I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but I think it’s a good idea to hire a professional photographer who specializes in what you need. It is for this reason that I hired a professional photographer, despite the fact that I also work as a professional photographer. In this article, I will discuss why.
I recently launched a cosmetic brand called Skin care Lesina. The brand is focused on making 100% natural moisturizers and for this I needed some high quality images. I decided to hire Helena because this is what she specializes in.
Personally, I’m not a product photographer, that’s not what I focus on. However, as someone who has been in the industry for almost 10 years, I understand the fundamentals pretty well: Lighting, composition, and the use of color are all things that make a great image.
Even from an equipment point of view, I have all the necessary tools. I have a lot of lighting fixtures and regulators on hand. I have all the right lenses including macro and tilt-shift lenses such as a 90mmf/2.8 from Canon.
I even have high resolution cameras available including medium format systems if I want to use them. Despite all this, I decided it would be better to hire someone who specializes in product photography instead.
Time
Photography is perhaps the most democratic industry in the world. Almost everyone has access to a highly capable camera through their smartphone. Add social media sites like YouTube to the mix and anyone can potentially learn how to take great photos.
The problem is that this takes time and also a lot of effort. I mean for sure you can sit down and learn how to take great photos and this skill will probably benefit you in the long run. A proverb teaches people to fish. However, the downtime required to learn these additional skills is overwhelming and a poor investment.
If you’re not going to be a professional photographer, it’s pointless to spend an absurd amount of time learning how to take professional photos. That time can be used to develop products, marketing strategies, sales, customer service, or virtually anything else that can generate income or interest for the business. you actually participate.
Hiring Helena means I can focus on showcasing my products and working on the website. Additionally, I was able to take the time needed to develop a social media and podcast presence.
If I try to create the images that I need I end up wasting my time and potentially leading to worse results.
Cost
Photography equipment can be quite expensive. However, the camera, lens and lighting are all important, that’s not where the cost ends when it comes to photography. In many cases, what makes certain images possible are accessories, props, backdrops, and modifiers. I probably have a lot of camera gear needed for most types of photography, but I don’t have the essentials for product photography.
What’s worse is that I don’t know where to start in what is needed for a final composition. Sure I could spend a lot of time on Pinterest, but again, this is wasted time on something that could have been done better by someone who specializes in the field. And even if I knew what I needed for the final composition, the total cost would have been more than what Helena charged for her photography.
In fact, I would have to spend more time and money on what would probably yield worse results.
It’s talent, not equipment
Photographers know this very well, it’s not the equipment, but the photographer. Of course, this doesn’t mean the equipment isn’t important, but it’s not really why anyone would hire a professional photographer.
In the past 10 years, I have never had a customer ask me what kind of device I use. Customers often view your portfolio of images, or more often, they don’t follow through on suggestions. This is exactly what I did when I hired Helena for my photography needs. I looked at her portfolio of pictures and decided that she was the best fit for my needs.
There was no discussion about what camera she was using or what lens she intended to photograph my moisturizer with. I don’t worry about things like sharpness or resolution because those things don’t matter at all. I don’t care how technically perfect the image will be. I’m more interested in color schemes and lighting styles because those are the things that will help the brand.
This is an important point to learn for beginner photographers. Customers care about the end result they will get from you. If the product you offer is what they need, it doesn’t matter how good your camera equipment is.
For those who want to know what equipment Helena used, she shot with Canon EOS R6 and EF 24-70mm f/2.8II . lens Glass. These can be bought here in the UK used for under $1,900. That amount is just enough to buy one tilt shift lens I own, however, I still hire Helena because she is more capable of taking this type of photography.
In most cases, skill will defeat equipment.
Final thoughts
In this day and age, access to great camera gear is easy. For example, most smartphones have highly capable features for both video and photography. Even information and education are easily accessible through sites like YouTube. However, a skilled photographer is still extremely valuable.
If you’re building a brand or creating content for your marketing, a skilled photographer can add a lot of value. It’s one of those things that looks like you can get away with having it done cheaply or even do it yourself. Unfortunately, it rarely succeeds when you try to take shortcuts.
In my experience, it’s best to hire someone who specializes in a particular area. Those types of photographers not only have the know-how not only about photography, but also provide guidance on what will ultimately work best for you.
