Q: Why should we hire a photographer for website images?
Great photography makes a world of difference in building trust, establishing credibility, and portraying your unique brand.
Stock photos you have on hand can work, but often dozens (or hundreds) of websites use the same stock photos. It’s not uncommon to see websites within the same industry using the same photos. The result is a lackluster website that looks staged, boring, and doesn’t stand apart from the crowd.
The cost of stock photos can easily add up – the cost of good stock photography has risen significantly in recent years.
Older photos can sometimes be put to use, but often they’re dated, of the wrong orientation, or of poor quality.
The investment in a photoshoot with a professional photographer is extremely worthwhile. You can have your employees wear clothing sporting your logo (and thus quietly reinforce your brand) while photographing them doing their jobs. Who better to tell your own unique story than your employees in your facility?
Q: What should we look for when hiring a photographer?
For your website redesign, we recommend that you find and hire a photographer at the same time you decide to hire us to develop your website. This way, you get your photoshoot on his or her schedule (many are booked weeks in advance).
Hire a professional who specializes in your area of business. A wedding photographer, for example, isn’t likely to be suitable if you’re an industrial company. Depending on your website and goals, you’ll want a professional that’s adept at location shots (such as inside your facility), product shots, and portraits (e.g. headshots).
Be selective when hiring a photographer: carefully ensure their portfolio style suits your brand.
Q: How much will a photographer cost?
Prices for photo shoots can range from $750 to $2,500 depending on the time needed.
Photographers typically charge by the half or full day and will come onsite for location shots. Some will do product shots at the same time; others will take product back to their studio and do the photography there.
Ask the photographer if he or she will Photoshop any images you select for use online (most will do this as part of the fee).
Ensure you retain the copyright to your images. Some photographers may not give you this right, so be sure to ask!
We highly recommend you interview at least three photographers; all have their own processes and ideas. You’ll want to make sure you find one who is a good fit with you.
Q: What do we need to provide the photographer?
Once you’ve hired your photographer, we’ll work with him or her and you to develop a shot list. This list will include the types of images needed to communicate the messages on the various pages of the website.
Be sure you get horizontal (landscape) photos unless there is special need for a vertical (portrait) photo. Horizontal photos work best online.
Q: Can you recommend a good industrial photographer?
Yes! We work with and highly recommend Al Ferreira, of Al Ferreira Photography. He understands how to highlight people within industrial settings to provide imagery that tells your unique story. He’s based in Connecticut and will travel.
Be sure to see the case studies of the three website projects listed underneath “Featured Content” further down on this page. He did the photography for all three websites. He is the absolute best.