5 Reasons Your Business Shouldn’t Invest in Commercial Photography – A Satire

Consumers definitely don’t believe everything they see on the Internet.  So why should you indulge them with your quality work, craftsmanship, and overall rugged good looks?! If you think the general population just closes their eyes and picks a business for their needs, you’re on board with the theory that investing time or money in a professional photographer is a waste of valuable funds. The very funds you could be putting toward daily employee lunches and paying their mileage to and from the office or job site. Cue audience laughter.

Satire aside friends, it is truly important to represent your business in the best light possible always. Cell phones and tablets can take good photos, but to the untrained eye – if you don’t pay attention, you’ll end up with crooked photos with undesirable people or items in the background.

Therefore hiring a professional, as you would with your plumbing, car repair, or pest control, is vital to visual success. Stock photos are indeed available as a last resort, but you take the risk of coming off impersonal and a competitor could likely purchase the same images for their website, social media photos, or advertising. Unfortunately, that leaves you zero credibility when it comes to consumers who value the “what you see, is what you get” way of thinking.

Since you’re still reading this informative article, I’ll politely warn you I’m going to turn the irony back on now:

1. People Don’t Care About Lighting  

MYTH: That yellow tinge making everything you created look musty is something people know to not pay attention to. Right?!

REALITY: Wake up and KNOW that photographers manipulate lighting and aperture so that your photos look the way they are intended to as if you were standing in the room. This magical voodoo is crazy important to point out the details and characteristics in your work.

2. Who Doesn’t Find Joy in Unflattering Employee Photos?  

MYTH: Did you have a company function and caught Sharon digging into that plate of BBQ? Was John coming out of the bathroom and you snapped a picture? Ehhhh, we’ll call it okay for Instagram.

REALITY: No, no it’s not!!! These images may be funny to your staff, but not to your clients. Documenting get-togethers and your employees the right way shows they are real people and part of a company, and these photos need to be tasteful and appropriate. A reputable photographer will know to avoid people eating, drinking alcohol, smoking or anything else that could be perceived in a negative or harmful way.

3. No One Will Know That Photo Was From 1994  

MYTH: If you still use a Nokia phone and browse the web with Netscape – I’m positive that dated photos won’t bother you.

REALITY: The rest of the world has upgraded – and so should you. That amazing aerial photo can now be inexpensively redone with a drone and you can have vibrant panoramas if you want to be modern. Recreating commercial photography is a great idea to build nostalgia, and talking to your pro photographer about this is recommended. If you haven’t taken a new headshot in a decade, it’s time to own up to your age and let the photographer show the true you, so customers don’t secretly pass judgment about you covering up a receding hairline or some extra weight. (Who knows what they may think you’re hiding about your business?!)

4. People Relate To Stock Images So Much Better  

MYTH: Who doesn’t have a plastered smile on with completely clean clothes on at a construction job site?

REALITY: No one. No one does! Commercial photography should be elegant, but true and real – because nowadays that’s what people are looking for in the abyss of nonsense that is the mighty Internet. If you’re lucky to have a hard-working employee who is constantly camera ready – then by all means, make them your muse. If not, let the truth shine about your business and keep it real. Stock images don’t serve your LOCAL market. Seek a local photographer and let them show your true brand. More times than not you’ll be positively surprised about the long lasting partnerships you’ll create.

5. Your Restaurant is So Good It Has No Competition

MYTH: It’s okay to hire your friend with a camera, because duh, there’s no one better and people will flock to your place anyway. They won’t care about well styled, focused and composed food photos for your, ummm… food business.

REALITY: Nope. No. Never. If I knew more languages I would attempt more variations. But as a great English speaker, I’ll stick to saying it in this language. See what I did here? True commercial food photographers are very well versed in ONE thing: food photography. Styling, lighting, composition, focus on ingredients or the hero menu item to showcase – these are traits that someone who had tirelessly perfected their craft would possess and happily put to work for your establishment. Mo’ better photos, mo’ better clients. Mo’ better clients, mo’ better restaurant. That’s right friends, your restaurant has ALL the competition it can stand. How are you showing you’re different?

Skilled photographers know what to look for when taking photos for your business’ needs. They will take the time to make your staff comfortable, check them for smudged makeup or clothing, and properly edit your images for perfection. If you’re considering hiring an expert to make your company shine, the time is now.

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