business photography

Professional Insurance

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Professional photographers are insured but amateurs are not. Why would you hire an amateur to do your corporate photography or commercial photography? How can your business afford such a risk?

Here’s one example, another example and another example that show why an insured photographer is important.

Professional photography is all about reducing customer risk. The risk of problems during the photo shoot, the risk of poor quality pictures, the risk of missing deadlines, the risk that the pictures won’t meet your needs and the risk of wasting your time and money.

Professional photographers are worth more than what they cost.

 

Choosing a business portrait photographer

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If you buy a cheap pair of shoes and they turn out to be uncomfortable, you stop wearing them. The money you paid for these shoes was wasted.

If you buy a more expensive pair of shoes and you enjoy wearing them, you’ll wear these shoes often. Over the life of the shoes, the additional money you paid, compared to the lower priced shoes, will be inconsequential becasue the value received is high.

Business portrait photography is a common offering from corporate photographers. Here in Toronto, business portraits can range from $50 to $1000. Even $2000 for a single portrait is not unheard of.

Why is there such a wide price range?
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Pricing commercial photography

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From time to time, potential customers and photo students will ask, “What’s the day rate for a corporate photographer in Toronto?”, “What does the average Toronto commercial photographer charge?” or “What’s the standard hourly fee for business photography?”

The answer to all of those questions is the same: no such fee exists. There is no day rate, no half-day rate and no hourly fee.

It would be like calling a restaurant to ask, “What’s the going rate for a dinner?”

Does anyone ever ask a dentist, “What’s your hourly charge?” 

Can you ask a shoe store clerk, “What’s the standard price for a pair of shoes?”

Professional photographers base their fee on how the pictures will be used, what’s involved in producing those pictures and the photographer’s talent, experience and overhead costs.

Since every job is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all price, no going rate, no standard hourly fee.

 

Corporate Photography Policy

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Most companies use photography on their web sites, social media, corporate blogs, printed brochures and marketing materials, in-house publications, trade show displays, and probably in several other ways. As such, it’s important that companies have a policy regarding the handling and storage of these photographs.

• By law, almost every picture is copyrighted. Permission to reproduce such photos needs to be in writing. Does a business have written permission for every picture it uses? Where are these written permissions kept?

• Professional photography is licensed for use and rarely, if ever, sold outright. Where does a company keep copies of these licenses and how are they tracked?

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No Surprises

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An article on the Poynter journalism site asks why Sunday newspaper front pages are so boring. Sunday fronts no longer seem special but look the same as any weekday edition.

The author suggests that newspapers are no longer taking (design) chances. Newspapers are trying to appeal to everyone and in that process, quality design gets lost. Sunday front pages are now packed with anything and everything in the attempt to attract interest from anyone and everyone.

Why is newspaper quality going downhill? There are no surprises here.
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Apple of their eye

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In a 1989 interview, Steve Jobs was asked, “Where do great products come from?”

His response included:

I think really great products come from melding two points of view – the technology point of view and the customer point of view. You need both. You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them.
(…)
It sounds logical to ask customers what they want and then give it to them. But they rarely wind up getting what they really want that way.

Commercial and corporate photographers need to think the same way. Successful business photography comes from knowing what the client really needs and then building a good photo from there.
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Business and Environmental Portraits

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A business portrait is essential for any professional, executive or entrepreneur. Business headshots can be used for media handouts, press releases, public relations, social media, corporate publications, company web site, business cards, vCards, etc.

A portrait helps build a personal connection. There’s a reason why every politician uses a business portrait in their campaign, on their web site and in brochures. It works.

If a politician is caught in a scandal, a good portrait can help mend a lot of credibility problems. Why? Because we trust an honest face, a smiling face. For better or worse, we judge a book by its cover.
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