Wrapping up my "interview" with professional photographer Heather Keating, owner of Case In Point Creative, we're going to learn what we need to know about hiring a professional photographer. (All photos shown here are Heather's work.)
5. When we decide to hire a professional photographer what questions should we ask when interviewing and once we’ve hired someone, what can we do the day of the shoot to make things go smoothly?
- Ask to see some of their interior room work. If you see photos that you would like to have represent you, than you will probably be in good hands.
- Make sure you can use the photos for your promotional use and they are not putting the images up on stock-photography sites. (The whole point of bringing in a photographer is so you don't have to use stock photography so make sure your rooms don't end up on someone else's website!)
- On the day of the shoot make sure the room is clean and clutter free. Also, since you will probably be in someone else's home or office make sure the photographer has good directions and exchange cell numbers for emergency contact.
6. What are the average hourly rates for a professional photographer and what should we expect to get for that investment (access to all shots? high resolution electronic images on a website? CD?)? What should we be sure to ask for?
- Prices will vary from as little as $50 up to several hundred dollars (I charge around $100 per hour). This means 1 hour of time on site plus whatever editing and delivery time I put into the photos afterward. Travel time may also be a factor for some photographers.
- Remember that you are paying for experience and equipment. For a job that you are very proud of you should consider bringing in a professional photographer. While your camera and photos may be working for you now it is good to see what a professional can do with the space. It may make a world of difference in your clients willingness to pay for your services.
- Most photographers will do basic editing (getting rid of images that are very similar) and give you plenty of photos to choose from. I always recommend getting a CD or DVD of all the images whether or not they put them online. The high-res files will be very large so see if they will give you a high res (for prints) and a low res version (for the web).
7. Moving away from interiors and onto personal pictures, what tips do you have for taking head shots of ourselves to use for publicity?
(Didn't Heather make me look great?)- Get a photographer that you feel comfortable with.
- Real smiles are always going to be better that forced.
- Talk to your photographer about the look you want to present. Is it conservative? Or more relaxed? Fun? Serious? Do you want black & white or color?
- Make sure your head shot represents you as a professional and what you want your business to reflect.
Do you have an experience (good or bad) with a professional photographer that you'd like to share with us? Click on "comment" to tell us all about it.
~April
1 comments:
Great information April, thanks! I've worked with a few photographers and think you should be prepared to take an active role in the photo shoot if you bring in a pro to snap pics of your work.
Consider yourself a photo stylist!