Everyone has heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s true—good photography is still one of the most effective ways to market your product or service. In these competitive times it is more important than ever to have a portfolio that highlights your best work, whether for print media or web use.

When you are considering hiring a photographer two things are relevant: what you need, and your budget. The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with some basic information that will help you to understand the photographic process.

A photograph can be used in many ways, and what you want it to accomplish determines the quality you need. It is easy to produce a simple photograph quickly, but if you want high quality images to be used for publicity or promotion than you need to get a professional involved.

To determine what best suits your requirements, you should know about what photographers call formats. Put simply, a format is the size of the film that a camera uses. Generally speaking, there are three formats: small, medium, and large.

Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages—or strengths and weaknesses—but a simple fact is almost always true: the larger the format, the better the detail in the final picture. That is why professional photographers use the larger formats whenever the subject contains objects where detail and texture are important, such as fabric, wood, or stone.

SMALL FORMAT:

Most people are familiar with small format photography, which involves cameras that use 35mm film to give you slides or prints. These are hand-held cameras that are the quickest, easiest, and least expensive to use. If all you need is a simple representation of how a subject appears, or if there are time or budget constraints, this is sometimes preferable.

An example might be what we call a walk-through—perhaps for a builder—where we walk through a home and take many pictures quickly. This format might also be considered for “before” pictures when an interior designer wants a quick record of how a room appeared before it was upgraded. A 35mm camera uses rolls of film that take either 24 or 36 pictures.

MEDIUM FORMAT:

The next larger format—medium format—employs cameras that use wider rolls of film. This format is referred to as 2 1/4 because each image on the film is a square 2 1/4 inches on a side. An individual 2 1/4 image is four times larger than one from a 35mm camera, and the difference in quality is striking. The sharpness of the image and the rendition of detail are superb. This format is the minimum format required when an image is to be published in a magazine.

A benefit of this format is that it provides a Polaroid, allowing one to preview an image in order to guarantee its quality before the shot is taken.

A 2 1/4 camera is usually used on a tripod and produces 12 pictures per roll. This is a good format for photographing people or multiple rooms.

LARGE FORMAT:

Next up the line in image size and quality is large format. These cameras must be used on a tripod and produce images on sheets of film that measure four inches by five inches. Each sheet is loaded and exposed one at a time. Each individual image is approximately four times larger than one from a 2 1/4 camera.

A 4x5 produces the highest image quality, especially useful for large display or exhibition prints. This is the standard format for architecture and interiors, not just because of the quality of the images it produces but because there is an additional capability of these cameras, which is that they can alter perspective. This is difficult to explain—a picture is worth a thousand words—but the visual difference is obvious. Suffice it to say that this capability, whether subtle or overt, allows the greatest flexibility in the composition of an image.

FILM TYPE:

Now a brief word about film types. Basically there are two, positive and negative.
Most people are familiar with negative film, which is used to make prints. Negative film looks orange after it has been processed and the images on it are the opposite colors from reality.

Positive Film looks like reality. For pictures from a 35mm camera, each image is mounted separately in a small plastic frame and is called a slide. For pictures from the larger formats, film is mounted in a clear sleeve and is known as a transparency or chrome.

When photographing an interior we shoot both types of film. The negative is used to make a print, while the positive is a color reference to guarantee the greatest color fidelity in that print. The transparency or chrome is used by the publishing media. Either film type can be scanned for web use.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROCEDURE:

Before you speak with a photographer, you should get permission from your client for your work to be photographed. Assure them that their privacy will be respected. It is much more diplomatic for you to ask their permission than for a photographer to call them unexpectedly. Your clients should also know that some time is involved, especially if you are having more than one room shot.

When discussing what you need the photographer should tell you how much time is required and the approximate cost. Then the work is scheduled at your client’s convenience.

It is extremely helpful if you can ascertain from your client the best time and method for them to be contacted. You may or may not wish to be present for the shoot. If you are present, you will have the opportunity to fine tune the work, as well as to add any finishing touches, such as fresh flowers. Remember that the larger formats provide Polaroids so you can tell right away how something will look. This gives you the opportunity to make changes before an image is committed to film.

Lastly, you should know that photographers are experts at what they do. Photography is as much an art as a craft. You are paying for the experience that allows photographers to interpret your work with a composition that shows it in its best light. It may seem expensive, but remember that each job involves much more time than you see at the shoot. Like any business, there is more involved than meets the eye. Planning, preparation, processing, and printing all take time, as do client contact and delivery of finished work.

Photographers will be happy to discuss all aspects of the job with you before any expenses are incurred in an effort to provide you with work that is best suited to your needs.

The importance of a quality portfolio can not be emphasized strongly enough, not just as a record of your best work but in order to obtain more work. With this in mind you may wish to budget the cost of photography into your most significant jobs. It will be worth it.
__________________________________________________________________