How to Give Feedback to Your Photographer: During and After the Session

During the Session

The best time to give your photographer feedback is during the shoot, not afterwards. If something feels physically uncomfortable, say so immediately. If you saw a preview image and didn't like how it looked, say that too. A good photographer can adjust on the spot — camera height, direction, lighting setup, your position or posture — much more effectively than they can retrospectively edit away a problem they weren't told about.

Common session-time feedback worth giving: "that angle makes me feel like my neck looks short" / "I'm finding it hard to relax with my arms like this" / "could we try it in more shade?" / "the last few felt more natural — could we stay in that kind of position a bit longer?" Photographers who work with real people (rather than professional models) welcome this kind of specific, thoughtful input. It helps both of you get better results faster.

Looking at Images Together

If your photographer shows you images on the camera screen during the session, use this as feedback opportunity. "I love this one but prefer my expression in the previous shot" gives your photographer concrete, actionable direction. Looking at the previews as a passive observer means you miss the chance to shape the session's direction in real time.

After the Session: The Edit Selection

Some photographers offer clients the opportunity to select their preferred images from a proof gallery before final editing begins. If this is offered, take it seriously — provide clear feedback about which expressions, angles, and moments you want prioritised. If the photographer selects for you, trust the professional curation but know that it's reasonable to request revisiting images not included if you remember a specific moment you wanted retained.

If You're Unhappy With Delivered Images

If the final gallery doesn't meet your expectations, contact your photographer directly and specifically before doing anything else. Most problems — a colour treatment you dislike, an edit that misrepresents your skin tone, a key moment you feel was missed — can be addressed by direct communication. Experienced photographers want to deliver work clients are proud of and will usually make reasonable adjustments quickly.

When raising concerns, be specific rather than general. "The skin tones in images 4, 7, and 12 look too orange to me — is this the natural light or something in editing?" is much more useful than "the colours look wrong." Specific feedback gets specific responses and specific adjustments.