As a North East photographer
with many years of experience I’m saddened by the rise in the number of people
calling themselves photographers, but failing to deliver the fabulous images
that the client should be able to expect.
While I’m genuinely not
having a go at keen amateurs or anyone trying to develop a hobby into a living,
I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that saving money on professional
photography – whether it’s PR, commercial or wedding photography - is almost
always a false economy.
I learnt my trade as a press photographer and have spent 25 years as a professional photographer, carrying out thousands of jobs across Teesside and North Yorkshire, Durham, North andSouth Tyneside, Sunderland and Northumberland and it grieves me to see people
value photography services on price alone. Have a think about it for a
moment – are there many other areas in your life where you always go for the
cheapest or the DIY option? We all like a bargain but while you can happily get
away with buying cheap baked beans, I’m guessing most of us don’t buy the
cheapest possible car, do our own dentistry or our own legal work to save money.
Everyone has digital and
phone cameras these days. They are smart tools, but they don’t turn someone into
a professional photographer. When you hire a pro you are hiring not just top of
the range camera kit worth thousands of pounds, but also creativity, confidence
and years of skill and ability and a back catalogue of shots full of life and
energy.
Some organisations turn to
stock libraries, mistakenly thinking this will meet their photography needs. As
we edge out of recession branding is one of the tools businesses are using to
get ahead. And brands keen to
differentiate themselves from the competition know that good photography gives
them a unique and distinctive edge that stock shots can’t match.
Using an image that
thousands of others have access to can give out the wrong message about a brand,
and anyone who has just paid to use an image across 10,000 brochures doesn’t
want to see the same pictures across their competitors’ marketing too. Only a bespoke image can
really reflect the mood of the organisation - see what I mean by comparing Apple’s
imagery with Poundland’s - both are perfect in their own way. It’s madness to
spend money getting the design and marketing right, and then let the brand fall
over by using poor photographs.
And don’t even get me
started on wedding photography, the press is full of sad stories about couples
who used a cut-price or inexperienced wedding photographer and are broken
hearted with the results. I really feel for them, expecting beautiful mementos
of their special day and instead it turns into a shambles.
Reportage wedding photography that builds up a storybook of the day needs tact, sensitivity and
speed as well as technical ability. You need to be everywhere at once,
anticipating those precious moments - one chance is all you get and woe betide
the photographer who fails.
With a professional photographer
you are paying for the skill and experience behind the camera in putting
everyone at their ease too - being a bit of an entertainer if you like. My
informal, natural style photographs can only come through when people are
relaxed and comfortable. I want them
to feel special and be themselves, because that’s when the pictures are easy.
Obtaining consent,
especially when photographing children, is also an area where non-professionals
get caught out. I am CRB checked and always carry my British Press Photographers Association (BPPA) card –
it’s something police and security people often ask to see. You need to be so
careful in this area and for those who don’t have the experience it can be a
minefield.
Almost all my work comes
through recommendation or from people who have seen my work on www.davecharnleyphotography.com
and many of my commercial clients such as councils, PR and marketing agencies,
businesses and charities come back time and time again.
They know they will get
shots that meet the brief, on a fast turnaround and that their images will be
high resolution so they can be used in marketing brochures, magazine adverts,
online and even on the side of buses or on giant outdoor posters. I can’t stress strongly
enough that people should think long and hard about making sure they book the
right photographer for the job.
While I’m not knocking or
discouraging amateurs, I believe that if you want the best possible images,
then quality, experience and service should be the deciding factors when hiring
a photographer.
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