How To: Booking a photoshoot with Perfocal

Perfocal has changed the game when it comes to booking a photographer. Our booking platform simplifies a process that has been around for decades: finding a freelance photographer manually.

You may have read about us or been through our website, but not quite get how it all works. Or perhaps you want more guidance as to what you may need for your shoot.

Here's another little case study to show you exactly how booking a photographer with Perfocal works.

This shoot was a Christmas-themed family photoshoot in the winter of 2019. A budding young family were looking for some beautiful Christmassy family portraits for the photo albums, as well as their outgoing Christmas cards. You can read more about their shoot here.

Deciding what kind of shoot you need

When booking with Perfocal, we give you plenty of options when it comes to shoot category. This is because we want you to be able to pick the exact kind of photos you need. It's also very important for our photographers to know the right information before the shoot, so they can perfectly cater to your needs.

It may be a little overwhelming, however with some guidance it should become clear which category is right for you. In this instance, Miranda knew the photos were for personal use, so when faced with the 'business' and 'personal' options on the Perfocal booking form, it was a clear choice. In general, if you are not booking for a work-related purpose, you should choose 'personal'.

Under the 'personal' category, Miranda was faced with several options that were relevant to her. 'Personal portraits' 'other life event' 'baby photoshoot' were all categories that could have been a good choice. However, 'family portraits' had the description that was most similar to the kind of photos she was looking for:

"Relaxed, natural portrait photoshoot for families."

Simply clicking through each category type on the booking form will give you a short description of what to expect from each shoot type. This should help you to make a good decision on the right photoshoot category for you.

Choosing the right length for your shoot

When booking with Perfocal, you will also be provided several options for the length of your shoot. Picking the right length of time for your photoshoot is paramount. If the length of time you pick is too short, you will not have time to get all the shots you'd like and you may be disappointed with your shoot. Although it may be tempting to pick a shorter photoshoot and try to squeeze more into a short window, your photographer will not be able to do their job properly.

When a photographer arrives for your shoot, they need time before the shooting can begin. It's important for them to be able to set up any equipment, scout out the best locations at your venue in terms of space and light.

In Miranda's case, her photographer Ligia not only needed set-up time, but also time to get to know the little ones she was photographing and to put them at ease. This would ensure Ligia could get amazing and natural photos of the kids and parents at Christmas time.

With this in mind, Miranda booked a 2 hour shoot on the Perfocal booking form. This way, they had plenty of time with Ligia to get the perfect family shots.

With the right shoot type and length selected, Miranda's photoshoot went off without a hitch. The finished photos came back two days later, and looked a little something like this:

You can read more about the shoot and see more of the photos in the full article.

These wonderful family photos will hopefully be memories cherished for a lifetime.


Are you thinking about booking a family photo shoot with Perfocal? Great idea!

In the lifetime of a family there are scores of precious moments that you would never want to forget: births, birthdays, childhoods, anniversaries, teenage years, weddings, the list goes on. All of these moments deserve great photos to honour the memories. You can hire a professional family photographer simply and affordably.

We guarantee quick and simple booking, an amazing professional photographer who will travel to you, and 48 hour photo delivery every time.

We do all this so you can have everlasting memories for the family moments that matter.


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