February 19, 2007
In this issue:
NOTICE: Baby's almost here!
IDEA:
Good photography matters.
Bevans Group News
NOTICE: Baby's almost here!
Email Ann |
Yep, I’m huge.
It’s hard to believe that 8 1/2 months have come and gone so quickly! As of today, I plan to continue working through the end of February and will be unavailable starting March 1. I expect to be back at work around April 15.
As a rule, I am not taking on new projects at this time. Until the end of the month, I will be available for conference calls, but I will not be conducting face-to-face meetings. |
If you have any web updates or small projects that you want completed before I return, please send me the information immediately. I will do the best I can to accommodate your requests.
If the Bevans Group hosts your website or email, I have set up a special email account for you to use to report outages. In the event that you cannot send or receive email, or if your website goes down, please send an email message to support@bevansgroup.com. This email box will be monitored during my absence, and any problems will be passed along to me. While our servers are generally reliable, things sometimes happen, and we will make every effort to resolve your issue as soon as possible.
Thank you all for your well-wishes and support as I enjoy this special time with my family!
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My best,
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IDEA: Good photography matters
I recently completed a website for guitarist Nathan Cage. Nathan was inspired by that old black and white photograph of Bob Dylan walking down the street with his girl. Simple, classy, elegant.
Nathan was incredibly picky about his photography. It slowed us down quite a lot. But boy, I am happy he took his time. With good photography, we were able to create a simple design that really pops.
Generally, it’s easier for designers to work with good photography. It gives us a starting point, and very often a direction as well. When there’s no photography to work with, we have to go to the designer’s best friend – stock photography.
While there are a number of quality stock photography resources available, the selection is not limitless. Just about everyday, as I move through my life, I encounter familiar faces – the woman I put on that consulting website, the man I featured on the cover of that brochure. Increasingly, more and more of my clients are noticing this as well, and they are shying away from stock photography resources.
Given that good photography matters, here’s a rundown of your options for finding photography that works for your marketing collateral:
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Stock photography: Stock photography is the most economical way to acquire photography for use on your website or brochure. This photography is considered royalty-free, meaning that once you buy the rights to a photo, you can use it as often as you want without paying royalties. Typically, higher resolution images, which are appropriate for print, cost more than lower resolution images, which you can use online. New images are being added all the time, but the quality of the photography tends to be lower, and you may not be able to find a photo of an unusual subject. |
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Rights-managed photography: For higher quality images, consider rights-managed photography. Rights-managed photography is considerably more expensive than stock photography because you are required to pay royalties. The photography provider will ask you what you are going to use the image for, what size it will be, and how many people will view it. All of these factors will influence the price you pay. With rights-managed photography, the quality is much higher, but you may still have some trouble finding a photo of an unusual subject. |
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Original photography: The third option is to create original photography for your marketing collateral. If you are creating a portfolio of your work, whether you make widgets or design original fashions, this may be your only option. We’ve worked with our clients to take pictures of everything from office buildings to caramel apples.
Original photography may also be your best option if you are promoting a specific person (like Nathan Cage), or if you work in an industry where stock photography is not available. For example, we struggled to find stock images for one of our clients who provides janitorial services. Apparently, photos of janitors just don’t sell!
The cost for original photography can vary widely based on your methods. If you take the pictures yourself, you could save over all other options, but unless you are a very good photographer, these images may not be useable. You’ll also want to check with your designer to see what resolution is needed for your particular application.
Hiring a photographer is also an option. Some photographers specialize in particular styles, such as catalog or architectural photography. Others are generalists. Prices are all over the map, but generally you can expect to pay for time and materials, with some minimums to protect the photographer’s time. Make sure you review the photographer’s portfolio before making a selection.
Also, don’t forget to read the contract before signing – some photographers retain copyright of the images they shoot for you. They may impose limits on use of the photography after it’s been shot. These limits range from requiring a photo credit wherever the photo is used to full-blown royalties. |
Most often, we encourage our clients to take a balanced approach to photography. We try to use stock photography where we can, but we insist on original photography when necessary. Remember, if what you do is highly specialized or unusual, you may have to establish a sizable budget for creating photography that shows off your work.
At the Bevans Group, we are familiar with many stock and rights-managed photography providers, and we also know a number of reliable, reasonably-priced, local photographers. Just let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll be happy to help you find the right resource.
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