INTRODUCTION
If you are a seller starting out on Amazon, you are probably wondering how to find and choose the perfect photographer for your products. With a vast number of product photographers, choosing a photographer who can create stunning images for your listing can be confusing. This article aims to highlight a few tips that will help you make an informed decision and avoid problems later. It also includes a template email of inquiry to send to a photographer you may be interested to work with, for sellers who are not sure of what to ask when contacting photographers for the first time.
- HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF AMAZON IMAGE REQUIREMENTS
Before you can start your search to find a photographer for your product, it is vital to understand amazon’s image requirements and guidelines. This will give you a clear understanding of what to look for in a photographer and aid you in choosing a photographer that is more likely to understand amazon’s image requirements.
Below are the technical and standard image amazon image requirements.
Images submitted to Amazon must meet the technical specifications shown in the table below.
Below is a list of the standard amazon image requirements.
- The image must be the cover art or a professional photograph of the product being sold. Drawings or illustrations of the product are not allowed.
- The image must not contain gratuitous or confusing additional objects.
- The image must be in focus, professionally lit and photographed or scanned, with realistic colour, and smooth edges.
- Books, Music, and Video/DVD images should be the front cover art and fill 100% of the image frame. Jewel cases, promotional stickers, and cellophane are not allowed.
- All other products should fill 85% or more of the image frame.
- The full product must be in the frame.
- Backgrounds must be pure white (RGB 255,255,255).
- The image must not contain additional text, graphics, or inset images.
- DO YOUR RESEARCH
When choosing a photographer, you need to do your homework on product photographers. Ask your friends and other sellers who have more experience with photographers for recommendations, you can also look through websites and ask questions on certain social media groups and pages like amazon ahead to find out who the best photographers are. This will give you a better idea of who the best photographer is and also help you decide on the budget.
- CHECK CREDENTIALS REPUTATION
While doing your research, you will need to check a photographer’s work for experience, education consistency, and credential, this is an essential part of choosing a photographer. If you are looking to get the best results, it’s vital to have someone with experience in the field.
- READ REVIEWS AND TALK TO FORMER CUSTOMERS
Getting the direct perspective of past customers and clients when choosing a photographer is important. If you can find reviews on the website or social media platform, be sure to read through them thoroughly. An irregular bad review is not unusual for any business, but if you notice multiple customers making the same complaint, you should take into account whether that specific complaint will be an issue for you.
Also, you may ask about contacting previous clients to ask about the experience. Satisfied clients will be able to tell you precisely what they liked about working with the photographer. This will give you insight into the creative process. You can learn a lot about a professional photographer from talking to clients.
- DECIDE ON A BUDGET
After researching a product photographer and having an idea of the cost of photography, you will need to decide on a budget. If you don’t decide on a budget ahead of time, you’re most likely going to end up misspending a lot of time looking at photographers that you can’t afford
After doing adequate research and setting a budget, you should be able to draw up a list of your few favorite photographers, then check and compare prices to see which one suits your budget.
When in business, expenses are something every business owner is always looking to cut down, therefore, It might be tempting to choose the photographer who charges the least, but often this lower price reflects a lack of skill and experience. Highly skilled and experienced photographers charge what their work is worth and the cost of running a professional photo studio.
Additionally, you need to ensure to ask about any hidden fees, You have to ask if the upfront cost includes editing, props, and other services.
Getting quality photography should not involve you breaking the bank but you should be willing to invest to guarantee the best result possible
- REVIEW PORTFOLIO
Looking at a photographer’s previous work will give you an idea of whether they meet the needs and requirements of your brand. Look through the portfolio of any photographer you’re considering. When looking through the portfolio, you won’t just be looking for examples of products they’ve captured. You’ll also be looking at their different styles and approaches. You can also check to see if they have experience taking the type of shots that you want for your brand and when you find the photos that resonate with you, you’ve found your style and photographer.
- ASK FOR TURNAROUND TIME
Turnaround time is more of a preference for certain sellers but if you are a seller looking your photos back really fast and have your business up and running fast, you will need someone with a fast turnaround time. Photographers all have different turnaround times, especially during different times of the year. Some will have your photos back to you within a few days, while others take several weeks. It’s important to clarify the timing
to expect beforehand so that your expectations are met.
- WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED OF YOU
Photographers will require you to communicate your requirements, thoughts, and feelings about your product and brand.
Most photographers like us will provide you with a photography instruction sheet that you will be required to fill out with precise details of your brand, product, and each shot.
Giving the photographer a precise “brief” will prevent you from receiving images you are not pleased with.
Therefore, it is important to take your time and gather your thoughts about your product and brand and put it into the “brief”/ photography instruction sheet. Which is standard for the photoshoot to get off the ground. If a photographer does not ask you to communicate your requirements for your product and brand, you are most likely going to regret choosing them.
CONCLUSION
Choosing a photographer for your product can be challenging and stressful, to say the least, but hopefully, the steps above and narrowing down your best options will provide you with all the help you need. Also, just in case you are wondering what to write in your inquiry email to the photographer, I have included a template that will make things easier for you.
