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October 7, 2022 by Terran Leave a Comment

Pro Tips: 3 Ways to Cut Costs On Commercial Pet Business Photography (and 3 Areas to Never Skimp On)

There’s an elephant in the room that no one ever wants to talk about but here we are so let’s get to it: budget. Going in to a photo shoot, you know you have a certain amount that you can realistically spend. What happens, though, when you find the photographer you want to work with and the quote comes back more than your budget? Do you immediately give up or do you have a conversation with your photographer? From the photographer’s standpoint, I’ll say this: please have a conversation with us! There are so many details that go into pricing a photo shoot which means that by adjusting things, there may be an opportunity to lower the overall costs.

Here are my top three ways to reduce your photo shoot costs:

1. Have your team plan part of the shoot.

Pre-production work is important to get right because it sets up your entire shoot for success. It takes creativity, patience, an immense attention to detail, a great amount of organization, and solid communication skills. If you have someone on your team with these attributes, they may be able to handle some or most of the pre-production work, saving you the cost of having your photographer or producer do it. While I strongly recommend involving your photographer in every step of the process, your team member may be able to focus on things like sourcing models, managing scheduling and wardrobe selections, and acquiring any necessary location permits or reservations.

2. Reduce the total number of final images.

Do you truly need 200 final images or could you actually get more out of the shoot by focusing on a limited number of amazingly awesome hero shots? Hero shots are the ones you use in your most important marketing and advertising collateral, such as on your trade show booth, in your print and online ads, or on the cover of your catalog. Hero shots should make a consumer feel something: they should be relatable, aspirational, or give the viewer an instant reason to react. My favorite shots are the ones that create a moment of laughter (like the one above from our West Paw photo shoot) or make me feel like “I need to be there right now!”

3. Get specific with your license terms.

Ask yourself this: do you need every single one of your final images to come with exclusive, worldwide, unlimited rights in perpetuity or would it be possible to narrow that down a bit? Perhaps you could select a limited number of hero shots with exclusive, nationwide, unlimited rights for three years and select a bundle of non-exclusive images for social media use only. Or perhaps if you’re shooting for a campaign and know the image is only going to be used in one place for a year, limit your license terms to that single need. Narrowing in on a more specific, exclusive vs. non-exclusive usage, and duration can offer some huge cost savings over an all-encompassing perpetual license. 

BONUS TIP: Choose your shoot timing wisely.

Spring and autumn are traditionally very busy times of year for most photographers but winter and summer are usually a little slower. If you can plan a shoot for January – March (like this snowy mountain adventure photo shoot) or July – September, your photographer’s schedule may be more flexible, allowing more wiggle room with availability for pre-production work, budget, or timing of deliverables.

Here are the top three areas to never skimp on:

As photographers, we want every single photo shoot to go as well as possible so I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the things you never, ever, EVER want to cut back on.

1. Time.

Giving yourself adequate time from start to finish will benefit you in many ways, including budget. Commercial projects are often on quicker timelines but the more of a heads-up you can give your photographer, the better your results will be — both in quality and cost. When things become a rush, they are stressful for everyone involved and often cost more.

Loop your photographer in during the early stages of the project. As soon as you have a rough timeline for bringing a new product to market or know that you’re going to need fresh content, get on their calendar so the planning can begin. The more time you have to find the right models, the right location, and nail down all the nitty, gritty details, the better. 

2. Choosing the right photographer.

I have to say it: choosing a photographer based on price alone is a really bad idea. I know companies have budgets (we all do) but basing who you hire on price alone could lead to higher costs down the road if the photos are lacking in quality or if you need to reshoot. The better question to ask yourself is if the photographer you’re about to hire has the experience required to get the shots you need to sell your products and if her style matches your brand.

Also, if you have a photographer who you really want to work with, be up front and honest about your budget and ask how you can work together to meet all cost requirements!

3. Have a shot list.

Having a shot list can help ensure your marketing dollars are being spent wisely. How? A shot list creates actionable goals for the shoot and lets everyone know up-front what the photos need to accomplish. There’s nothing worse than investing in a photo shoot only to get proofs back that don’t meet any of your needs.

I like to think of shot lists as inspiration and general guide for what we’re aiming to capture. It’s important to know if you prefer horizontal vs. vertical images, if you want more with the dog by himself, the dog with his mom, or product shots on their own. The more you can help your photographer understand your vision, the better!


Are you curious to see if Westway is the right fit for your next project?

Our main goal with every commercial shoot is to provide our clients with a wide variety of impactful imagery that will help them sell their products and services more easily. We love building solid, lasting relationships with our clients and working with them over and over again. If this sounds good to you, too, get in touch!

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Wyoming better move on over and make some room bec Wyoming better move on over and make some room because Montana now shares my heart. We spent 45 days in the western half of the state this year and I did NOT want to leave.​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​On our last day, Roxy and I sat out by the Gallatin River together. I sipped my morning tea, we listened to the birds, and watched a little squirrel eat a nut in the tree next to us. It was pure perfection.⁣ 
My *TWO* Montana blogs are up on my website so head on over to westwaypets.com/blog or click the links in my IG bio!
We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still d We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still dreaming of Utah! Photographing Rey and her mom among the red rocks was one of the highlights of our trip. Rey's beautiful brindle tones worked so perfectly with the red rocks and I just loved the happy, natural smiles both mom & pup had when they were together!
I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson H I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson Hole. Down a gravel road, away from the tourist crowds, the Teton range stood nobly in the distance while tall trees, yellow wildflowers, and a friendly little chipmunk called this hilltop home. This was such a special evening and Mother Nature's dramatic sunset is not one I'll soon forget.
Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big smile from Henry to start your day!
Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! I know how hard the conference founders, Kaylee & Sam, have been working to pull this all together and I am 1,000,000% confident this will be an event to remember! I am honored to have been asked to teach two separate classes at the event and am so excited to get up there on stage and share what I've learned over the past 13 years as a pet photographer! Are any of my social followers here at the conference, too? Are you ready to have your socks knocked off????? I am!!!
Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend??? Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend???
We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Mo We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Montana and this was our final hike. Roxy rode in her carriage and was as happy as a little clam the whole time. She loves being out in nature and I'm just so glad we can still provide her with special outings like this one.
This year's Great American Road trip flew by way t This year's Great American Road trip flew by way too quickly. It feels like we were in Wyoming just yesterday, staring out at my favorite mountain range in awe, and photographing the amazing Harley and his mom.​​​​​​​​​ 
I'm flying out to Las Vegas next week to teach at Shutterhound, *the* conference for pet photographers. I'm excited to see old friends, meet new ones, and teach two classes! I am so honored to be part of the "rockstar speaker" lineup, which includes some of the very best, most iconic, and talented pet photographers from across the globe! Can Vegas even contain so much talent? As the conference founders are telling us, expect your socks to be blown right off more than once!
Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and pla Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and plan — but Mother Nature likes to have a little fun with those who get a little too confident in the weather! ➡️ We got completely drenched at one of our photo shoots this month and it will be one of my favorite memories from our entire road trip!
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