Ask how the day actually runs
A good photographer will walk you through the flow before you even book — where you'll meet, how long the shoot takes, what happens if it rains. If someone can't answer these basic logistics questions clearly, that's usually a sign the rest of the experience will be disorganized too.
Get it in writing
This is the part people skip most often, and regret skipping the most. A proper Photography Services Agreement should spell out the shoot duration, number of delivered photos, delivery deadline, cancellation terms, and who owns what rights to the images afterward. If a photographer hesitates to put things in writing, treat that as a red flag rather than a formality.
Understand what happens to your photos afterward
Many photographers use client photos in their portfolio or on social media — which is completely normal, but it should be something you've agreed to, not something you discover later. A Model Release is the document that covers this: it spells out where your photos may be used, and confirms you can withdraw that consent at any time.
Trust how you feel in the first conversation
Technical skill matters, but so does comfort. You'll be standing in front of this person's camera, possibly in a public square with people walking by. If the first conversation already feels stiff or rushed, that tension tends to show up in the photos too.
At Shot by Bojan, every engagement session starts with a clear conversation about the shoot, comes with a written Photography Services Agreement, and includes a Model Release so you always know exactly how your photos will be used.
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