What to Look for in Your Heirloom Portrait Photographer in Vancouver
When a picture is meant to be passed down through generations, Adrian Brijbassi writes, it’s important to have the right shooter taking yours.

The family portrait dates to the ancient times of human history. Hieroglyphs on cave walls in Egypt, dynastic chronologies in the temples of China, faint images carved into stone blocks in Greece.

The mediums have changed, but the sentiments haven’t. We want to document our lives when they are in the happiest of times. To remember memories of where we were and where we’ve been.
 Family portraits, once only reserved for royalty, have been a part of most families’ genealogy for two or three generations now—ever since photography became affordable and relevant to the masses. When seeking a family portrait photographer, consumers in Vancouver have such a range of choices and styles that the decision on who to hire can be a difficult process.

The first factor in choosing a portrait photographer is always the quality of the portfolio. Do the images have that essential mix of beauty, heart, technical skill and craftsmanship? Do they move you? Are they heartfelt?

Those are important questions to ask yourself when viewing a photograph.

 And it’s up to the photographers on your shortlist to answer them with their work and in their consultation with you.

“The perfect family portrait won’t just be well lit and expertly framed, it will convey the relationships between brother and sister, wife and husband, parent and child,” says Vancouver photographer Julia Pelish, who has captured dozens of family portraits during her 12 years in business in New York and British Columbia.

“That’s where the artistic quality of photography comes in, with the ability to hone in on emotions and freeze time at the most precious moments.”
Julia Pelish Offers a Range of Portraits - Including Corporate Headshots
Another key factor when selecting a photographer is the equipment that will be used in the photo shoot. It’s important to make sure your photographer has a range of bodies, lenses, filters and other paraphernalia that will give you a variety of shots and choices.

The Vancouver portrait photographer you select should shoot in film and digital and with 35-millimetre and medium- or large-format cameras. Also, make sure the person with whom you discuss your shoot will also be the one taking your photograph.		 Studios, especially, are known for switching photographers at the last minute on jobs.

Many of these photographers are also freelancers who don’t have enfranchisement in the studio’s style. So, what you like in a portfolio may not be what you get when you deal with an enterprise that employs a stable of photographers.
 Price, too, is a factor. Once you’ve shopped around, you should make the decision on who will take your family heirloom portrait on the quality of the images you believe you will receive, as well as on the level of service you’ve had during your pre-commitment consultation.

The ideal candidate is a well-outfitted photographer with talent, enthusiasm and concern for delivering you expert service. And one who knows that the family portrait you seek is not just for you or your children or their grandchildren. It’s for history, a photograph for the ages.
Adrian Brijbassi has won multiple awards for his writing - which has been published in literary journals, newspapers and anthologies - and was named one of the “35 Greatest Rock Writers of Generation X” in 2004. He writes books, too.

Julia Pelish Photography, based in Vancouver, specializes in portrait, wedding, commercial and fine art photography. Digital imaging and web-site services - including content building - are also offered.

Copyright Julia Pelish Photography of Vancouver, 2006.
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