Lay My Hat

Hi,

Cracking on with our website (PMP) .
So we need new photos, do we use a professional photographer?
I contacted one locally who charges £250hr + vat (1.5 - hrs work).
Have you paid similar?
Best,
J&K

In the words of Paul Simon from his song 'Kodachrome'; "I've got a Nikon Camera".
I took my own photos to put onto our PMP website (with a Nikon camera) and they look pretty good.
A professional photographer will in all likelihood 'shoot' better photos than mine and the rate you have been quoted is probably the going rate but I could not bear to pay that amount of money for something I can do myself.

i think it should be based on how many photos the photographer will present you with - a fixed rate for say 20 photos - mix of interior and exterior. in our experience we can take high quality exterior shots on our phones - but we got a professional photographer for interior shots.

It's not "just" about who takes the photos but also about seeing what is the best angle from which to take the photos and also about how to dress a room, light a room, move furniture around, etc so that the property looks inviting and people want to stay there. If you go for a professional make sure you get someone who can do that, unless you are confident of your own abilities.

I paid about that for a complete shoot 4 years ago.

I have some very fancy camera equipment myself but I'd have had to buy a wide angle lens and I also wanted another perspective. He took shots from angles I'd never considered.

I also bought the copyright to the pictures so I can use them wherever and however I like.

Some excellent words of wisdom in previous Posts.
For what it’s worth I’d say if you have an ‘artistic’ eye then have a go at outdoor photos.
Indoor pics are far harder to take, we found lighting is extremely difficult. This is where a good professional photographer will probably take better images.
Always a good idea to look at the photographers work produced for other clients .
A good picture is worth a thousand words so make it sell your dream and meet your guests aspirations

Thanks for your input guys.

We will go with the photographer and seek his recommendations before his visit (he has access to our current photos).
Also we`ll make sure he will make small changes on the day to achieve the best results.

Best,
J&K

Karen&John wrote:Thanks for your input guys.

We will go with the photographer and seek his recommendations before his visit (he has access to our current photos).
Also we`ll make sure he will make small changes on the day to achieve the best results.

Best,
J&K

Buy some flowers etc beforehand and if he suggests dressing the property then it's probably a good idea to make sure that it's with things the guests have access to.

I dressed mine with afternoon tea shots using the china I provide and the vases I leave out for them etc etc

I find that adding photos to a site is a process rather than an event.

Over the years with property changes and experience you will be constantly adding/changing photos. You don´t want to be calling a pro each time.

So I would save the 250. Buy yourself a camera with a fairly wideangle lense and a small tripod and have some fun becoming a pro yourself!