Is The Cost Of Product Photography Worth It?
Often, the cost of product photography discourages most business owners from attempting professional product photography. These business owners often find themselves contemplating if the cost is worth it.
You're probably one of such business owners doubting the cost-benefit returns of product photography. It doesn't have to be that way.
We know that product photography can get a little complex when it comes to determining the associated costs. Despite all of its complexities, product photography is still an essential aspect of commerce marketing. Your products need the best representation on the internet. There’s no denying the power of an image in influencing the decision of potential buyers.
So you should not underestimate product photography and its importance to your business. However, the cost-benefit factor still brings up doubts, right? It makes you ask if the cost of product photography is worth it. Well, let's find out, shall we?
How Much Does Product Photography Cost?
Before you can determine if the cost of product photography is worth it, you must first know what the cost is. In this context, cost/price refers to the monetary cost you'll incur for the service.
However, the cost of product photography depends on several factors, most especially the type of product photography. Let’s first look at some of the types of product photography.
Types of product photography
- Individual shots: These are pictures of the product on a white background. They are simplistic and don't require much effort or set up. They often feature limited views of the product and are the most affordable type of product photography.
- Lifestyle shots: These are pictures of the product during usage. These pictures often feature a model or someone making use of the product. The background may feature real-life scenery and settings to reflect the usage of the product. The purpose of this background is to reveal the ideal conditions and environments for using the products.
- Scale shots: These are images that capture the product's size as it is or to a determined scale. These images help to put the actual size of the product in perspective for potential buyers.
- Detailed shots: These are close-up images of the products that highlight the physical features of the product. Detailed shots provide a comprehensive representation of the full features of the product for potential buyers.
Factors influencing the cost of product photography
Other than the type of product photography, other factors determine the cost of product photography. Some of them include;
Photographer's skill level
This is pretty common in the service market. The better the skills of the service provider, the higher they often charge. Why? Because they have the skills, and a lot of people are willing to pay top bucks to secure their services.
A photographer with excellent skills and experience will most probably charge you more than an average photographer. But you can rest assured that you'll get top value for your money.
Number of products to be photographed: Single vs Group images
Photographing more products at the same time doesn't guarantee you're going to get it at a cheaper rate. The opposite is the case with product photography.
Capturing more images at a time means more work for the photographer and the assistants. So you'll most probably have to pay more for group photographs of your products.
Product category
Some product categories require more knowledge, skills or equipment. Products in this category will attract higher costs. The situation is even worse when the products need special equipment to capture.
Similarly, expensive products like multilayered jewelry often attract higher prices. But more products like household utensils may not attract the same price. In some cases, the price per photo may be calculated separately.
Post-processing and photo editing
Sometimes the final image may require retouching or additional editing to make it come out as you want it. In cases like these, you may have to pay for more than just photography. The extra cost will go to the photo editor, who will provide the retouching and editing service.
The urgency of the product photography
Often, the standard timeframe for professional product photography services ranges between 7 to 14 days. However, if you decide that you want it faster, it may attract additional costs.
This will depend on the photographer you're working with and also your negotiating ability. If you can convince the photographer to do it for you quickly without increasing the rates, then go ahead.
Size of the product
This is often a major determinant if you want scale shots. But it is equally important to other types of product photography.
Objects that can fit on a regular-sized table should not cost exorbitant prices. However, large items may require unique setups for capturing, and that will attract additional costs.
Is The Cost of Product Photography Worth It?
We cannot overestimate the importance and benefits of product photography to eCommerce. Yes, images do sell, and they sell a lot!
Sometimes, you only need quality images of your products to have higher conversions. So is the cost of product photography worth it? We say yes, and below are some points to back our opinion up.
Minimalism and simplicity
A single image can be worth a thousand words. Images often take lesser spaces and are simpler than words, but they can pass the same level of message — if not more. A well-captured image can do all the marketing for you and get the customers clicking on the “buy now” icon.
Professional product photography rates may seem expensive, but it won't be if you count it as a part of your marketing budget. With professional product photography, you can capture images that will sell for you.
Alternative views of the product
One of the aims of displaying pictures of your product online is to give buyers an idea of what your product looks like. When you take the photos yourself, you may fail to capture the right angles of the product. Product photographers know where, when and how to do product photography to get the best views of your products.
With product photographers, you'll also get more than one view of the products. They'll provide you with as many views of the product as you need. More views will help your marketing endeavours in the future.
Unique images and brand representation
Another one of the benefits of professional product photography is that it creates a unique brand representation. Professional photographers can capture images and edit them to be unique to your brand.
Unique image representation is one of the key marketing strategies of some of the biggest brands in eCommerce. These brands employ product photographers to help them capture unique images of the products. These images then serve as brand identities for the various brands.
Improve your SEO
Image optimization is an essential aspect of the whole search engine optimization process. Search engine optimization is very important if you want to attract traffic to your online store. If your website is well optimized, it will be easier for customers to navigate through your website. Well, optimized images will load faster, and customers will be able to get through your website quickly.
Professional product photography will get you optimized images for your website. The photographers can reduce the size of your products' images to be light and still retain their quality.
Versatile images
The quality of images captured by product photographers often makes them versatile and reusable across various platforms. A single image can be useful for all kinds of ads, marketing and product representation. You can make use of a single product image on your website, social media, for ads and other marketing endeavours.
Should I pay for professional product photography?
If you understand why product photography is vital for your business, then you already have your answer. You should not view product photography as a cost but as a marketing investment. This investment will be towards the improvement of your conversions and profits. When you're able to view product photography as an investment, you'll understand why it is worth it.
If you can afford it, you should pay for quality product photography. Unless you have adequate skills to take quality pictures of your products yourself, you should invest in professional product photography. It will benefit your business in more ways than you expect.
Conclusion
Comparing the cost and benefits of product photography, it's evident that the benefits outweigh the cost. You may not see it this way if you ponder too much about the cost without considering the benefits. Initially, product photography may seem a bit expensive. However, it will turn out to be a good investment in the long run. Don't hesitate to make this investment for your business.
If you're thinking of where to find quality product photography in Canada, you can stop searching now. Here at Style Photos, we will help you to capture awesome images of your products and showcase them to the world. Alternatively, we also rent out photography equipment to eCommerce business owners. Contact us today!