What is the Point? Why would I pay for great imagery?
The point is that your imagery shouldn’t just be an acceptable likeness of your product, place or people. The miracle of photography is when it stirs desire, trust and powerful aspirations of the lifestyle your brand represents. The point is that only great imagery drives sales, so don’t settle for less.
How Do I Get Great Imagery?
The reality you’re not going to like, is that most people aren’t great photographers. No matter how cheap (or free) your neighbour, sister’s boyfriend or work colleague who ‘dabbles’ in photography is – the likelihood of the imagery they create for you adding any value to your business is bleak. There are basically two routes to getting great imagery:
- Become a great photographer yourself
- Hire a great photographer
Keep in mind, when I say ‘great photographer’ I mean a skilled and savvy image creator who is capable of consistently creating great imagery . That doesn’t just require technical skill, decent equipment and experience, it also requires TIME, a resource most of us petpreneurs are pretty short on. It also requires a strong objectivity that allows you to distance yourself from your brand and the imagery enough to not get emotionally attached and really see it for the tool that it is. For all of these reasons, it’s my professional recommendation that it is in your best interest to hire a professional.
Hiring Commercial Pet Photographers in the UK
As with most things, the more sophisticated and busy you get as a business, and the more experienced and in-demand a photographer gets – the more money becomes less important than time and results. You’ll experience a WIDE range of pricing options, bid processes and conversations – some photographers will quote you a flat fee, some will quote you a long list of creative fees, expenses to be reimbursed and then licensing on top. Keep in mind, nearly every photographer is happy for you take the lead on what you’re willing to spend, and if it’s remotely realistic, find a package or option that will fit your budget, or refer you to someone else who may be able to help.
Here’s are two facts you need to know:
- Photography does not have to be the most expensive part of your marketing budget.
- Photography can be the single most effective tool to instantly connect with your buyer emotionally
Investing in and properly utilizing exceptional lifestyle images of your product, services, team and/or process will yield spectacular returns. So, when hiring a photographer, first decide:
what kind of impact you want your photos to have on your audience, and then pick an artist whose portfolio makes you feel that way.
Do not just go with the cheapest or nearest or most available – if the images aren’t impactful, you might as well not bother. Let me repeat – the idea is NOT just to create an acceptable likeness of your product, place or person – the miracle of photography is when it stirs desire, trust and aspirations of the lifestyle your brand represents. Only great photography drives sales, so don’t settle for less.
Finding the right pet business photographer in the UK
If you’re a budget-conscious small business, there two types of photographers I recommend hiring for lifestyle shots for your pet business:
- Animal Photographers: Do not underestimate how hard it is to wrangle multiple dogs ‘on set’ (don’t get me started on cats!) and get them to look natural and not posed while making your product, place or team the real hero of the image. This is a very honed skill-set that is unique to pet-exclusive photographers and in my opinion, if you don’t have the desire or budget to hire handlers, trainers and professional animal models – this is the way to go.
- Lifestyle Photographers: Especially if you’re brand is a product and your photography will include a lot of humans using the product, highlighting a lifestyle etc., then photographers like wedding, family and photo-documentary style shooters can be great. Masters of natural-like human posing and most importantly, styling, these photographers are no stranger to long days of shooting, and having enough visual scrutiny to ensure the ‘scene’ looks fresh, real and desirable while they’re shooting. If pets will play a slightly less ‘front and center role’ – lifestyle photographers (especially wedding photographers) may be great for the gig.
Here’s a Few Pro Pet Photographers You Can Trust:
Bridget Davey Photography – Bedfordshire & London
Brighton Dog Photography
Rhian White
www.brightondogphotography.co.uk
Artisan Hound – Northamptonshire
Josie Baughan
Joanne Photography – Cheshire
Joanne Thibodeau
Jonathan Yearsley– North Wales/Cheshire
Mucky Pup Photography – Swansea
Sarah Kathryn Jones
Petra Photography
www.petra-brandphotography.co.uk
Fur & Fablies– Sussex
Kerry Jordan
Megan William Photography – The Cotswolds
Megan Williams
www.meganwilliamsphotography.co.uk
Perry Bespoke Photography – Wales
Sian Perry
https://perrybespokephotography.co.uk/
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