When you are planning to sell your products on amazon, you’ll require professional studio shots of your product for standing on top of other sellers. For this, professional local product photographers come in handy. But where to find them and what to look for?
Before hiring, a lot of things are to be checked off. This includes three phases of checklists full of your requirements that need to meet the photographer.
Phase-1
Fiverr.com.
According to Wikipedia, Fiverr is the global online marketplace for freelance services.
For almost all kinds of jobs and opportunities, there are always people out there ready with their portfolios ready to work. Local product photographers can be found just by using the keywords of your requirements.
Understand what you are looking for.
Before searching on Fiverr or any other freelance marketplace online, you have to understand what you are looking for in your photos.
For different types of products, you will require different types of photos from different angles. Understand your WHAT first before approaching your photographers.
Search hashtags on Instagram.
On Instagram, go to your search option and write the keyword for the type of photographer you’re looking for.
For example, if you are selling sneakers on Amazon, search the keywords #sneakerphotography, #sneakershots, #sneakerphotographer, etc.
By searching this, you will find the local and international photographers who are selling their services by promoting their shots and using the same hashtags.
The downside of this technique is that you will find both buyers and sellers; local and international so you would have to go through a couple of pages to select the one you are looking for.
Ask Google.
One of the simplest and most effective ways of finding the right photographer is by googling “product photographers near me” or naming your city or country.
This will get you all the local photographers near your city. After finding the nearby photographers, check their portfolios if they meet your criteria or not.
Use Local Search
To find the right photographer, you can take help from local search or Google Maps. Just write down the word “Product Photographer/ Product Photography” and boom.
You will get their address, contact details, profiles, portfolio links and even clients like you have given their reviews after taking his service. You can easily take the right decision to take him/her or not.
Phase-2
Interview process.
After you have found and selected a bunch of photographers, you have to approach and talk to them one by one.
For this, you will be asking a bunch of basic questions to filter and select the one.
How much do they charge?
Usually, most photographers charge on an hourly basis but there can be photographers who charge on a Project wise or whole-day basis.
According to Bigcartel.com, amateur photographers, usually charge $50-$60 per project. Whereas, for professional photographers, it varies between $100-$1000 per project.
These prices will vary from photographer to photographer.
What equipment does the photographer use?
It doesn’t matter what type of photographer you choose. Always ask what equipment the photographer uses in order to see if they know what they are doing.
Every photographer uses a high-end camera with a lens and lights. But what’s outside this little package is what makes all the difference. See if they use their own props for the photoshoot or not, and how they manage lighting or backgrounds.
Do they have access to any studios?
Most of the photographers will not have a studio to do the shooting except some. If the photographer doesn’t have a studio then you will need to hire one.
Hiring a studio can be another hassle as it costs a lot. So, always look for a photographer who can bring you into his or her own studio which is much more convenient.
Who owns the rights to the pictures?
Sometimes photographers often ask for credentials for their content shoot. You may not want to credit the photographer for your promotional pictures.
It is always necessary for asking and making sure who owns the right to these pictures. You can select the photographer only if they allow you to take the credits.
Will the photographers be styling and editing the pictures?
Your photographer may not provide other facilities in the package price like STYLING or EDITING the pictures.
In that case, you will need to hire a stylist for the products and an editor for post processing work too. This could be a hassle for you if you are on a budget so you can choose a photographer who is going to post process and style your product.
Phase-3
Location.
When choosing locations, always go for places that are close to your home. This will not only save you time but also your transport cost by a certain percentage.
If you’re shooting outdoors, then choose a location with good sunlight and ambiance. It is always preferred to go somewhere open which is very less crowded for instance, parks.
As if the photographer is going to bring props.
Most photographers nowadays carry their own personalized props yet there are some exceptions. Before going out for the shoot, always ask and make sure whether or not your photographer is bringing props.
If your photographer is not bringing props then you have to use your own props or buy them from the local stio shops.
Before buying props, ask your photographer what type of them will get the job done with ease as it varies from product to product.
When choosing a photographer, you should always consider the rates they are offering against the services that they provide.
Your final price should include your travel expenses, equipment costs, retouching, and styling costs.
