Quick Tip – Spend a Little Extra on Photography
December 29, 2006 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
It’s easy to think that you’ll just grab some photos of an event yourself, to save money and the hassle of hiring a photographer.
For some events, that’s fine. But when you really need a photo or video that does a good job of reflecting your organization’s image, think about booking a reliable photographer or videographer.
Having photos in a blog or employee newsletter that look “authentic” in their lack of professional polish is one thing. But using mediocre photos for a major announcement can make you look bush league.
If you have someone on staff who does professional-quality work, great. Make sure they have the time and freedom to create good images.
Benefit: You can control the amount of “polish” the photos have, rather than accepting whatever gets shot.
Tags: business, communications, design, photography, tips
AMEN, Eric! Not too long ago, organizations routinely hired professional photographers. Now, since “everyone” has a digital camera, “everyone” is a photographer. And we’re seeing the dismal results — poorly composed, dark, unfocused shots. Awful!
Lots of truth to this. I thought I knew a little about photography until I actually had to shoot some photos for a newsletter. 30-something photos and only a handful were useful.
Royalty-free stock photography sites can help as well. LearningChange, the company I work for, uses iStockphoto constantly to make up for not having an actual photographer. Many times clients don’t have time to devote to a photographer’s visit. Stock photo sites can help, but having a professional photographer is always best.
Donna and Owen: I worked as a photographer years ago, so I should be able to churn out well composed, evenly lit, photos that have impact.
But I find there’s a difference between shooting every day and being an occasional photographer. I have to really pay attention to make sure I get something worth using, and that’s hard to do when I’m also attending to other tasks at an event.
Exactement! All the more reason to hire a photographer, right?
Amen! Working in elections, I can’t tell you how often I’ve asked politicians’ staff for those great candid photos I just KNOW they’ve been taking over the last four years… right? Uh… right?
On that note, is there any way we can drive a stake through the heart of the grip-’n'-grin photo? And the giant cheque?