I recently read an article - 6 Benefits of Professional Photography for your Small Business - and was inspired to write my own take on it.
In our increasingly digitally-connected world, professional photography is invaluable for businesses of all shapes and sizes, whether brand new or multi-national, local or global. At the same time, affordable digital cameras get better and better every year - even your mobile phone, for example, likely takes some pretty good images - and DIY resources abound for doing your own photos. How do you decide which route to take?
What you get when you take your own photos
If you prefer the DIY route, American Express has a great article on how to get great photos for your business. As I mentioned above, it’s definitely getting easier and easier technology-wise to get decent photos. Taking your own isn’t outside the realm of possibility, and certainly has its benefits!
When you take your own photos, you get images for your business on a budget, on your timeline, and a DIY feel to your brand. You’re 100% in control of the planning, photographing, culling, editing, and publishing. And while you’ll definitely have to invest in some equipment & software, you get to be in the driver’s seat about how much you’ll spend.
If you think DIY is for you, here’s what you’ll need to get started:
A camera. At a bare minimum, you’ll need a camera and you’ll need to know how to use it - how to take photos, how to get them off your camera and into editing software, and then how to edit them so they are visually appealing.
Good lighting. Unless you’re reading to invest in lighting equipment & the time required to learn how to use it, you’ll need to plan on taking photos when there’s good, even light available to you. Smartphones and most entry-level DSLRs only get good, clear images when there’s ample daylight, whether you’re indoors or outdoors.
Editing software. There are some free apps out there like Pixlr, paid apps like Adobe Lightroom (my fav!), and then, of course, Photoshop, all with their own learning curves, but using editing software is key to getting a consistent look & feel in your images.
Time. You’ll need time to learn & practice how to use your equipment and how to compose & edit your photos, time to set up & take your photos, and time to cull & edit the best ones. And even if you decide to go the stock route and skip taking your own, you’re still investing time in searching for just the right images (not to mention losing out on the possibility of telling your unique story, instead of someone else’s!).
It’s certainly feasible to DIY your small business photography. If it’s something you’re interested in and enjoy and have time for, more power to you! But if it’s just a headache? Or you don’t have the time? Keep reading.
What you get when you hire a professional photographer
Hiring a professional photographer for your small business images has a number of benefits. When you work with the right photographer, you’ll get a library of consistent, professional images that tell your brand story clearly, simply, and in a compelling way. You get to redirect your precious time away from DIY-ing it and back into your business. You get to communicate to your customers that you care about quality - what could that say about how seriously you take the quality of your service or product?
Most importantly? You get to save money! Think for a moment about how much time you’re could spend learning how to take your own photos. Now multiply that by your hourly rate. I bet it’s WAY more than working with a professional photographer, AND you get all that time back. And if you’re new in business and not making money quite yet, think about how much time you’ll save if you don’t have to develop your own library of images.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, you’re the business owner and you get to decide what works best for your business (that’s the best part of owning your own, right?). Check out my portfolio here and, if you’re ready to elevate your brand and tell your story simply, clearly, and consistently, let’s chat!