Reviews for family, portrait and product photographers

A family photographer, a headshot studio and a product photographer all have the same pattern. The shoot is where the work happens, but the gallery delivery is where the client falls in love with it. That is when reviews get written.

Why not at the shoot

At the end of a shoot the client has not seen anything yet. Parents are wrangling tired children, a headshot client is thinking about their next meeting, and a business owner is packing products back into boxes. They might be happy, but they have nothing to review.

The delivery is the moment

When the gallery lands, clients look through it carefully, share it with family or colleagues, and feel the result. Put the review link in the delivery message, with a short thank you. If you print albums or deliver USBs, include a card. See reviews for wedding and event vendors for the same idea applied to weddings.

Studio photographers

If clients come to a studio, a stand at the front desk catches the ones who return for prints or a viewing session. A follow stand works well too, since clients love seeing other people’s shoots.

Business clients

Product and headshot clients are businesses. Ask the person who booked, once, after a good delivery. A review from another business owner is exactly what the next business buyer wants to read. See reviews for businesses that sell to businesses.

What to say in the delivery message

Your gallery is ready. If you love them, a Google review helps other families find us. Mentioning what the session was like helps even more.

Asking them to describe the session, not the rating, tends to produce reviews that talk about how you made nervous people relax, which is exactly what the next client worries about. See how to get more detailed reviews.

Replying to reviews

Reply personally to every one. Photography is a relationship business, and a warm reply is a small preview of what working with you is like. See replying to good Google reviews.

Consent and children

Clients may post their own photos with a review. If you want to use client images in your portfolio or marketing, get written permission, especially for photos of children. Never identify children in replies.

What to avoid

• No bonus images or print credits for a review. Google bans incentives.
• Ask every client, including the session where the toddler refused to smile.