hiring a photographer

Photo Scam Warning

There are several e-mail scams aimed at photographers. Most start with the sender of the e-mail saying that they came upon the photographer’s web site and they love the pictures. The person will have some sort of urgent photo assignment in the photographer’s area and wants to hire the photographer right away. The person will offer to pay in full in advance.

If the photographer falls for this, the scammer will send a payment cheque for far too much money. When the honest photographer points out this “mistake,” the scammer will apologize and ask the photographer to refund the excess money as quickly as possible. The trusting photographer will be told to wire the money asap. The scammer’s original cheque will later bounce and the photographer will lose whatever money they sent to the scammer.

Another version of this scam is that after the scammer has sent a (fake) cheque, they will say the event has been cancelled and they need the money wired back to them as quickly as possible.
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How to find the right photographer

It should be easy to find the right photographer for your business photography, right? After all, every city has many, many professional photographers.

Recently, I was reading a web site for photographers who are new to running a photo business. These amateur(?) photographers were apparently hired by various clients to shoot corporate work, advertisements, business marketing or editorial assignments. Yet these photographers didn’t know how to price their work or, in some cases, even how to do the assignment. Why would any business hire an amateur photographer?

How should a business find the right professional photographer?

The best way is by referral from another business or a colleague. If this isn’t possible then a search engine is your best friend (or enemy).
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One Price Fits No one

One problem when a photographer charges a one-size-fits-all photo fee, (i.e., an hourly fee or a day rate), is that the photographer ends up providing a variety of services to their clients all for the same price. 

For example: an editorial customer may require the photographer to use one camera to cover a one-hour press conference. A corporate customer may need the photographer to bring four cases of equipment to produce several studio-quality executive portraits within an allotted one-hour period.

Those two assignments require different equipment, different skills and different talents. So why should both clients pay the same price (i.e., the same hourly fee or day rate)?

Charging by the hour can even penalize the customer.

For example: a certain photo might take one hour to shoot or it might take four hours. Either way, the benefits to the customer are the same. Charging by the hour would mean that the customer pays more for the “slower” photographer yet gains no additional benefits.

Pricing based on photography and usage may be confusing to some customers but it allows the photographer to customize the price to suit each customer’s exact needs.

 

Best public relations photography

Public relations photography, or PR photography, is about producing editorial photography that puts the client in a favourable light and increases their name recognition.

PR photography must be editorial in nature simply because that’s the style demanded by publications which use public relations photography. Newspapers, magazines, trade magazines, news websites and other publishers of PR photography use only editorial photography and not, for example, advertising photography because it directly impacts the publication’s credibility.

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Secret Values

When a business hires a photographer, it’s not just about purchasing images; it’s about gaining value from those images. Companies don’t invest in photography for the sake of having pictures; they use it as a tool to gain a competitive advantage.

Commercial photography should be viewed as an investment in a company’s future. The right photography can build trust, enhance a brand’s image, and attract customer attention. If the photography helps a business achieve its goals, the cost of that photography becomes only a secondary consideration.

It’s not about what the photography costs; it’s about what it earns for the business.

Customers are more likely to buy from businesses they trust, and quality, authentic photography plays a key role in building that trust. The right imagery can make a company appear more approachable. Effective photography can lend power and credibility to a brand’s message.

When choosing a photographer, it’s not about finding the lowest price, it’s about seeking the highest value: the value the photography brings and the value the photographer provides.

While most professional photographers understand this, the challenge is helping clients recognize the true worth of the investment.

 

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Should you peruse some of the job “opportunities” for Toronto photographers on LinkedIn, you may see these glittery gems:

1. The job: Go to a few dozen used car lots each week and photograph cars for a publisher’s used car web site and print magazine.

Required: an “awareness of fumes, odor, gases, compounds or dusts related to the automotive industry.”

Not required: any photo experience.

Benefits: may get free parking at one of the publisher’s offices.

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What photographers need you to know

Many clients may already know these things but here’s some information that photographers need you to know (in no particular order):

• When a photographer doesn’t answer the phone right away or doesn’t respond immediately to your e-mail, it usually means they’re busy on a job. The photographer is not ignoring you. Some photography can run all day or longer. We devote 100% of our attention to the client and job at hand. Please leave a message. Your call really is important to us.

• Depending on your proposed photo project, it might take from 30 minutes to several days to produce a full and proper photo estimate. Photographers cannot give an off-the-cuff or ballpark price because it’s meaningless. We have to figure out every step of the proposed work before completing the estimate. This benefits you. We put everything in writing. This benefits you.
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