Photographers can quickly be undervalued.
If you have a phone with the latest camera features and a tripod, along with a couple of editing apps, you can make some stellar content. Sure, you can do it yourself, but think about how much time and effort goes into getting that perfect shot. On top of the hours it can take to make one or two posts, you also have to edit all that content. By the end of it all, you’ve pretty much spent the day doing the work for yourself.
Let’s be clear. It’s more than pointing and shooting for a photographer. You are paying for their expertise, their style, and most importantly, their time. Time is valuable for the both of you. You are trading money to save you time. Having a photographer do the work to save you time is an investment. I want to share with you a few things to consider when you want to invest in a photographer.
- AFFORDABILITY
Can you realistically afford a photographer? Even deeper, the kind of photographer you want to shoot with. Remember, real photographers know their worth and what they bring to the table. With that said, the price tag will reflect that. We have bills to pay too! If you want to shoot regularly, you want to look at photography as a recurring expense and not just “stumbled upon some extra money” occurrence.
- ARE THEY VALUABLE?
Do they offer packages that are conducive to your needs? Does your investment make sense to the services they offer? Are they willing to make some adjustments that help you in the long run?
- HOW OFTEN?
What are your visual needs in your business? How often do you need content for your business? Do you need new and fresh content pretty frequently or can you recycle the same 5 good photos you have that “are good enough”? Having a good idea for HOW you need to show up will help in your decision.
- WHAT ARE THEIR VALUES?
What do they stand for? What’s their level of integrity? Most importantly, does it align with your values? You want to consider this because it tells you everything you need to know how they operate their business.
- ARE THEY SOLVING A PROBLEM?
Are they taking something off of your plate and making things easy for you? Again. The biggest thing to consider is your time and how you can be tending to something else when you delegate.
- DOES THEIR WORK MATCH YOUR BRAND?
Are your aesthetics the same as theirs? Also, do they shoot what you are looking for? You wouldn’t hire a wedding photographer to shoot your newborn baby, right? Do your research. You want to make sure your photographer is going to give you exactly what you’re looking for.
I hope you found these tips useful in your decision making process. Please let me know if you found these kinds of tips helpful.