Photography and Film Production

The internet has seen a massive increase in the use of library shots as opposed to commissioned photography for marketing, at Blue Chilli recently we’ve noticed this tide turning.

Whilst library shots are fast and convenient and seemingly cost very little, there are issues to consider:

With library shots you’re unlikely to have exclusivity, meaning the same photo can turn up anywhere else at anytime in another company’s marketing. This can cause confusion in the market as people associate your marketing with that of the other company.

Library shots can also look overly staged and come across a bit cheesy but it’s a library shot and you can’t ask the model to smile less or turn to one side, as you could on a photo shoot. Too often sourcing photography through libraries leads to the classic scenario of trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

The question is: how much of a compromise are you prepared to make? This will depend on the project, its intended impact, time scales and of course, budget. A little investment in a professional photographer can really help to set your business apart, and to bring a real sense of your brand personality to your materials. And, with cropping, re-touching, extended licenses and inevitable compromises – the difference in price between the two options is often much less than you would imagine.


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