Why cheap stock pictures are too expensive

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A little while ago, I was asked to shoot some corporate portraits for a multi-billion-dollar international insurance company. The problem with the pictures already on its web site, as the communications director explained, was that none of the people shown in the photos worked for the company. Every picture on the site was a generic stock image of anonymous people.

The director actually said that he was quite embarrassed about this. But his employer was more concerned about the cost of custom photography. In the end, the company decided to stick with cheap stock images for its corporate identity. (Did I mention “multi-billion-dollar company”?)

The irony here is that this is an insurance company which, by definition, is all about managing and reducing risk. Yet the company itself is taking a huge identity risk.
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Hiring the wrong photographer

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Here’s a funny video showing what can happen if you hire the wrong photographer for the job:

 

While this video may seem far-fetched, situations like this do happen, especially when a client shops price only and hires the cheapest photographer.

Some photographers may be a jack-of-all-trades and they can do half-decent pictures of almost anything. But a true professional knows their limits and won’t waste a client’s time and money by trying to shoot a project that’s not within their field of photographic expertise.

A professional photographer knows that doing it right the first time is good not only for the client’s business but also for their own.

 

Canada’s war on photography

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Canada has started its war on photography (and also on sketching and taking notes).

The Gatineau/Ottawa transit system, along with the federal government, is asking people to call police if they see: “[a]n individual taking photos or pictures in a location that has no particular interest, drawing maps or sketches, taking notes or wandering in the same location for an unusually long time”.

What’s the difference between taking photos and taking pictures? How would you like to be arrested for being armed with a sketch pad and a charcoal pencil? Watch out, I’ve got pen and paper and I’m not afraid to take notes!

Haven’t they learned anything from the ongoing problems in the USA and UK with their silly anti-photography laws and bans? Far too many links to list but here are a few: Link 1. Link 2. Link 3. Link 4. Link 5. Link 6. Link 7. Link 8.

Haven’t they learned that taking pictures has nothing to with terrorism? Haven’t they learned that photography increases security?

Are they stupid?
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Don’t forget your name

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Just a silly little tip for when you’re creating your business web site:

Remember to mention your business name on your web site.

One might think this is obvious and there’s no need to mention it. But no. I’ve just spent some time reviewing web sites for three other photographers, and noticed that none mentioned their own name.

Search engines need to see real text of your business name somewhere in your web pages. An image of your logo won’t work. A Flash or other type of movie displaying your brand name doesn’t help. It must be text.

A domain name isn’t good enough. A domain such as dianebrownphotography.com is viewed as one word: dianebrownphotography. Somewhere on the site, it must actually say Diane Brown Photography.

Saying “Diane shoots business portraits” or “Diane has won awards”, doesn’t work. You must type out your full company name. “Diane Brown Photography does executive portraits” or “Diane Brown is an award-winning photographer”.

Add it to various page texts, place it in meta tags, put it in alt or comment tags, or any other appropriate places.

Remember to mention your own name, so that people who are looking for you by name, can find you.

Word Appreciation

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Hard work or work hard
Pay more or buy more
Price or worth
Efficient or effective
New idea or new effort
Follow up or follow through
Lack of resources or lack of resourcefulness
Revise or refine
Adopt or adapt
Maximize or optimize
A part or apart
Propose or oppose
Prepare or repair
Compare or contrast
Complicated or complex
Correct or perfect
Zero in or zero out
Speak up or speak out
Fit in or stand out
Tear down or build up
I think or I believe
Idea or dream
Push or pull
Customer service or customer appreciation
Receptionist or rejectionist
Money or wealth
Picture or image
Change or opportunity
Setback or step back
Shortcut or detour
Bridge or tunnel
Aspire or inspire
Create or complete
Success or achievement
Profit or progress

 

Filter Your Vision

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I’ve been wearing eyeglasses for about 25 years and need new glasses again :-(  . Over the past 12 years or so, my average cost has been about $360 per pair of prescription glasses, (averaged from seven pairs purchased from five different stores).

If I had chosen name-brand designer frames, the cost would have been higher; if I had selected the free frames, the cost would’ve been lower. (My sister used to work for the largest eyeglass retail chain in the country. She said their free frames cost less than $2 each.)

Some eyeglass stores (aka “optical stores” or “vision stores”) frequently have a two-for-one sale. So if a pair of glasses cost me, on average, about $360, then a two-for-one sale should mean that I can get two pairs for about $360, right?
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Turning down assignments

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This past week, I turned down three jobs. :-(

Two jobs were turned down because their dates, six weeks from now, conflict with days that I’m holding for tentative assignments from another client. Two definite jobs turned down in favour of two possible jobs. What was that saying about “a bird in hand” ?

Perhaps photographers shouldn’t accept tentative jobs too far in the future, at least not without a deposit.
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