Where Can I Hire a Headshot Photographer for a Small Business?

Lgodlike1001 on 04/11/2022 - 01:33
Last edited 04/11/2022 - 09:34 by 1 other user

So my wife and I are starting a small business.

We would like to add a few professional looking headshop photographs on our website.

I've briefly looked on google but the quotes for a few corporate style headshots is around $500-$700. I'm sure it's a reasonable price and industry standard, but not something we can invest in as we are just starting our business.

Is there a more appropriate place to find a more affordable photographer who still does high quality photos. I was kinda hoping to keep the price around $200 for two people being photographed but maybe my expectations are a bit unreasonable? I genuinely have no clue what photography usually costs…

Education & Work Photographer

Comments

  • Hybroid on 04/11/2022 - 01:36
    +3

    AirTasker seems to be $100 mark: https://www.airtasker.com/photographers/headshot-photographe…

    Alternatively pop into a photo studio shop and get it done there?

  • hasher22 on 04/11/2022 - 02:49
    +7

    Air tasker would be your best bet.

    Or buy a large piece of cardboard for your background, stuck on the wall, take the photos yourself from your phone camera, edit them on free editing app.

    If you don't feel comfortable editing, go to fivver and hire someone and they'll edit your photos for under 20 bucks.

    I have my photo on my website from my phone camera and my background is my white tile bathroom.

    I mean, it depends what kind of vibe is your business. To me, very corporate photos look very unnatural and staged. I rather see fun yet professional photos of staff members.

    When I see forced, professional photos, just screams try hard to me.

  • AustriaBargain on 04/11/2022 - 02:58
    -4

    $200 might get you the photos taken, but they won't get you a license to use them on any website.

    • AustriaBargain on 04/11/2022 - 06:00
      -3

      You really have to consider this when hiring a photographer. Even if you got a friend to take the photo you need to be aware they own the photo. Just because you pay for their time to take the photo doesn't mean you're paying for permission to use it on your website. You can ask them to assign all rights to your company or pay them under a "work for hire" arrangement where they are technically your employee for the few hours they are taking and editing photos. Or if you just got a colleague who is on the clock to take the photos then your company would own the photos too.

      It might seem silly but that's just how photography law and tradition works. And even if you pay for rights to use it on your website, maybe later on your company wants to publish a brochure and use that same photo in it. But you only paid for rights to use it on your website, so you'll need to call the photographer and pay for rights to use it in the brochure too. It's better to be aware of all this ahead of time.

      • poboy on 04/11/2022 - 06:17
        +6

        In my experience, photographers will give you in perpetuity rights to use their images on your business assets. That will be baked into the agreement.

        If the photo includes other talent, then that licensing agreement needs to be negotiated with them.

        • AustriaBargain on 04/11/2022 - 06:20

          They will be happy to do that. But if it wasn't promised and you are unaware that you needed those specific rights, then you could be frustrated later on if you find you don't have those rights. And the photographer could be frustrated because the only reason they gave you their services at the price they did is because they thought you only wanted rights to use it on the website.

  • Third_Gear on 04/11/2022 - 07:08
    +6

    Starting a business? Boot strap it and do it yourself.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 04/11/2022 - 20:28

      Photo booth?

      • Third_Gear on 05/11/2022 - 09:03

        I gave my 7 year old my phone and got them to take a heap of pictures. I picked one and did a few edits. Came out awesome!!

  • solidussnake on 04/11/2022 - 07:11

    Just do what they do on entourage and get them for free at apple

  • Ryanek on 04/11/2022 - 07:43
    +1

    Professional head photo = high bokeh

    • iDroid on 04/11/2022 - 09:02

      Small DOF, f2.8 or lower, a good flash with a diffuser and/or appropriate bounce if available.

      IMO, if you get the lighting right, the rest is easy.

      • brendanm on 04/11/2022 - 11:02

        f2.8 or lower

        You would be shooting against a white background, with a flash, why on earth would you want f2.8?

        • FoxJump on 04/11/2022 - 11:21

          maybe they want the eye in focus and everything else out of focus?

          when shooting against a white background with a flash, point the flash upwards to bounce off the ceiling (assuming it's white and not too high) and leave some distance between the person and the white background. This reduces the amount of head-shadow behind

          • brendanm on 04/11/2022 - 13:43

            @FoxJump:

            maybe they want the eye in focus and everything else out of focus?

            Yes, just perfect for corporate headshots 😂

  • ifyareckon on 04/11/2022 - 08:26
    +3

    DIY, iPhone in portrait mode came out great for us. Just need to think about your lighting.

    • Third_Gear on 05/11/2022 - 09:04

      Exactly. Outside on an overcast day.

  • 7ekn00 on 04/11/2022 - 08:30

    What, you guys don't have phones?

  • jjjaar on 04/11/2022 - 08:40
    +3

    Find a local camera club and contact them asking if anyone can help. They’re always keen to do stuff like this and will probably only charge you for their time as long as they can use the photos if they want to enter competitions or something.

    Or even contact a photography school looking for students.

    How many people do you need photos of?

    To give you some context… For professional photographers, if they come to you, it can take at least half an hour each to set up and pack down, so that’s already an hour, they may even include cost to get to you in either time or petrol.

    Then 5-10 mins per person for the photos. And then editing can take… well, how long is a piece of string 😂 if they have set up the lighting and everything properly then hopefully they’d be able to mass use the same settings so editing is less time, but not nothing, and they still have to go through and find the good images, delete shit photos - so that organisation can take time.

    They probably charge $100-150/hr and it’s probably at least 3-4 hours work, so $500 doesn’t seem unreasonable.

    But as I said, you may get an enthusiast or student who is happy to do it for less. Though they may not have all the screens and lights that will give you the professional look you want.

  • Stopback on 04/11/2022 - 08:44
    +4

    Good photographers are able to get you to relax and show your most attractive and real self.

    It's much more of an art then just getting a high end camera and taking a shot.

    • iDroid on 04/11/2022 - 09:03
      +1

      Good photographers

      They want to keep the whole thing around $200.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 04/11/2022 - 09:42
    +8

    Your local Police station.

    May also involve a height chart in the background, and finger printing.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/11/2022 - 11:04
      +2

      They'll do it from the low, low cost of a dismissed misdeamour.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 04/11/2022 - 13:32

        Or misc-scanning Wagyu steak at the self checkout.

  • silenthillrocks on 04/11/2022 - 12:32
    +1

    Get a passport photo done for$15

    • Thrift on 04/11/2022 - 12:41
      +3

      Brick through police car window outside cop shop. Free mugshot.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 04/11/2022 - 13:32

    Bikies.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 04/11/2022 - 15:49
    +1

    Jijaar suggestion of a camera club is a decent idea. As a pro shooter of many decades one has to understand the actual work involved in visiting the clients location - taking the shots and all the post electronic processing and editing the images!. This is often as much time as the original location shoot involved. Before I retired as an Industrial photographer I would charge $2000 per day plus add on's, so what I am saying is no decent professional photographer would undertake what you are requiring for less than 500 - 700$.

    I suggest talk to a camera club, OR - if you do not have any decent lighting or well diffused flash, find a nice "window light" without the sun actually shining into the room.

    The subject can be sitting in the incoming light, find a large piece of cardboard or ply and bluetac white paper to it or if all else fails drape a white sheet over the board.

    This can be located closer or further away from the subject to change the lighting intensity - just look at the subject and try to NOT have the effective brightness the same - this slight difference side to side will give shape to the subjects face. If all else fails, go outside behind your house and take the pix in the shadow of the building, ans get the subject to turn in different angles to gain slightly differing lighting effect. The "in the shadow method" is often best when the sun is around later in the day for warmer SHADOW lighting. Do not use direct sun on portraits it is a disaster waiting to happen !. Most cameras today can take a decent shot, try to obtain a tripod, a neutral background, and a semi tele lens - an 85mm in the old 35mm film day's. Take lots, you will have some winners - good luck.

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