Hiring Freelance Photographers
If you’ve never hired a freelance photographer to create images for your brand or business, you may have questions about where to start and what to ask. You may have questions like; ‘where is the best place to find them?’, ‘what should you look for in a photographer?’, ‘why the heck does it cost that much?’.
If you feel like you’re spinning a blind then stick around cause it’s going to get crystal clear!
Where to start?
My first suggestion to navigate this journey is to do your online research. Get onto Instagram, Pinterest, and good ol’ Google, and search for a handful of photographers whose work you love and have a similar look and feel to the style of your business. There are so many great photographers out there but if your brand is bright, airy and modern, choosing a photographer who focuses solely on full rustic scenes or moody dark and mysterious isn’t going to jive.
If you want to go local, you can also try using hashtags in your search as you’ll often see photographers tag their work. For example, my posts will often have #vancouverfoodphotographer, #vancouverproductphotographer or #vancouverbrandphotography. These tags make it easy for people to find me and see my work.
Once you’ve searched and found a few photographers, check out their portfolio and look around to read any reviews they may have. These reviews might be posted directly on their website or in other places like LinkedIn or Google My Business.
After nailing down a few candidates it’s time to get personal. Not too personal of course (we don’t need to parade any skeletons hanging out in our closets 😜) but getting to know the photographer behind the online presence is an important piece of the puzzle. Not only should you love their work but you’ll also want to know if they’re a good fit on a personal/professional level. The best way to do this is to get chattin’. Jump on the a phone or video call and have a conversation.
Eeek, personal contact? Can’t you just text or email?
Sure, you can write your inquiry and go back and forth that way but SO much can be lost to interpretation. If you actually talk to each other you’ll soon know if you’ve found someone you click with. The process of image creation should be fun, enjoyable, and productive! Imagery creation is a collaborative process and the most successful outcome comes from a great partnership. There are so many talented photographers out there but the key is to find someone that resonates with YOU.
Money Talks
“Ew, do we have to talk money?” “Yes, Sarah, we do.”
Full disclosure, I hate talking money. It’s a buzzkill in my creative world but it’s part of the business so let’s dive in.
What is your hourly rate?
When it comes to rates, it’s rare to find them posted on photographer’s websites. So, one of the first questions that will come to mind will likely be: ‘What’s your hourly rate?’
I get this question a lot, and of course, I expect it. However, it’s not so cut and dried. Yes, I have a rough idea of what I’d like to earn for the hours I spend working but communicating that to a potential client isn’t helpful. The question that will actually provide you with an answer that’s informative is:
I’m looking to have my product/brand photographed for my {website, social media, e-commerce site, ad, etc} and I’d like X number of photographs in {white background, product or lifestyle} format. What package options could you come up with for me?
Yes! Now the photographer has a much better starting point. They can now tailor some package options for you to choose from. More details will be needed over time but generally, this should be enough to get the ball rolling.
Budget Smudget
I know. I know. Not everyone likes to show their hand right away. BUT if you’re pretty clear and/or firm on your budget, communicate it. The photographer will know right away if they can work within your budget for your needs and there’s no need to waste any time. Having this number also give the photographer the opportunity to offer you options on how to maximize a photoshoot to get the most out of it to fit within that magic number.
What am I paying for?
I wanted to briefly cover what you’re actually paying for when it comes to hiring a freelance photographer and why the package rates can vary.
Before working as a photographer, I too asked myself…
“Why the heck does it cost so much to get photographs taken?”
The short answer to that question is:
It’s not just about the photoshoot.
There is so much more to creating eye-catching imagery than picking up a camera, hitting the shutter button a few times, and delivering the photos.
Creating those amazing images requires pre-production and possible prop sourcing, recipe creation, and/or cooking. Then there is the scene stying, lighting set-up, the photoshoot itself, the editing, and then the final delivery.
All this takes time and it’s time that the photographer needs to charge for.
To give you an example, both these packages could cost $500:
E-Commerce Product Photoshoot - 20 images, white background
Lifestyle Product Photoshoot - 2 images, different scene set-up
“Ok hold on Sarah - so white background images are $25 a shot and lifestyle images are $250?”
I know that’s what it looks like but it has nothing to do with price per image and everything to do with what’s involved in getting the images made. There is also something called a licensing fee that will be included which can vary depending on where you plan to use those images.
Licensing fees are a whole other conversation but the short of it is ints kinda like streaming music. A musician owns the rights to the music they create and they license the right to use the music on various platforms where users can stream it. The same goes for photographers. A photographer will always own the right to the work they create (unless they sign away those rights) and they license out the use of their images for use on various media platforms.
Maximize
Pro Tip: Ask your photographer how to maximize your photoshoot to get the most out of it.
Photographers can get creative with packages so make sure you chat with your photographer on how to maximize your photoshoot to get the most out of it. Images that more intensive, complicated or involved, or that require prop sourcing, varied location, models and/or scene variation are going to cost more. If you are looking for volume and want the most images you can get for your budget make sure you ask HOW. Little changes can be made to backdrops, props, outfits, lighting adjustments and/or image cropping. These are little changes that are not overly time-consuming but allow for a lot more variation.
Let’s Wrap it up
In Summary:
Do your research and find a few photographers whose work you love.
Get clear on your budget.
Know your imagery needs.
Have the conversation to discuss how to get the images you need, for the budget you have and the various ways you can maximize the photoshoot.
This one fits “Just Right”
It’s now time for you to channel your inner Goldilocks and find the photographer that fits “just right.” If you have any questions to fill in any gaps leave them in the comments below or feel free to message me privately!
Happy hunting!
Much love,
~S
P.S. Stay tuned for the next series of posts, where we’ll cover the ins and out of creating awesome imagery for your brand….. with or without a hired photographer!