Hiring a professional photographer can be overwhelming, especially if you do not have a lot of experience. For example, one might hire a professional photographer several times a month if an advertising agency. But if you aren’t, you might contract a professional photographer one or two times a year. Or this could be your first experience hiring a professional photographer. So, when you need to hire a professional photographer for your business, how do you choose the right one?
There are hundreds of professional photographers out there. Just Google “professional photographers near me,” and you’ll get pages of results. Who knew there were so many near you? You need to find just one great professional photographer that specializes in photographing businesses to take great shots for your company. You could be looking to create images for your: Office • Team • Headshots • Products. This blog will answer all your questions about hiring the right professional photographer for your company’s needs.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING AN EXCELLENT COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER
First, you want to research and find a professional photographer specializing in business or commercial photography. You do not want to hire a wedding or family portrait photographer to handle your commercial needs. There is a difference in creating content across the different markets. You want to choose a professional photographer specializing in your market to achieve the best results.
Next, you will want to narrow down your choices. Find the top two or three professional photographers specializing in business photography or commercial photography, make sure you like their work style, and make sure that the content on their website is in line with the types of images you are trying to create.
Finally, set up a call with each professional photographer to discuss your needs and request a quote for your project. By talking to each professional photographer on the phone, you will get a sense of their personalities and get an idea if you think they will be easy to work with. Once you have decided whom you feel will do your project’s best job, here are a few things to consider.
Things to consider about your professional photography photoshoot
- Have a meeting or phone conversation with you to understand your business photography needs
- What are your goals for photography?
- Discuss budget and pricing, so you know what to expect
- Review styling needs for wardrobe, hair, and makeup
- Talk about branding elements
- Review corporate standards or spec sheets
- Create a master list of what/who needs to be photographed
Your professional photographer should help you create a shot list to plan the order and location of the photography. The shot list is essential, so vital images are not missed.
If the commercial photographer is shooting in your office or on location, you should discuss a location visit before the shoot. The location visit helps determine what areas might need to be used to ensure they are available the day of the shoot.
Professional photographers do a lot of prep work before photoshoots to make the most of our time together. They should talk about all the details of your shoot and offer helpful solutions to some of the challenges that may arise when photographing your office, team, or products.
WHAT IS A TYPICAL BUSINESS PHOTOSHOOT LIKE?
In my 20 years’ experience, I’ve learned that the best images happen when everyone is comfortable. There are several ways to accomplish this. First, turn on some music to help people feel less awkward. That usually makes a big difference in the energy in the room.
Unless you’re working with professional talent, most people feel awkward or uncomfortable being photographed. A great professional photographer should understand their feelings, guide the subject on poses, and offer a great outcome.
Also, if your professional photographer has a sense of humor helps that helps to set people at ease. Your photo session should be relaxed, fun, and entertaining, not stressful and awkward.
HOW DO I KNOW IF A BUSINESS PHOTOGRAPHER CAN MAKE ME LOOK GOOD?
It would be best to choose a professional photographer who allows you to see your images at the time of the shoot, so there is no waiting until the session is over. If you see your pictures at the shoot, you can make any changes necessary to ensure you like the look of your photographs. If it’s not what you were expecting, ask to change it on the spot. You want to love your images.
We also believe that clients should be allowed to pick their images at the time of the shoot. Allowing clients to participate in the decision-making process guarantees a successful outcome. It takes the stress of making selections after the fact off of you and your marketing team. It also allows the images to be turned around very quickly.
WHAT IS THE TYPICAL TURNAROUND TIME FOR IMAGES FROM A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOSHOOT?
While every professional photographer has a different turnaround time, ask about their standard turnaround times before booking with a professional photographer. For example, are single headshots edited the same day during your session? What about groups of ten or more? You should expect your final images delivered within 2-5 business dates after your shoot unless you have arranged something different with your professional photographer. If the photographer can’t meet your timeline, don’t book with them. It will only leave you frustrated in the end.
YOU CALL THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOTS!
There is a difference between kp studios and other professional commercial photographers. That’s why kp studios is celebrating over 20 years in business! We genuinely enjoy capturing our clients’ energy, beauty, and uniqueness. We devote our time and energy to each job to ensure that every image meets our high-quality standards.
Remember, you deserve to have a great experience and exceptional images. So don’t settle for anything less. Give us a call today at 205.410.0688 or book a 15-minute consultation online. We are excited to talk to you soon.
