Overcome Outsourcing Anxiety with Your Product Photos
The Blog
Overcome Outsourcing Anxiety with Your Product Photos
Time is money and when you’re able to outsource, you’re essentially buying back that valuable time to focus on other parts of your business.
H
owever, it’s not that easy for some people to hand off their tasks when they know they can do it themselves.
Especially a task like product photography that holds high value in bringing new customers to your business.
If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with the amount of work you’re taking on and you’re going back and forth between whether or not you should outsource your photography – I’d say it’s time. The truth is that there are plenty of talented photographers who can do a great job, but you have to do the research and be willing to let them take the reins on your projects.
If the thought of outsourcing your product photos to another photographer scares you, here are two ways to overcome your outsourcing anxiety.
Over-Communicate
Tell your new photographer ALL the things. It’s better to over-communicate what you want than to give little information and be upset with the final product. Your photographer must know who your ideal customer is, who you’re working with, and how you market your business. Explain to them where your photos might show up and what kind of people may want your products.
Showing examples of what you want. Photographers are visual, naturally, so showing them what you like, want, or expect helps them to focus on the right things for your shoot. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you like and don’t like. Both are equally important. It’s easy to talk about all the things you love and want in your photos but to avoid any mishaps, think about what you don’t want in your photos. For example, you may not want other name brands in your product photography or you may not like cactus but you embrace the boho brand, etc. Be as open and transparent as you possibly can.
Let Go of the Overall Creativity
This is serious, friends. You want to charge the creativity of your photographer, not control it. It’s OK to give direction, answer the initial questions, and give examples, but then you need to take a step back and let them create. Be welcomed to the surprise instead of holding on to the anxiety of not doing it yourself. Understand that they, too, are professionals in what they do and trust that they will tell the story of your brand in their unique way. After all – that’s why you hired them, right?
If the thought of outsourcing your product photos gives you anxiety, a good place to start is by picking a photographer whose style is on-brand with yours. If you use bright lights and a minimalistic-style, don’t choose a photographer who uses contrasting lights, heavy shadows, and a more mood-centric look. The photos won’t fit your brand and you would have wasted valuable time and money. Do your research and find a photographer with similar branding to avoid sending the wrong message to your ideal customers.
When you do find the right photographer – realize that like anything in life, there is more than one way to do something. You, as a creator, have a certain style and way of doing things and your photographer does too!
Conclusion
Once you’re able to let go of controlling the situation, you realize how much time you have to dedicate to other important aspects of your business. Know that it’s OK to ask for help. You’re outsourcing for a reason so, trust that the person you hire will do the job.
When doubt creeps back in, over-communicate, share your likes and dislikes, and give examples of the product photography you want to achieve. Before you hire anyone, schedule a consultation call with them to see if your values align. You can even explore options like shipping and storing products with your favorite photographer that lives in another state. I have a questionnaire that potential clients can fill out – I ask them to explore and pull examples so that I have everything I need to tell their product’s visual story. If you want to know more about my services, I’d love to chat with you! You can contact me here. You can also reach out to me on Instagram!
Share this post:
Recent Posts: