hiring a photographer

Cheap photographer strikes again

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Today I received an e-mail from someone who runs a small clothing store. The subject title of the e-mail was, “I was mislead by a photographer.”

This person had hired a photographer to shoot some advertising pictures for their store which sells children’s clothing and accessories.

It appears that the photographer didn’t deliver any usable images or even the promised number of pictures. The photographer also didn’t deliver the promised, model-released pictures of children wearing the store’s clothing. So at this point, the business has nothing it can use.
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Photo Editing Skills

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Customers know which pictures they like to look at but they may not understand why. Very few people understand the art and craft of photo editing.

Few publications today have a real photo editor. It would be surprising if any non-media business has a photo editor. Instead, photographers are left to edit their own work and then someone at the client-end selects the pictures they like to look at.
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Imagining a better image

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When searching for a supplier or vendor, many companies automatically seek the lowest bidder or the cheapest price. But imagine what might happen if these companies instead searched for the best supplier, the one who could do a great job rather than just good enough.

Imagine what might happen if a company chose the best they could afford rather than the least they can get away with.

Imagine what might happen when the best they can afford helps enhance their corporate image.

Imagine what might happen when this enhanced image earns more attention.

Imagine what might happen when more attention means more business.

Imagine hiring a professional photographer next time.

 

You’ve got the cutest little baby face!

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There was a time when headshots were only for models, actors, politicians and CEOs. For better or worse, those days are long gone. The world is now more photo-orientated than ever before.

If you’re planning to get a new business portrait then get in front of a mirror and practice your best baby face.

According to a study by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

Previous studies have shown that viewers can form judgments of trustworthiness after as little as 100 ms exposure to a novel face, and certain facial features evoke feelings of warmth, trust and cooperation while minimizing feelings of threat and competition. People with relatively babyish facial characteristics such as proportionally large eyes, a round chin, and thick pudgy lips are perceived as kinder, warmer, more honest and more trustworthy…

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More than meets the eye

Many photographers charge a minimum fee for their location work. This minimum might range from a couple hundred dollars to much higher, depending on the situation.

Before you scream “Unfair!”, keep in mind that most tradespeople and some other types of businesses also charge minimum fees.

Locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, furnace repair, moving companies, carpet cleaners, etc., all have minimum fees just for showing up at your front door. This minimum often goes up on evenings and weekends. My locksmith charges a minimum $90, my plumber has a $140 minimum. At a newspaper where I once worked, to get a technician to come service the film or print processor cost a minimum $600.

Businesses charge minimum fees to help cover the time and cost of travelling to the customer’s location, setting up equipment (if applicable) and providing at least a minimum amount of service.
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Choosing less satisfaction

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Would you:

• buy a pair of shoes based only on price?

• buy a book based only on price?

• decide on concert tickets based only on price?

• choose a restaurant based only on price?

• plan a vacation based only on price?

Why would anyone choose a photographer based only on price?

A 2013 study by J.D. Power looked at customer satisfaction with North American car rental companies. A key finding was that customers who chose a car rental company based on lowest price were the least satisfied.

This parallels a similar 2013 North American hotel study which found that consumers who chose a hotel based on lowest price were also the least satisfied.

Would any customer be satisfied with the lowest-priced photographer?

 

When is the price of photography expensive?

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“Aren’t your photography prices too high?”

Compared to an amateur photographer, a Craigslist photographer, or an inexperienced photographer then I certainly hope that my prices are much higher than any of those.

But I’m not expensive when compared to a photographer with similar experience and knowledge.

I quoted $1,560 for a job last month that required eight business headshots. A few days later, someone from the company called to let me know that their project was cancelled. She said that she had received quotes from four Toronto photographers, including myself, and all were within $300 of each other. Unfortunately, she continued, “My boss budgeted only $500. I told him it wasn’t enough!”
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