Designer Makes a Case for Better Returns with Professional Photography in Your Advertising
Article and image by Melvin Gruesbeck
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Arts Council Napa Valley. ACNV offers an opportunity for guest editorials on issues in arts and culture.
Maybe you are a chef, architect, artist, florist, or even a wine maker. Regardless of your profession, if you have a product, chances are you put thousands of hours into your craft. Once your product is ready it’s time to hit the marketplace. Online images get more views than a main street storefront and for a fraction of the cost. So you turn to photography to represent your work online.
But instead of hiring a photographer you take the task on yourself. After all, you are a multi-talented entrepreneur — right? You may not realize it but this choice can hurt your products’ value.
When patrons and consumers view your work they want to know if the price you are asking matches the quality of your product. So if your product looks great in person but you have a tasteless picture, your client can only judge the poor photograph. Crappy images devalue of your work!
Professional photographers protect and increase your products value. They maximize your effort with tasteful presentation. Photographers artfully manipulate colors, shapes, and contrast in intriguing ways that command attention and communicate quality.
Companies like Airbnb know this, and offer free photography services for Airbnb hosts. It turn out good photography books more living spaces. That, in turn, increases profits. In fact, Airbnb reports that professionally photographed properties book 2.5 times more than those photographed by amateurs.
So, what is the stamp of a quality photographer? I would say anyone who has made a career out of their services is a safe bet!
When in doubt, conduct an interview and ask questions. Photographers are happy to talk. The more they know about your expectations the better service they can provide. So the next time you are looking to capture your latest portfolio item, consider hiring a professional! Many local photographers can be found here at: https://www.artscouncilnapavalley.org/creatives