5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Photographer or Videographer
Whether you choose to work with us or another company, take a look at the tips below so you don't hire the wrong professional.
Not the best experience...
At least once a week someone tells us a horror story about the last photographer or video company they worked with.
Sometimes the shooter doesn't show up to the shoot. Sometimes the results of the final product are less than stellar and there are no refunds or reshoots granted. Or in many cases, a videographer will deliberately underbid every other quote just to get the job... and then their lack of experience becomes evident the moment the client realizes the shoot is running an hour behind schedule and numerous shots are missing from their promo video.
One time, we had a client call us in tears. "I just left a really highly rated headshot studio that I found on Yelp. They took my pictures and none of them looked like me! I wasn't comfortable during the shoot, and once I saw the images, I wasn't happy with any of them."
We asked why she couldn't just do a reshoot with the photographer or get a refund, and she said they wouldn't accommodate her. She then proceeded to ask us if we had any availability that day. Fortunately there were a few open slots and since she was already in makeup, we offered for her to come in to take some photos with us right away.
Long story short, after the shoot ended, she was extremely happy and walked away with a set of headshots she loved, and we were ecstatic to have helped her. She left us a really nice Yelp review that we're very thankful for.
But this story just goes to show that the trustworthiness of photographers and videographers over the past two decades has significantly declined - even for those with positive online reviews!
Why is this? And why is it that when you look on Google and Yelp, most professionals have perfect 5-star ratings, yet they still let numerous clients leave their studios each week not fully satisfied?
Well, the reason is simple:
Most companies only ask happy clients to leave reviews, and in many cases, unhappy clients are sometimes afraid to leave negative reviews since photographers or videographers do a good job of convincing the client it was THEIR fault that they didn't like the final product.
Believe it or not, someone from an office recently told us that their photographer forgot the camera battery and everyone's headshots had to be taken with an iPhone! We hear these stories all the time, so we decided to put together this simple list to teach you what to look for when hiring.
When hiring a photographer or videographer, they MUST:
Sometimes the shooter doesn't show up to the shoot. Sometimes the results of the final product are less than stellar and there are no refunds or reshoots granted. Or in many cases, a videographer will deliberately underbid every other quote just to get the job... and then their lack of experience becomes evident the moment the client realizes the shoot is running an hour behind schedule and numerous shots are missing from their promo video.
One time, we had a client call us in tears. "I just left a really highly rated headshot studio that I found on Yelp. They took my pictures and none of them looked like me! I wasn't comfortable during the shoot, and once I saw the images, I wasn't happy with any of them."
We asked why she couldn't just do a reshoot with the photographer or get a refund, and she said they wouldn't accommodate her. She then proceeded to ask us if we had any availability that day. Fortunately there were a few open slots and since she was already in makeup, we offered for her to come in to take some photos with us right away.
Long story short, after the shoot ended, she was extremely happy and walked away with a set of headshots she loved, and we were ecstatic to have helped her. She left us a really nice Yelp review that we're very thankful for.
But this story just goes to show that the trustworthiness of photographers and videographers over the past two decades has significantly declined - even for those with positive online reviews!
Why is this? And why is it that when you look on Google and Yelp, most professionals have perfect 5-star ratings, yet they still let numerous clients leave their studios each week not fully satisfied?
Well, the reason is simple:
Most companies only ask happy clients to leave reviews, and in many cases, unhappy clients are sometimes afraid to leave negative reviews since photographers or videographers do a good job of convincing the client it was THEIR fault that they didn't like the final product.
Believe it or not, someone from an office recently told us that their photographer forgot the camera battery and everyone's headshots had to be taken with an iPhone! We hear these stories all the time, so we decided to put together this simple list to teach you what to look for when hiring.
When hiring a photographer or videographer, they MUST:
Specialize in what you need:
- You don't want someone who specializes in weddings or landscapes taking your headshots, just like you don't want someone who doesn't know about marketing trying to help you with your promo video.
- Just because they charge $800 for an hour-long portrait session doesn't necessarily mean they know what they are doing.
- We very specifically train our team so they know in detail how to shoot the exact project you need done. And if they aren't an expert in it, we will use a different team member who is.
Direct specifics and customize your shoot:
- Be wary of professionals who don't direct expression and body positioning.
- Make sure your shooter has a good personality and is easy to get along with.
- We aim to make our shoots fun and relaxing, while still be specific enough with direction to ensure you look great on-camera.
Know what the current trends are:
- Trends change over time, so be certain the company you are considering is up to date.
- You don't want a technical issue to cause an employer (or casting director) to think you're much older or younger than you are.
- Simple things like brick walls in an actor headshot can actually get your photo tossed.
- Learn about current trends for headshots by clicking here.
Have insurance and meet legal requirements:
- Did you know that in New York state, it's not required for a photographer or videographer to charge sales tax unless he/she is making hard copy prints or disks? Anyone who charges sales tax might be pocketing the extra money.
- If a shooter works independently and doesn't have worker's comp, legally he or she can sue you to pay his/her medical bills if injured while working for you, even if it's at their own studio.
- Did you know that according to NY law, you actually don't own the rights to your final product unless you sign a contract?
Be honest and tell you everything up front:
- Make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money - you don't want to be surprised with an additional charge for the rights to access the high-res photos or video!
- Look carefully at a shooter's portfolio. It should only show the best of the best work, and if there are any less-than-stellar photos or videos, you should question why they thought it was good enough to put on their portfolio?
- Check out reviews on Yelp.com or Google Reviews because they are more trustworthy than a photographer's website. Anyone can post something on their website but it's harder to get fake reviews posted onto Yelp or Google because of their fraud filters.
The Takeaway
Martin, City Headshots® Founder
As an overall takeaway, you should always hire a shooter that understands visual branding and is trustworthy and established. If you don't, you could wind up having to do a reshoot and they might not be open to refunds.
I commend you for doing your research ahead of time, because it means you're putting in the work to ensure your shoot goes as smoothly as possible.
Knowing what to look for when hiring a photographer or videographer is only the very beginning of the things you need to know so you don't make a mistake that could cost you hundreds (or in some cases thousands) of dollars.
Further Reading:
I have a great page called Get the Greatest Headshots of Your Life with a bunch of extremely helpful info. If you sign up to access everything, I'll send you the page, along with adding you into our monthly $650 headshot drawing! Click here to sign up and get the goods.
I commend you for doing your research ahead of time, because it means you're putting in the work to ensure your shoot goes as smoothly as possible.
Knowing what to look for when hiring a photographer or videographer is only the very beginning of the things you need to know so you don't make a mistake that could cost you hundreds (or in some cases thousands) of dollars.
Further Reading:
I have a great page called Get the Greatest Headshots of Your Life with a bunch of extremely helpful info. If you sign up to access everything, I'll send you the page, along with adding you into our monthly $650 headshot drawing! Click here to sign up and get the goods.
