We have been very busy over the last few months!
Websites, websites, websites.. writing copy and marketing big! . . .
Making sure we are totally ready for the google algorithm update for mobile search! Its going to be massive change in search results!
All that fun background jiggery pokery that goes on behind the scenes in all successful businesses!
So lets get down to business..
Finding quality photographers for product images can be very time consuming for businesses who don't necessarily know what quality photography looks like.
It may seem more self evident than you would imagine but from my years in professional photography i can say that a large percentage of our work come from disgruntled business owners who invested in website and online images with cheap photographers and find that the images they receive are either not fit for their current usage, or that the quality of the images does not allow them to used the images for multiple marketing avenues in the future.
This is clearly a big problem for business owners looking to make their investment in advertising and marketing count and last the lifetime of the product.
There are lots of aspects to product photography that require a great deal of knowledge and understanding both in photography and image retouching.
Top tips for seeing wether an image is quality or a duffer!
1 – When you look at the example image does the shot look amazing yet still real?
2 – Look around the edges of the object, is the cutting out consistent all the way round?
3 – Do the colours look of the product look real or over the top?
4 – If there are shadows do they look good or bad?
5 – Is the shot really sharp and in the right places you would expect?
When looking at photography you really have to ask yourself critical questions like the once above about how the image was made and wether the shot would be really any good if it where printed larger.
Images on the internet are not always the best way to see the quality in photography that you might want to use for printed materials (because of the size). But there are often plenty of tell-tail signs that suggest that a shot could be good or bad.
If the photographer is consistently making mistakes in their imaging work they will almost certainly do the same with your project.
Leaving you with digital files that are next to useless and potentially damaging to your brands image in the process.
So what is to be done.. With the advent of new technology's and faster computer systems the price has come down for certain types of photography.
Product images can be well produced and of quality workmanship at a fraction of the price it used to be..
Having said that..
Professional workmanship still requires professional people and these people still need paying well to do a good job. Just as in any other industry you will find vastly variant pricing depending on perceived quality and personal worth.
When thinking about prices your project it's always a good idea to create a list of outcomes you want before thinking about the price itself, when you have done this some of the photographers that you thought might be ok may well not be on the list anymore.
Once this step has been taken you will have fewer photographers to choose from and a robust set of outcomes you are aiming form. these outcomes are what you should talk about with the potential photographer and see if they are a good fit for you and your business.
We have worked in the product images field for many years now, so if you need to see what quality product images looks like please take a look at our Auckland product photography studio website. or at the Melbourne Pro Product Photography website.
Clearly there needs to be some conversation with people who know what they are talking about when it comes to paying to get images produced. But the fact that clients tend to fumble around for a while using cheap photographers until they find out they almost always don't get the images they are after, the services they expect, or the level of professional and technical understanding necessary for a success project.
So when it come to getting product images the next time you need them for your ecommerce, websites or online store just
make shore you go with someone who is guaranteed to deliver!
After all being in business is about investing in quality to grow you business.
Wishing you all the very best in business and life!
Robert Mora
PPM Product Photography NZ
