WHY BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY IS EXPENSIVE
If you’re any kind of entrepreneur, you might have considered hiring a personal brand photographer for your business marketing. Maybe you’ve even hired one already.
Either way, you may have been wondering at some point, why is professional branding photography so expensive?
And while it may seem that way at first sight, you might think differently after you understand its value better.
I can preach all day why every business needs professional images. Simply put if you want to appear professional, you need to hire professionals (hint: save the selfies for your personal profile for friends and family).
But, let me just break down the reasons why branding photography costs as much as it does so you can have a better grasp of it.
1) GOOD WORK COSTS GOOD MONEY
It’s true that in most cases, you get what you pay for. This phrase is popular for a reason. You cannot expect stellar results if you’re paying a bargain price.
And I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to the reputation of your business, you’d want stellar results, correct? You want the images taken of you to represent you in the best possible light (figuratively and literally) so that your potential clients take you seriously, right?
I totally understand that there’s a time and a place for bargain hunting but that time is definitely not when it comes to your business’ success.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, hiring the right talent for the job is necessary.
2) MORE THAN PHOTOGRAPHY
When you hire a GOOD branding photographer, you’re not just getting pictures. We are creative stylists, directors, planners, and content creators. My process involves more than just snapping a few pics and calling it a day.
First, I take the time to set up a discovery call with clients to get to know them and their business. Then, I strategize branding clarity and vision for their business through a detailed questionnaire. Often, this alone is something clients haven’t even done before for themselves!
Next, I give them a detailed shoot prep guide to help them select the best outfits, locations, props, etc. After that, I take time to prepare a shot list to ensure we make the best of our photo session together.
And finally, it’s shooting time!
However, it doesn’t end there. We photographers need to take TONS of extra images to make sure we have enough to choose from by the end of the session. Lots of images don’t turn out well so we need to overshoot to be on the safe side.
That means there’s a lot more work to be done after the session as well. The process of selecting the best images and editing the final ones can mean multiple hours or even days of additional work.
Also, not everyone does this, but I like to help my clients figure out which images to use where because I know that makes their lives even easier!
3) COSTS AND BUSINESS EXPENSES
Camera equipment, lenses, lighting systems, editing software, and website hosts are just a few of photographers’ business expenses. It’s all very expensive. And good gear is imperative to produce professional results.
We also have to take into consideration the time and gas spent driving to the shoot location. Everything counts!
Of course, acquiring our professional expertise didn’t come for free either. I consider myself self-taught, but even I spent quite a bit of money on online courses and education to be the best I can be in my field.
Also, you may not be aware that most branding photographers (including me) include the cost of a commercial photography license in the fee. This grants the clients ownership of images allowing them to freely use them as they please.
FINAL WORDS
Hopefully, this post gave you a better idea of why personal brand photography is so expensive.
Better yet, I hope you can now see how this type of professional photography is actually a return on investment. Good images have the potential to make your business look a lot more legit and get you more client bookings. After all, that’s the end goal of every business.