In this day and age of the internet and social networking, your image is more important than ever. Potential clients are looking all around the internet for the next person they will hire for a project, searching for the next firm to assist them with an opportunity and studies they prefer to do business with someone they can “see”. That’s why it’s very important that when you decide to hire a corporate headshot photographer in Washington DC you should adhere to the following hints and tips:
- Hire a FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL Photographer with Corporate Experience. While this may sound obvious, it’s not as simple as it seems. Some photographers boast about being a “one person operation” with a “studio in my home, and brag about how they “don’t pay any lease or equipment rental fees”. You should strike that type of listing immediately. Is that the type of person you would trust to create your image for business? Not so much. If the person makes his/her “REAL” living doing something else… you should NOT hire them to create your business image. Their priority should obviously lie with their “day job”. How can you be sure they will meet your needs when they have a boss that needs a report done and turned in yesterday?
- Read REAL reviews and testimonials from current and previous clients. This is just like reading a review for a restaurant or doctor or your local dry-cleaner. There are various sites such as Yelp.com, Google.com, and Amazon.com that provide a plethora of information regarding most potential Corporate Headshots Photographers in Washington DC. Several local listings have gone so far as to pay writers to create fake reviews, so unfortunately it can be difficult for you to determine what’s real and what’s not. Our clients are small and mid-sized businesses that are eager to serve as a true life reference via phone or email.
- Ask about the AGE and quality of their equipment. Most Washington DC professional photographers replace their equipment every 12-18 months. They don’t do this because it’s fun (or cheap) they do it because technology continues to increase at a rapid pace. The sensors in the professional cameras from Nikon and Canon get better and better every time the manufacturers release an update. Unlike the days of film when the camera was just a box that held a roll of film, today’s digital SLR cameras are high-powered machines that need to be kept updated with the latest firmware, software, and ultimately the professional photographer should have the latest hardware (camera bodies).
- Request to see a variety in his/her portfolio. If you see many pictures with the exact same background, in most cases that means that the photographer does NOT have a lot of experience. Anyone can shoot a bunch of pictures of her immediate family, co-workers and friends then post them on a web site and claim to be a professional. If the vast majority of the backgrounds are the same (all white, all black, all something), you should immediately eliminate that person from consideration.
- Hire someone that is specialist in business and corporate headshots. When you read that a photographer specializes in “Portraits, Food, Architecture, Fashion, Products, & Weddings”…just laugh and keep searching for “Washington DC Corporate Headshots”, “business headshots in dc”, “lawyer headshots”, or “lobbying firm portrait”…don’t be fooled by the JACK OF ALL TRADES….MASTER OF NONE.
