Commissioning a photographer for your jewellery business
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Here are our top tips for commissioning a commercial product photographer to take photos of your jewellery for your business.
So you have decided to bite the bullet and commission a photographer to take professional photographs for your jewellery business.
It is an exciting time, particularly if you have long struggled to take decent photos of your beautiful jewellery. And it is generally a bit of an investment. So how can you make sure that you get the most out of that investment in your product and brand? This article talks you through some of the things it is worth having clear before you start speaking to potential photographers, as well as top tips for making the process a great one from start to finish.
What decisions do you need to make before reaching out to a commercial photographer?
1. Research and get clarity!
a. Understand the kind of photographs you are looking for
Before you even start searching for a photographer it is VITAL to know exactly what kind of photography you are looking for. The key types are:
• White background product shots (close up)
• Lightly styled product shots on a natural background (close up)
• Lifestyle product shots (can be further away and incorporate more props). Are designed to evoke emotion in the customer/ sell a lifestyle and encourage them to buy
• Lifestyle shots incorporating your packaging, tools of the trade an work in progress
• Model shots to show scale
• Group/ Hero shots for banners/ cover pages
Brand photography of you
You may even want a combination of one or more different styles. Establishing this at the outset means you can clearly articulate to the photographer what you are looking for so they can provide you with an idea of cost.
b. Understand how many products you want photographed
Almost the first thing any photographer is going to want to know is how many products you want photographed. They can’t really provide you with a quote without this. Do you one just a single photo per product or do you want 2, 3 or 10!
c. Understand how you want your images cropped (i.e. portrait, horizontal, square)
Its always good to get a variety so you have images that will suit different purposes so try and brainstorm how you will use the images so you can give your photographer steer on how how you will be using them and therefore how you might crop them
d. Understand the look and feel you want your photographs to have
This all ties back to you brand, your brand vibe and the look and feel that will appeal to your ideal customer. Do you want quite an elegant and romantic feeling to your photographs, an organic, vintage or rustic vibe, or perhaps a sharp and edgy feel to your photos? We recommend creating a Pinterest board or mood board to capture visually the image style you are looking for.
You also want to consider the following:
• Colour palette to be used (for props)
• Lighting (i.e. light and airy, moody, soft and romantic)
• Backgrounds (wood, slate, marble, rustic tiles etc - light or dark backgrounds)
The more steer you can give your photographer the more easily they are going to be able to draw out that visual style in your photographs.
e. Decide your budget for jewellery photography
This is vital. You need to know the absolute maximum you are wiling and able to pay for your photographs. Be realistic. If you pay bargain basement you are likely to get what you pay for. But having a maximum budget will help you not only select a photographer, but will help shape the breadth of the shoot.
f. Finally you can start researching potential commercial photographers
You may want to get some recommendations for other business owners, and you might also want to spend a bit of time googling jewellery photographer, product photographer etc to create a shortlist of photographers that you are interested in getting a quote from.
We always recommend that you look for photographers with a portfolio that has a similar look and feel you are aiming for. This makes communication with your photographer easier. You can check them out of Instagram, have a look at their website to get a feel for their prices, process, lead-times and styling.
You then want to create a shortlist of at least 3 photographers that you want to contact for a quote.
Get quotes for the number of products you need photographed and the kind of photographs you need.
Book consultation calls with your top 3.
2. Selecting your product photographer
a. Get quotes for your photography session
Once you are crystal clear on what you are looking for and you have a short list of photographers, it is time to make contact with them and ask for a quote.
We recommend wherever possible to try and have a consultation call with them to get all your questions answered, but at a bare minimum do ask any questions you have over email.
You want to understand the following:
• What is the minimum number of images you will receive?
• Do you have full copyright over the images?
• How many shots per product is included in the quote?
• What are the costs involved?
• Are there any extra costs?
• What are the timescales/ lead-times between accepting the quote and your shoot date?
• After my shoot date, how long till I receive my images?
• How will I receive my images?
• Do i get all images in my gallery or do i need to choose X number?
• How do I get my products to you?
• What else do I need to include with my products?
• Is editing/ retouching included?
• How do I prepare my products for the shoot?
• Who provides props if you are having styled photographs?
• If I am having white background photographs will the photographer add drop shadows / reflections post production?
• How do I get my products back?
• What if I am not happy with the images?
Choose your final photographer
Once you have received quotes from your short list its make your mind up time! Don’t automatically go for the cheapest quote. Go for the photographer you felt you gelled best with and that you feel will give you the best images within your budget for your brand.
Once you have accepted a quote it is worth confirming your styling preferences by email.
You may also wish to share your Pinterest board with inspiration images with the photographer, particularly if you have quite fixed ideas on how you want your products styled.
You also want to confirm your image size and cropping requirements - discuss how and where your photographs are going to be used so the photographer can provide the photographs in the appropriate aspect ratio (rectangular or square). You will also want to confirm whether the photographs are for web only, print only or both so the appropriate file sizes and resolution are provided.
Then agree a shoot date and pay your deposit as per the Terms of your Contract.
3. Prepare for your shoot
Prior to your shoot date you will want to do a little bit of preparation to ensure that your photographer has everything they need for the shoot.
Agree a shot list with your photographer - this can be simple or as detailed as you like. However it is so useful is can be as simple or in-depth as you like, but it's very useful communication tool with your photographer to ensure that no vital shots are missed.
Prepare your products for the shoot - send your items in good time before your shoot date
Clean and polish every piece of jewellery before packing and posting (use a jewellers loupe to check everything up close!)
Carefully wrap each item in tissue paper and pack each item into its own ziplock bag or box
Add tarnish papers if sending silver
Pack any additional lifestyle items such as tools, business stationery and packaging (if required)
Pack a polishing cloth if sending silver so the photographer can give each piece a little buff before photographing
Include any pre-agreed props
Send an itemised list (both via email and in the parcel) that includes each item of jewellery included
Provide a return address to enable your jewellery to be returned to you after the shoot (the photographer may send you a form to complete)
Post your items using your preferred courier (or Royal Mail Special Delivery which is the only RM postage that insures jewellery.
Confirm the tracking number with the photographer
4. Receive your beautiful photographs
Once you have posted your beautiful jewellery to your photographer you can sit back and relax and wait for your photoshoot and your photographs to be edited. You may receive your files to view via dropbox, USB Stick or a dedicated online gallery depending on the photographer.
In the case of a dedicated gallery, you may be able to download both high resolution files (for print) or low resolution (for web).
Then get ready to update your website and start sharing swoon-worthy shots of your beautiful jewellery.
So hopefully this article has been useful and can act as a checklist of things to consider when looking to commission a photographer.
And if you do get beautiful photographs taken of your work using the information in this article please do tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see the results of your photographers handiwork (and your gorgeous jewellery)!