After many years as a London-based corporate photographer, and with a lot of experience in working for a photo agency, I thought it would interest me to examine the pros and cons of each.
Availability. It is frustrating to be a freelance corporate photographer and have a date set up for another client. When I had no work days, I would often scratch my head. I also had to cancel work on days that I was booked. This meant that the client couldn’t get their preferred photographer. They would need to find a substitute photographer who was new to them and would not be able to meet the client’s needs. This is where a photo agency can be of great benefit. They will have multiple corporate photographers to assign to the commissions and specialist photographers. A coordinated agency can help clients if they have a large event in London and need multiple photographers, video coverage, etc.
Pricing. Independent corporate photographers may charge the market rate, or a premium rate for a creative style that is hard to duplicate. An agency that offers photo services can build a strong reputation and have loyal clients. However, they will need to price their services in line with the market.
Quality. Both photographic services are expected to deliver high quality. Clients will quickly move on to other photographers if they don’t receive it. It is interesting to note that if a client switches photographers for any reason, then they have to check quality and consistency with their new photographer. The agency is responsible for the quality and consistency of the photographer they send to a client on a commission.
Delivery and post-production. This is where clients would see the benefit of using corporate photography London for photo editing. A freelance photographer would still need to schedule post-production between daily work, so that the agency can focus on post-production while their photographers can take care of their own commissions. Their editor can handle the travel arrangements, quotations, post-production and invoicing, allowing their photographers to concentrate on their photography.
