Finding the right photographer for your business or brand is a lot like finding the right hair stylist or barber. There are cheap ones, expensive ones, lousy ones, and of course, great ones. Unfortunately, there are no legal regulations, restrictions, and licenses that photographers need to hold currently in Nigeria. That means there isn’t a guarantee on the quality of work that a photographer will produce. In a market where anyone can pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer, that leaves you, the potential client at risk.
You need to consider the following when thinking of hiring a photographer.
Define Your Project:
Come up with a description that is short but detailed, to describe your project. Include a bullet list of all the important aspects of the project.
For example:
- What is the project all about?
- The location of the project?
- The aim and purpose of the project?
That right there is a reasonably short description that would help you pinpoint the perfect photographer for the job.
Website:
Does the photographer you are hiring have a website? I sure hope so. Again, this is the technology age. More so, does the website show examples or blog content of similar projects? For example, if you come to our website and look at our portfolio you will notice we photograph portraits of families, individuals, and personal branding. Look out for the website, check their past work to see if you like them and it meets your minimum requirements. You can also check out the rating and reviews, this would help in your decision-making as well.
Knowledge:
This is easy to overlook, especially from a client standpoint. Photography is one of those jobs where anyone can be taught the basics and then start working.
Do these photographers have the knowledge to produce quality photographs? Or do these photographers just know how to follow a step-by-step instruction provided by the experts? If I assemble a crib, does it make me a master at assembling cribs? Or does it mean I am good at following instructions? So make sure the photographer you hire really does know about photography.
You should also check what the photographer is blogging about. Is it educational for you? Does the photographer offer workshops for other photographers? Has he/she written any books? Or made any courses? What shows up when you Google his/her name? This is important to know what he has done in the past and how it might have affected his/her work.
Talent:
Going along with knowledge, comes talent. Just because someone can understand photography, or simply follow an instruction manual, does not mean that he/she is talented. Make sure you review the photographer’s portfolio and that you really love the work you see. If you don’t then what makes you think you will be happy with what he/she can offer for you? The last thing you want is to pay someone for bad results.
So you don’t hire the wrong photographer for the job, think about these things. If the photographer you are looking at for your project doesn’t fit with those, then you may want to consider looking elsewhere.
Take the steps in here and hire the best person for the job. Good luck.