Using a Professional Photographer, a Clients Guide.

So you've received delivery of your current merchandize or the contractors have finally completed your funky showroom refit, what next? Fresh company literature, an eye catching press release, a glossy magazine commercial or even a gleaming new site? All of these tried and tested marketing tactics will really help hike your business profile and inevitably drive new sales, especially important in our current economic climate. So do you dig out your latest digital camera and plug in the angle-poise lamp or do you phone one of those expensive experts with all that expensive apparatus?

Digital cameras can definitely assist beginners take better quality shots but using an layman to photograph a valuable photo can be counter productive. The success a professionally shot photograph has on a clients marketplace is significantly stronger than that of a hastily aquired snap from a digital camera. Professional photography will sell your product or your company, unskilled photography will only cheapen it. So rise above your competition and phone the pro!

Not every single photographer can expertly undertake each style of photography. A photographer who takes family portraiture and weddings is not really the one to shoot a picture of your new merchandise range. Do a google search, flip through your local directory or even ask your fellow businessmen who they'd advise, research adequately now and eliminate any expensive problems later.

Work out usage. What's the project to be required for (packaging, press, website, etc), the territory in which the work is to be used (UK, Europe, International) and the duration the job is to be used by you(one year, two years. etc). All these factors will assist the photographer to offer you a realistic quote.

Copyright issues and intellectual property. Quite a few clients don’t understand copyright concerns and presume that because they've commissioned the shots that they own them. Actually the photographer always holds copyright of the images and simply gives you authorization to utilize them wholly for the requested time period, territory and media. Photographers will always strive to grant you a licence that is appropriate for all your requirements and unless you mean undertaking international advertising this will be included in their fee.

Make contact. Call prospective photographers for a chat or preferably seek to arrange a meeting. Really hammer out what you would like, it's also a nice chance to see if you actually warm to them?

Ask for a quote. Most commercial photographers will charge a day rate, half day or hourly with costs (travel, digital file processing, retouching etc) added on. A few however will offer you all inclusive estimates for some forms of shoots, such as product photography. Give the photographer as much detail as you can as this will give you the most precise quotation with no unwanted surprises.

Arrange the shoot. If time permits and if you haven't already done so, meet up with the photographer prior to the shoot. This provides you the opportunity to present the product(s), give a guided tour of the location and generally thrash out your particular criteria.

Preparation. Based upon on the kind of shoot make sure everything is organized for the photographer e.g. the product(s) are provided and spotlessly clean, the location is in tip top condition etc. The specifics really matter!

Shoot day. Try to be to hand at the start of the shoot unless a in depth brief has been given before. Determine a shoot order or checklist of photographs you need. Remember frequently the most successful photographs are unplanned so allow the photographer to present their artistic input too, we aren't just technicians!

After the shoot. The majority of digital photographers will be in a position to preview/edit your images on the day yet the highly skilled task of processing your raw files, plus any arranged retouching, is commonly undertaken afterwards.

Hand over of artwork. When the photographer has completed his/her post-production they will usually supply you or your designer with a disk full of lovely colourful image files. File transfer via email or FTP is also becoming more common and can typically prove a more productive option if time is pushed.

This article has been supplied courtesy of Andy Nickerson. Andy is a Northampton commercial photographer with over 14 years experience in working for design and advertising professionals. Visit http://www.bramptonvalleyphotography.co.uk/about.htm for more information.