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PR Pictures- Choosing a Professional photographer from London to Inverness

Firstly, why work with a professional photographer? With contemporary digital cameras and Photoshop, definitely anyone will get decent pictures? NO! Most professional photographers will let you know that the gear doesn't do everything for you, no matter how much money you spend. Knowing precisely what all those control keys and gizmos do can be secondary to a knowledge of the rules of composition, years of knowledge in putting together setups that work, knowledge of relevant lighting methods, and above all knowing when to simply stand back rather than fiddle too much. The gap between 'great art' photography and commercial photography is definitely a wider gulf than most amateurs presume. The skill of an excellent photographer is their imagination, speed, and consistent good quality. Apart from the technical and creative areas of the task a good photographer should be presentable, approachable and easy to work with. Maybe the best way to think about a photographer is as someone representing not only you but also your customer/customers. Will Uncle Jeff's friend who happens to have a digital camera be happy carefully cajoling your blue-chip's CEO into http://dallaszjcx268.wpsuo.com/15-best-twitter-accounts-to-learn-about-nyc-photography position just the right way while making them smile, and quite equally when faced with a group shot will they become assertive enough to obtain the shot just correct without having to be too bossy?

It's not just about the photography.....it's the whole package.

No matter whether you're a small company looking for a photographer to take images to accompany the latest press release, or a recognised pr and branding outfit seeking for fresh ideas - selecting the most appropriate photographer is key to put the proper message across correctly.

In the next article I intend to outline some of the things that I consider important when choosing a photographer. As a disclaimer - I'll state that as a photographer myself I am in no way saying that I tick all these boxes as to be honest, particular photographers will inevitably match certain clients better than others. But PR professionals may appreciate the view from the other side of the fence.

Where to look:

Referrals and contacts.

As with most staff and consultancy sourcing, referrals certainly are a very useful way to scout the skill you're after. If you would like to commission a professional photographer to work in an region where you have no existing contacts, you will want to call a person who does? It's viewed as poaching people's staff, but considering that most photographers are freelance after that why not talk with another PR professional for the reason that region and get the info you need. It really is worth remember however, that just because someone has been using a photographer for twenty years, doesn't imply that they are necessarily the best choice for you personally. Avoid the unavoidable referrals from friends and family unless you're sure they possess a tested track record.

The 'local paper' technique.

I have known many PR businesses that have contacted the neighborhood paper to query if there are any photographers for the reason that area who they can recommend. Press photographers tend to utilize a minimum quantity of equipment and this is supplied by the newspaper they work for. Due to the woeful lack of investment in papers and their employees, this means they might not be prepared or able to use creative light set-ups and may possess quite dated and worn equipment. It's for this reason that the local paper strategy could be successful if you are only after a professional photographer to cover a straightforward job such as a meeting or a cheque demonstration. The probabilities are that one of the staff photographers on the newspaper will do the job efficiently and cheaply. It's worthy of considering that, in my experience at least, press photographers are usually of a high regular and used to working to deadlines, but often have their own concepts about how exactly a brief should be covered so apparent communication is needed. If you require something a bit more special, then probably this is simply not the right approach.

The internet.

Make use of Google for what you want (PR photographer [your area]) and have a look at the websites on offer. You will most probably have plenty of sites approaching for professional wedding photographers and such so consider relevant keywords in the listing such as for example 'commercial', 'advertising', 'PR', 'general public relations' or 'editorial'. If you struggle to find anything, after that 'freelance' is fairly a good catch-all search term.

Ideally you need to see a nice website with plenty of info on the subject of the person/people. Some kind of info showing a confirmed track record, like a customer list or blog is great. Most of all there should be an on-line portfolio that displays the type of work that you would happily put on your website and present to your client/customers. Having a picture of the photographer on the website pays to. I'm not saying they have to end up being Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie but they should look presentable and in some way vaguely human.

Enquiries

Ideally you should will have a short set of photographers to choose from. In case you are struggling to find a few in your particular target area then get one of these wider geographical search. I've worked from South London to Inverness in the last year so it just goes to present that if the professional photographer can perform you much on travel expenditures you can choose somebody from a little further afield.

Email enquiries are the easy way but there is absolutely no substitute for a telephone call. Don't dismiss photographers who don't grab - would you will want photographer speaking with other clients when he's designed to be working out for you? Do keep a message and amount though, and the conscientious will contact back. Speaking to someone will right away give you the feeling of the person and present you an opportunity to ask the questions you need.

FAQ:

What is your availability on the relevant time?

What are your rates, per hour, or part of day? (Don't confuse cost with value!)

How far carry out you travel and what do you charge per mile/flat fee?

What is your policy on copyright?

How quickly may we get the photos?

How do you deliver the pictures?

How do you accept payment?

These are all pretty obvious but the best questions tend to be the types that put the photographer at that moment. These could be something similar to: 'We need some portraits of the Handling Director of a logistics organization in a city center area....what would your ideas for that shoot be?'

A good photographer would say: 'We could keep these things stationary with blurred crowds of people rushing around them, or keep these things in a traffic island with traffic zooming about them or sat in a good coffee shop reading the FT......etc'.

What I'm trying to state is that a photographer should be able to enhance the brief along with fulfill it. As a photographer I know only too well that a client can come up with an idea for a photograph which they think is fantastic, which in reality may be tough or impractical to attain. It's worth getting the photographer involved at the idea stage for a shoot and bouncing ideas around.

Make sure you obtain an agreed quote in writing. Whether it's agreed over the phone then send out a confirmation email too. This is for you personally and the photographer and it will save any misunderstanding later.

The Brief: What to include?

The brief is an essential part of any given job. It models down in writing what you expect from see your face. Even if you are with the photographer on the day it's still really good to work together from the same short so everyone's targets are met.

+ Job Information: What, where, when, who..... details and relevant telephone quantities. The usual pitfall gets to reception and becoming told that there are twelve Bobs in the factory. Full titles and work titles are always useful, along with any relevant plan or timing details. Be specific about how you anticipate the photographer to end up being dressed. Is it smart casual or suited and booted?

+ Must Have: Have a specific shot list of 'must have' issues that you definitely have to have recorded as they happen and/or set-up.

+ Additional: Have a supplementary list of 'bonus' photographs you would like if possible enabling time, conditions etc.

+ Style: Detail the entire look and feel of the image when it comes to style. Do you want newsy images for the papers or more of a features brochure style?

+ Deliverables: Explain how you would the pictures sent or emailed.

+ Additional info: This might detail picture taking consent or parking.

+ Press Release: This may not continually be possible, but if relevant perform try to show a planned press release to a professional http://www.thefreedictionary.com/photo photographer so that they are able to function to take relevant accompanying photos.

+ Plan B: Always try and make provision for poor weather or the individual being photographed not to arrive because they've forgotten it's taking place!. You can't arrange for all eventualities, but having an idea B for the obvious ones could be wise.

This is just the bare bones. I was sent a brilliant 4000 word, 19 page brief recently in one of my regular customers. It had been detailing the go to of a celebrity to the region to promote the 2010 Olympics. It contained concise guidelines, all the places they would be visiting that day, exactly that which was hoped to be performed in each area and a preliminary press release which will be sent with the pictures. It contained a whole lot of background information that will be extremely useful on the day.

Feedback and organic development.

All regular business relationships are about constructive communication. Although some jobs will occasionally be one-off type plans, it's always nice to know that when you have found somebody you trust, you could use them once again. If for reasons uknown you are unhappy with a photographer's work, it is important to be apparent why and give them the opportunity to receive that feedback and touch upon it. We're not talking about an 'eBay' program of starred reviews, but do say what you liked most and least about commissioned function.

Hopefully once you've found a PR photographer you enjoy working with it'll turn into a mutually beneficial relationship. Some small companies like to handle one photographer constantly, whereas some rotate the task amongst several, ensuring availability at short notice. Some businesses pay out reduced and go through an agency to find the equivalent (or even worse, for me) service they might get from a person.