Advertising photography is created to attract customers, promote some products or services. The purpose of such images is to show the potential buyer all the best features of the advertised product.
Advertising photography can be classified according to the subject of shooting:
- goods, products
- people
- interiors, buildings, geographical objects
According to the purpose of shooting:
- product catalogs (printed, online)
- flyers, posters, billboards
- product packaging
- promotional articles about the company/product/service (in print media, on websites)
What can you save money on?
Advertising photography cannot be cheap. It is impossible without a stage of pre-production: developing an idea, creating sketches, selecting models. Special attention is given to lighting setup, background selection, props, and the appearance of the models — in advertising photography that really works, every detail is essential. Usually, in order to capture an idea in the image, you have to take more than one hundred shots in a variety of angles, experimenting with lighting and applying different composition solutions.
However, there are some options to reduce the cost of the shoot.
It is well known that the more intermediaries there are, the higher the final cost of the product. Therefore, in order to reduce costs, it is worth eliminating them. I mean modeling agencies and casting centers that provide models for shoots. They charge a lot of money for their intermediary services, and the models usually get no more than 30%. In addition, booking a model from an agency, you pay not only for a shooting day, but also pay separately for the commercial use of photos. The agency provides a contract that specifies the terms and forms of use — for example, you will have to pay extra for each year of use. What if there are multiple models involved in the shoot? And if you plan to use the photo for more than one year? That’s a lot of money.
But if you work with models directly, you can avoid unnecessary costs and get permission to use the images for an unlimited period of time (the same permission must be obtained from the photographer). So how to reach the models? Book a photo shoot with a professional photographer who specializes in portfolio and advertising photography.
For example, I work together with many models (female, male) and have the opportunity to involve them in the shoot without spending money on intermediary services of modeling agencies. Moreover, when I work with proven models, I am confident of a successful outcome. Of course, a contract with an agency may not allow to work with clients directly. In this case, I invite freelance models who are not in agencies. Also, if the budget is limited, you can avoid contacting an advertising agency to develop the concept of shooting, and leave this task to the photographer. But you will have to find an experienced pro who will agree and be able to accomplish this.
What (or rather, who) you should not save money on
1. Photographer. Many people think that the cost of a shoot is 90% the photographer’s fee. This is far from true, especially for advertising photography, because there are many additional costs: renting a studio, equipment, models, stylists, makeup artists, props and so on. The main misconception of those who choose a cheap photographer: “s/he has a (semi-)professional camera, so if something goes wrong, the designer will easily fix it in post”. That’s a ridiculous approach. Everything possible should be done on set.
You should look into pricing and ask yourself: “Why is this photographer much cheaper than the other? What do I really lose by accepting the lower price? Are all costs included or paid separately?”
2. Models. Some clients ask to photograph their relatives and friends instead of models. This is not a good idea at all, as in most cases these people have no shooting experience, don’t know how to pose well, which causes a lot of trouble for the photographer and slows down the shooting process a lot. In addition, their appearance may not be attractive enough for advertising. Not every photographer will agree to work with non-professionals (except for a double fee), because to get a decent result, you will have to invest much more effort and time than when working with professional models. Keep in mind: if you save money on models, you’ll have to overpay the photographer.
3. Stylists, makeup artists. Many models have clean facial skin and neat hair, but if you need to create a strong image, it is better to do it with a professional stylist and a makeup artist. Also, if for some reason the shoot involves people with skin problems, it is cheaper to hire a makeup artist than to overpay for retouching (especially if you need not just one shot, but a whole series of images — for example, a catalog).
4. Retoucher. No matter how you look at it, there is no good advertising photography without quality post-production. Therefore, this should always be included in the budget of the shoot (nobody has perfect skin). You should take into account the further use of the photos — if they are for a billboard/poster/cover, you definitely need high-end retouching. If there are a lot of images, mostly full-length (for example, a clothing catalog), you can do without detailed retouching. But then a skillful makeup artist and professional models with clean skin should work on the shoot, as mentioned above.
What is the proper way to buy the rights, not to get into trouble?
It should be noted that the photographer has copyright on the images and must give consent to use them for advertising purposes, i.e. sign an agreement with the client. Without it, the use is considered illegal and may end up in a lawsuit, the infringer will be obliged to pay a huge compensation, much higher than the cost of the shooting. If there are people in the photo, their written consent (model release) is also required.
Particularly “thrifty” advertisers believe that it is easier to take a suitable photo on the Internet (maybe the author will not find out). Others order a photo session allegedly for personal needs (so that it would be cheaper), and then use the photos in advertising. But that’s only from great stupidity. Why then get sued by the author, suffer reputational losses and pay several thousand dollars of compensation when you can hire a photographer, do the shoot with a signed contract and not have any problems? And if you find a suitable photo on the Internet, contact the author, most likely you will be able to negotiate an adequate price. Besides, the images on the web are heavily compressed and resized, but the author has the originals, which can be printed in a large format.
However, in most cases, it is better to conduct an advertising photo shoot according to a carefully planned concept, for your target audience, with your product. This is much more prestigious than using any old photos that have been floating around the web for years.
Good luck with your photos!
Author: Ivan Zajats ©
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