Opening up a business today is quite easy. The easiest way is to find the right products and post them on your online website. Or maybe use an online marketplace like Shopify or Amazon.
As of 2019, there are 800,000 Shopify stores online, and you can start one at home. If you consider the overall rate, 69% of U.S. startup businesses begin at home. It is now more accessible than ever.
But it comes with a challenge. People buying online have a short attention span. You have to capture their interest in as short as 3 seconds. And what is the first thing your potential customers see? It is your product photos.
Thus, it is essential to find a reliable photographer to do your product flat lay photography or branding photography.
Here are five reasons why you should hire a professional for brand photography.
Save Time to Do the Things that Matter the Most.
You have a lot of things to do in your business when you are just starting. You need to take care of the marketing, accounting, inventory management, customer service, and the list goes on–most of which you need to do personally because of financial constraints.
You do not want an additional workload where you might not be as effective.
A professional product photoshoot may take hours, even days, to conceptualize. Yes, that professional-looking flat lay photography you see online takes effort.
The photoshoot duration itself varies from 30 mins to 2 hours. And if you decide to do it on your own, it might not turn out as you want it to be. For just around an average price of $300-$500, you can get your service or product professionally taken. Some may even give you a discount, depending on the package you pick.
Professionals Have the Equipment (which costs A LOT).
You may have a reliable smartphone or a simple point-and-shooter to try DIY product photography. But the quality of the shots would be vast if you use professional equipment, especially if you enlarge the photos.
Professionals have high-end cameras, multiple quality lenses, tripods, lightings, editing tools, and other equipment to take that beautiful shot. And you might not want to splurge on them unless you have $2000 – $5000 to spare.
They Are Skilled to Produce Quality Results
But let us say you want to invest in professional photography equipment. You will need to learn how to use them, and that would take precious time for you. Then factor in significant delays for launching as well as opportunity costs of uploading a subpar photo.
These professionals are experts; they know how to use their camera shots to your advantage in the quickest time possible.
Consistency in Your Branding
Telling a consistent story for your brand is essential. You want to convey a specific and distinct feeling and tone of voice in all your social media channels and promotions.
By being consistent, you will make your brand more recognizable as you market further. And this also applies to the visual message of your brand.
It is challenging to maintain or be consistent in photography as an art form, so much more than taking professional photos. After all, there is more to pictures than just taking them.
Professionals have to do photo editing and color grading while keeping the design in line with your other marketing materials.
When you hire professionals, you do not need to worry about this problem anymore. All you need is to market your products the best that you can through the various social media channels at your fingertips.
