Commercial Photography: The Missing eCommerce Component
Anyone who thinks that a picture is not worth a thousand words in the world of eCommerce is ignoring the tens of billions of dollars that are spent each year on exactly that. Whole magazines such as Vogue are devoted to high-end photographs of products with the idea of creating desire in the hearts and minds of readers. With the thousands that can be spent on the design and marketing of a web site, though, it’s remarkable that most designers and design clients seem to miss the boat when it comes to the presentation of their own products.
It’s not enough to throw up a bunch of snapshots of products and hope that a visitor will ignore the poor quality enough to purchase a product. Getting quality photographs, though, requires more than hiring a photographer with a good reputation and portfolio. The components to a good commercial shoot requires planning, thought and coordination. Depending on whether there are models involved, a typical shoot also requires several specialists working together as a team.
If you’re working on a small, or even non-existent budget, there are several solutions that will enable you to achieve the photographs you need.
The Retail Clothing Photography Team
To shoot for a retail clothing web site, the following is needed:
Studio: An indoor studio with backdrop and lighting may or may not be available from the photographer. If you decide to hire a photographer, but the photographer does not have access to a well-stocked studio, then consider rental studios. Most cities have several photography studios available for hourly, half-day and daily rates.
Photographer: The photography portfolio of a good commercial photographer should contain catalog-quality shots that emphasize the products being sold rather than the models. If the budget for a photographer is very small, consider a trade arrangement in which you give credit on your site for the photographer in return for the photographer’s time and work. www.modelmayhem.com (link opens new window) is a good source for models and photographers.
Models: Models, starting out, need to build a portfolio by making trades called TFP: “Trade For Print” or TFCD: Trade For CD. Again, www.modelmayhem.com (link opens new window) is a good source for models and photographers. It’s relatively easy to find attractive models on their way up in the profession that are willing to exchange their time and image in return for credit and the ability to show the images on their own portfolios.
Hair-stylists, Makeup Artists, Wardrobe Specialists, etc. www.modelmayhem.com (link opens new window) is a good source for models and photographers and also other specialists. Forgetting these specialists spells the difference between an amateur and a professional shoot, though. TFP and TFCD arrangements are common for professionals that are just starting out and budget-conscious web site owners can make use of such arrangements for mutual benefit.
Rasa Design Studio is currently working on a new web site to be launched at the beginning of 2010 to provide a commercial photography infrastructure to the mid-atlantic states: Washington, DC, VA and MD. Check back on these pages for more information in the near future.