Photography is an investment, not an expense

Having been in this profession for more than 25 years I have seen the profession evolving. However one thing has not changed. A majority of clients are reluctant to spend the money they should be spending on photography of their products, factory, restaurant, etc.

It boils down to one thing. The client is mentally considering photography as an expense. This also includes designing and printing of brochures or catalogues. They are absolutely wrong. All this money is an investment for the future of their product. They need to invest money in promoting it.

Clients will spend a lot of money on R&D of a product. They will invest a lot in infrastructure, interior decor, highly paid staff, etc. But when it comes to advertising, promotion, corporate brochures, catalogues, etc. Chop, Chop, Chop. It is high time that all these are considered as investments for the future of the business.

One example. I deal with a lot of Jewellery clients. They are in most cases quite economically sound. They invest a lot of money in making the ornaments. The interiors of the showrooms they have are ornate and cost a small fortune. However when it comes to visiting cards, brochures, advertising--- Cheap, Cheap, Cheaper.

They need to understand that it is the ad, brochure or website that is going to indirectly sell their product. This is especially true if, and in most cases they do, they have clients abroad who they will export to.

Their client could be anywhere on the globe. How are they going to judge the products? By seeing a good image. That can only be achieved with good photography.

For any product, factory, hotel, etc the clarity of the image, the composition of the photograph, the aesthetics and the attention to detail is very important. To achieve this the client needs to engage a good experienced photographer who has a fair amount of equipment, to deliver good images. At times, e.g food photography, a stylist is required to prepare the food for photography to make it look even more appetising than it is.

All this will add to the cost, but it is all for the good of the product and its future. So clients should consider photography as an investment for their business and not as a business expense.

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