The other day, my barber asked me: “So what do you do?”
I told him I was a photographer, so he proceeded to tell me all about his buddy who shoots weddings. And while I wanted to relate on this shared commonality, I had to be honest with myself: shooting weddings is extremely different from shooting commercially.
As I was searching for a way to explain the difference, it dawned on me: All service-based businesses use similar “tools” in their jobs, but how they use the tools varies wildly.
For example: a plumber and a mechanic both use a wrench, yes, but would you hire your plumber to fix your car? Tools are just that: Tools.
In that same vein, just because a photographer carries around a camera doesn’t mean he or she possesses the necessary skill set to approach each assignment with the same level of expertise. As for me, I’m primarily an Architectural Photographer. Over the past two decades, I’ve filled my toolbox with the knowledge required to approach each assignment with care and consideration. If you need me to beautifully photograph a building with expert technical precision, I’m your man. If you need me to shoot your daughter’s senior portrait, I’m going to pass; frankly, I don’t know the first thing about shooting a teenager’s portrait.
To break it down, I feel there are four basic types of professional photographers, each of which can be very general or very niche. So, before you hire a photographer for your next project, take note of the following.
Commercial Photographer
Photo from my last shoot for Hunter Douglas
Commercial photographers are B2B. They know how to work with other businesses, collaborate in teams, and acquire the resources needed to pull off complex shoots with detailed creative briefs.
Need to secure a location permit and close down a street?! A commercial photographer knows a guy who knows a guy. But if you ask that commercial photographer to shoot your wedding, he’s going to overthink it and probably have you walk down the aisle repeatedly to get the shot just right.
Photojournalist
Photo from Leah Nash's series about Asperger Syndrome - www.leahnash.com
Photojournalists prime responsibilities include reporting on the news and shooting documentary photo essays. The ones I've met are some of the most talented, hardworking, and dedicated people with a camera.
But if you want them to shoot an architectural project, photojournalists are going to approach it like a war zone: “Shoot first, ask questions later.” They also probably wouldn't even retouch it because to them, it would be unethical.
Retail Photographer (Weddings, Portraits, B2C)
Jen Fariello Photography - www.jenfariello.com
Wedding & Portrait photographers are typically B2C: they get hired by brides and grooms, families, pet owners - basically, the whole gamut of consumers. Some W&P photographers will also dabble in commercial work like headshots for businesses. But their core specialty is the consumer and they are great one-on-one, just like a boutique business should be.
However, if you have an ad campaign to shoot, a wedding photographer is probably not going to have the resources to find a producer, cast talent, and pull permits for locations. I’m sure they know a really killer band and a wonderful caterer though.
Art Photographer
Photo from Holly Andres series "Fieldcrest Drive" www.hollyandres.com[/caption]
Even though photography is an art form, not all photographers are what I would call “artists”. In fact, I would consider most photographers to be craftsmen - myself included. They dedicate their careers to perfecting the craft and creating photographs for others' use. Art photographers, on the other hand, shoot purely to create some of the meaning for themselves. Their work is an expression of their feelings. If you hire an art photographer to shoot your ad campaign, you’re letting them lead the vision and direct the creative. But, if you already have a clear creative vision in mind, then you’re better off finding a commercial photographer who can execute it properly.
Next Steps: Vet the Photographer
Now that you know the four types of photographers, you’ll be much better off finding the right person (or studio) for your next shoot. But before making your hire, you should ask them some questions to find out if they’re a pro or an amateur.
Questions like:
- Can I see a full shoot (proofs and final images)?
- Do you carry liability insurance?
- Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?
- How do you backup files from your shoot?
- What can expect before, during, and after the shoot?
- Have you shot this kind of job before?
- How much retouching do you do?
How can I help you?
Do you have an upcoming commercial photography project you need help on? Contact me today and I will gladly help you out. If I’m not a good fit, I have some great recommendations for you. Click here to go to my contact page.