Clients questions answered: What will you leave with when working with a professional photographer?

We realize coming to a professional photographer can be daunting. With little to no experience in this field, how are you to know what to ask for and what to expect? What is the process between picking a photographer and receiving your photos? To an inexperienced party, one might think there is a standard answer to this question, however the truth is, that this is something that needs to be addressed early in the quoting process. There are numerous options available for you as the client and we can always tailor our approach based on your needs. Your expectations should always be vetted during the first round of conversations. 

Whenever we quote on a photography project one of the first questions we ask is how many final deliverable images is the client looking for, this means how many files or photos do you want to leave with. This not only clarifies the ask, it also help to inform how long the shoot will potentially take to complete, which in turn informs how we quote on the project. 

Once we have clarified what the client needs in the sense of deliverables, we can assess how long it will take to hand over the edited proofs. Realistically this usually only takes a day to three days maximum. Once those proofs are received, the client is able to look over them themselves and make selections based on what they want. We are always open to sharing our opinions on which shots stick out to us - however you are the client and your eye is important to the process. Once the file names are sent back to us we get to retouching. One we have retouched the appropriate files we do the final delivery of completed, retouched images and the client is good to go. 

It’s important to remember, timelines can be assessed on a project to project basis. If you have a tight turnaround, communicating that to you photographer means they can schedule each step appropriately. We are here to help YOU, being clear and concise about your expectations can help us exceed them.

Client questions answered: Can you rely on your photographer to help creatively?

Photographers are in this industry usually because they are creatives themselves - so when you feel overwhelmed in the process do not be afraid to lean on them!

We have worked with all different types of clients with varying levels of experience in the creative realm and therefore have experience helping along the journey. Over time, we have become proficient in knowing what questions to ask to ensure you receive the results you require. At Jive, we are always interested in brainstorming with the client and are always up for offering our own insight and ideas. Collaboration often leads to incredible results.

If you want even more guidance and help on the creative side, hiring an Ad Agency is always a great option. Ad Agencies will take care of creative direction and will even further organize options and ideas for you to approve and move forward with. 

This is usually a route taken with larger clients that have multiple marketing needs, ie. website development, a media buy, rebranding etc etc. 

To facilitate the organization and cohesiveness of a large ask such as above, The Ad Agency would assign an Art Director to work directly with the photographer. This addition to the team helps to ensure that the images reflect the overall vision of the campaign and they can help with all creative matters.

At the end of the day, creatively you are covered. Your input and vision remain the most important, but those in your team can help guide and refine along the way. We are and continue to be team players - so send us in coach!

Client questions answered: If you hire a professional photographer - do you lose creative control?

So you have a project, you have put time and effort into a plan and believe you have a good idea of what you want accomplished - now you’re looking to hire a photographer, but fear your vision will get lost along the way. We want to reassure you this is absolutely not the case when you hire an experienced photographer. When you hire a professional photographer, you are not signing over your creative rights to the project. In fact, it’s very much the opposite. A photographer’s job is to add value to your vision. We aim to work as a team, and to take your ideas seriously, only hoping to improve them, and help bring them to life. If you feel strongly about your vision, we will take your cues and come together to help execute. 

The beauty of JIVE, having worked with ad agencies, art directors, copy writers and marketing teams, is that if your vision needs fine tuning, we can offer that help as well. It has become second nature for us to dive into how to best convey your message visually, and our experience with branding and messaging can be extremely valuable if the client is newer to the game. In other words, you get the best of both worlds, we can take the lead from the client, or to step up and offer new and exciting ideas that may inspire the project.

Photographers are creative by nature, but our main goal is to facilitate the production of images and/or video content that you and your team need. This is why people skills are so important in this industry, being able to sense when the client needs support creatively is something experienced photographers can sense, and will then present suggestions for execution. 

Don’t forget, your ideas are important, and good communication is the key to an excellent result.

Client questions answered: When should you start looking to hire a professional photographer?

A question that comes up a lot when talking to prospective clients is, how far along in the concept stage of the project should I be before hiring a professional photographer? While some may think their ideas should be completely hashed out, it’s quite the opposite. You really don’t need to be very far along in the process at all. 

There are a few specific questions that you and your team should discuss before meeting with a photographer to best communicate your needs. These questions will give the photographer a better sense of what role they can play, and what they can bring to the table. Knowing to ask these questions also empowers the client, and can facilitate better communication right out of the gate.

Here are the questions we believe to be most important when first engaging with a professional photographer:

 What are you looking to photograph?

Do you have any reference shots to share to help with visual art direction etc.?

How many people need to be photographed? (Groups or individuals?)

Where do you want the photoshoot to take place? (Studio or on location? and if on location, where and why?)

When does the shoot need to be scheduled? 

Is there requirement for additional talent? 

What is the turnaround time on deliverables?

Is there, or will there be an ad agency involved? 

What is the usage of the images we are going to produce? (Print, PR, advertising, online.) 

All of the above can influence the cost of the shoot, and so being direct can create trustworthy and meaningful communication about the project. 

These questions are foundational for both the photographer, and the team hiring them. Lead with these and you will have the support of your photographer throughout the project. 

Client questions answered: Do you need an advertising agency to facilitate your relationship with a photographer?

While we do work consistently with advertising and branding companies, you and your company certainly don’t have to go that route to work with a professional photographer.

However, not working with an agency means you will need a photographer who is seasoned in producing advertising work. Photographers who have experience working with agencies, art directors and creatives will understand that they are shooting to produce images for a specific marketing purpose. This means they will work in line with your specific messaging and will be able to produce images that reflect your brand values.

At JIVE we are aware that this experience in the advertising field is a must and we have years of delivering quality commercial content because of it. Every shoot we undertake, however big or small, involves strategic and all encompassing planning. Nothing we do, (at least almost nothing) happens by accident. As a result you as the client are well aware of what you will be receiving before the shoot even happens. The shoot is more likely to go smoothly when all involved parties have been part of the planning, it ensures the messaging will be spot on. 

Using a photographer with advertising/marketing experience means they will intuitively know what questions to ask you, and what obstacles may arise - meaning these issues can be squashed before the day of the shoot. This helps to guarantee quality images that are useable and relevant for years to come. 

The best way to make sure you are working with a photographer with this sort of experience? Ask the hard questions! By asking any photographer you are considering for a list of ad agencies and marketing companies they have worked with before, you will be able to decipher the level of experience they will bring to your shoot.

The most important aspect of working with anyone is understanding their experience and how it can serve you - working with a photographer is no different!