How to choose a photographer

Most guides to choosing a photographer tell you to check the portfolio, read the reviews, compare the prices. Fair enough, as far as it goes. It doesn't tell you what actually decides whether the photos work: what happens between you and the person holding the camera, in the twenty minutes before you forget to perform.

I'm Andy. I photograph professionals in Wassenaar, Den Haag, and Zuid-Holland, most of them international, most of them running something of their own, often after leaving a large organisation. Here's what to actually check before you book, and what I'd say if you asked me.

You don't need someone who makes it fun

Plenty of photographers sell warmth. Relaxed, playful, a laugh a minute. Good, if that's what you want. But you're reading this for a reason. You want a photo you'll actually use, not evidence that you enjoyed the session.

Ask before you book. Some people don't want a session that feels like an occasion. They want it over, and they want the photo right. Ask directly: what happens if I'd rather skip being put at ease and just get this done properly?

Mine: nothing gets performed. No "just be natural and relax," no forced laughter. You show up, we work through what we planned, and I tell you when something's right instead of narrating the whole time.

Ask what happens before the camera comes out

A headshot doesn't need much planning. Head, shoulders, clean background, done. A brand portrait set, a group of images meant to represent you and your work across your website, LinkedIn, a speaker programme, does.

Ask what happens before the session. Don’t settle for "we'll have a chat."

Mine: a short questionnaire, a mood board built around what you actually do, and a planning call where we settle wardrobe and location before the day. You'll know what to wear and where we're shooting before you arrive. Nothing left for you to guess at on the morning.

Headshot or brand portrait, and why it matters

These get used interchangeably and shouldn't be. A headshot is one photo, doing one job: puts a face to your name for LinkedIn, a bio, a press mention. A brand portrait set is a small library, different angles and contexts, built to hold together across everything you use it for over the next year or two.

If you only need to fix one outdated photo, a headshot session is the direct route. If your whole visual presence has fallen behind where your work actually is, a brand portrait set is the one built for that. Ask which one a photographer is actually proposing before you book, some will sell you the fuller package regardless of what you need.

"I'm not photogenic" is not a fact about you

Almost everyone says this before a session. Almost nobody says it after one that was actually directed.

If your past photos haven't worked, the likely explanation isn't your face. It's that nobody told you where to look, what to do with your hands, or when the moment you'd actually use was happening.

Mine: I watch for the twenty minutes in, when you're mid-sentence about something else and stop bracing. That's the frame I'm waiting for. Not a pose you hold, a moment you're not performing.

Check whether you'll actually use the photos

The failure nobody warns you about isn't a bad session. It's paying for a good one and still not having a photo you'll put on your website. It's more common than people admit, and it's rarely about skill. It's a mismatch between what got photographed and what you actually needed. Ask directly: what happens if none of the images work for me?

Mine: you leave with at least one image you're willing to use, or you don't pay for the session.

The practical questions

How much does a headshot or brand portrait session cost in Den Haag?

Pricing depends on scope, and it's worth confirming directly before you book, mine included, since it moves. As a rough shape: a straightforward headshot session tends to sit in the low hundreds of euros. Mine start at €370. A fuller brand portrait package, with planning, a longer shoot, and a full set of images, starts at €590 and scales with what's involved.

What drives the price isn't just the time behind the camera. It's the planning, the editing, and the thinking that happens before and after. A cheaper session usually means there is less of that around it. Fine for a quick headshot, but it matters more when the photos need to say something specific about who you are and what you do.

What's typically included?

At minimum, a portrait package should include some planning before the session, the shoot itself, editing, and a private gallery. I build a questionnaire, mood board, and planning call into every brand portrait package as standard, not an add-on. Ask exactly what's included before you book anyone. "A session and edited photos" can mean very different things depending on who's saying it.

Where do sessions happen?

Most brand portrait work happens on location: your office, a space that means something to your work, somewhere in Wassenaar or Den Haag that fits the story you're telling. A studio setup can suit a straightforward headshot well enough. Fuller brand portrait work usually benefits from a real environment around you, not a backdrop.

How long until you get your photos?

Two to three weeks from session to gallery is a reasonable expectation. Rush delivery is sometimes available for a fee. If you have a hard deadline, say so upfront. I’ll usually release a ‘sneak preview’ within 24 hours.

What I'd actually check, in order

What happens if I don't want to be put at ease? (Mine: nothing gets performed, we just work.)

What's the plan before the camera comes out, specific to me? (Mine: questionnaire, mood board, planning call.)

Headshot or brand portrait, which am I actually being sold? (Ask directly, don't assume.)

What happens if the photos don't work for me? (Mine: you don't pay if none of them do.)

Does the process run in a language you're comfortable working in? (Mine runs in English throughout, since most of my clients do too.)

If you're trying to work out which one fits where you are right now, or you just want to see what the process looks like before deciding anything, get in touch. No pitch, no pressure, I'll give you the best guidance I can, even if you choose to shoot with someone else.