Photographers these days are a dime a dozen for many reasons. With the hard hit from the recession, there are many "photographers" who have invested in what we call "pro-sumer" equipment and are out advertising themselves as photographers. They are easy to spot if you know what you are looking for. Check their website, there should be examples from multiple sessions and you want to imagine if you would be happy with the images if they were yours. It is also important that they sound knowledgeable without being over-technical in their explanation. Most importantly you should look at your photographer's personality and make sure that there are not any warning signs for conflict such as being difficult to work with or inconsistent.
