SHOULD YOU HIRE A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHER?
ANYONE CAN TAKE A PHOTO. OR CAN YOU?
You do it all the time. From the moment you learned to work the camera on your phone, you’ve taken your fair share of photographs. Some even got massive likes! So when it comes to shooting product photos for your e-commerce business, why not just do it yourself? Just shoot it on your phone and save yourself a lot of time and money, right?
People around the world take over a billion photos every year (literally!), and almost 90% of them are taken on their phones. But here’s a little secret: most of them aren’t good. Of the millions of Instagram accounts out there, the ones with exceptional feeds are exactly that: the exception. Not the rule.
Bad product images are everywhere. And your customers base their buying decisions on those same images. It’s not just a reflection on what you’re trying to sell, it’s a reflection on your entire business. If they see the image is bad, they’ll think your business is bad. Image is everything.
PEOPLE SHOP WITH THEIR EYES
Clear, high-resolution product photos are hella attractive. More importantly, they lead to higher conversions. They keep visitors glued to your site, and the longer they stick around, the more likely they’ll buy from you. But to get those images, you’re going to need to hire a professional.
Professional product photographers are highly specialized. They’ve invested years of focused practice geared toward the highest level of proficiency. Bruce Lee said it best: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
Who you gonna trust your business to? The guy who was asked to shoot his friend’s wedding because “he’s pretty good”? Or the photographer who’s shot thousands of products throughout her career? One kick, 10,000 times.
With experience comes mastery of the craft and knowing all its technical aspects. It’s knowing how to light reflective surfaces, capturing the perfect angle of a timepiece, and making your products appear as good as the real thing. Because great product photography is the next best thing to holding the product in your hands.
This is just one of many reasons why hiring a professional will save you time and money.
WHAT’S IN THE BAG?
Pros got gear. Not just any gear. Probably the same exact gear used by the best product photography studios in the world. Because having great equipment is a game changer.
An enthusiast equipped with the latest model DSLR can render some amazing results. Conversely, a seasoned professional sporting a consumer-level camera would likely produce similar, if not a better output. So imagine what kind of images you get when you place the best tools in the hands of a professional. Experience, combined with equipment, makes all the difference.
Pro photographers, like all creative professionals, are fickle animals. They can be very specific with the kind of tools they choose to acquire. It’s not just about getting the best equipment. It’s about getting the best equipment for them; one that suits their style and workflow so they can get the most out of their gear to produce the best possible result.
That’s why there will never be an absolute best camera ever, because a photographer will always prioritize the features that serve her best. Why does one photographer prefer Fuji over Canon, Nikon over Sony? Because artists.
THIS ISN’T OUR FIRST RODEO
Professionals guarantee a level of quality and consistency for every single product they shoot. It’s second nature, and they understand and appreciate the need to show your products in the best possible light.
Whether it’s food, fashion, toys, or electronics, a professional product photographer has been there and done that. She knows what’s required and possesses the knowledge to capture the product as accurately as possible. And she can do it for your entire inventory—whether it’s ten items or a hundred—no exceptions. Because that one seemingly simple, product-only, shot on white background photo has its own exacting requirements.
And the work doesn’t end after the photos are taken. There’s still the matter of post-production. Images, no matter how perfectly shot or lit, still need to be edited by someone who knows what they’re doing. There’s white balance, color correction, noise reduction—all to make sure that what your customers see is exactly what they’re going to get. It takes powerful, not to mention expensive, software like Photoshop and Light Room—which, by the way, require plenty of memory and processing power.
This is the standard. And if you want to compete, this is the level you need to strive for. But make sure you consider every factor when choosing a product photography studio.
IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?
On the surface, doing it yourself with a phone camera might seem like you’re saving money. But consider how that will affect you in the long run. You may have saved a ton by not hiring that professional product photography studio, but what happens when those images don’t convert? How much will you save then?
Hiring a professional product photographer is an investment, and that initial spend will more than pay for itself in the long run. Any successful e-commerce business will tell you it’s an essential part of your marketing campaign; one you cannot compromise. And if you’re still not convinced, we have the numbers to prove it.
Even big brands, with far more resources than the average small business, understand and appreciate the value of a professional product photography studio. In many cases, it’s still more cost effective to source out that very important work than putting together their own team in-house.
We do this for a living. This is how we pay the bills, put food on the table, and send our kids to school. It’s in our interest to do exceptional work—not just good work—but exceptional, so that we can continue doing what we love. That’s what it means to be a professional.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help with your next project, contact us today!