For Research Pro only

After weighing the pros and cons of in-house photography for a business, we must determine the equipment needed and what affect the photography would have on the day to day operations of the company. The equipment and its users will need to be efficient as well as cost effective to allow the business to profit.

For effective in house photography, a set of specific standards must be met. The equipment will need to be designed and outfitted for the particular jobs set forth and the photographer must be able to adhere to those needs. The first piece of equipment that is necessary is the camera. Lightweight, digital, portable, sturdy, and powerful are the main criteria for the camera. The photographer must be able to move it around from place to place without worry of it getting broken easily. Having two cameras is even a better idea but not as much cost effective. (Greenspun, 1999). A decent camera with those requirements will cost upward of $3,000 so two of them may not be possible when first starting out. That price of course does not include the cost of replacement lenses or other replacement parts. (ADORAMA, 2012)

Lighting is another important aspect of the equipment needed. If a studio is possible, the lighting can be mounted to the ceiling or the floor for permanent placement. That is not as easily done when the photographer must go outside the company to take the photos. If the camera has a high powered light attached additional lighting may not be necessary. Flash cards are another way of getting the preferred lighting which are available and inexpensively replaced. They do, however require extensive knowledge and experience to be used effectively. (Greenspun, 1999)

The computer and programs used to develop and edit the photographs are another significant part of the in-house photography process. The hardware must be equipped with powerful processors and video cards to allow crisp and clean editing processes. Of course Adobe’s Photoshop is one of the very helpful software solutions to these criteria but there are several other options for that usage as well. Corel has a Video Studio XS that can bring photographs and other projects to brilliant clarity. Another is Paint Shop Pro by Corel. Both are inexpensive and around the $60 to $150 range and can be used for numerous projects.

The day to day operations would depend on the staff and how they experienced they are with the equipment and the needs of the projects. If done in-house, the staff would have to be trained to use the equipment and the software in order to achieve the desired results for the projects. Depending on the company and what is needed on a daily basis, this may require that extra professional staff be hired for that part alone. The photographer would need to be available when the need arises and must also be able to deliver the photos to the in-house staff before a deadline is reached.

Outsourcing the photography will also require a specific set of tasks to be performed by the staff on a daily basis. The outsourced company would need to be briefed on the projects needs which would be designed by a team of people with the knowledge of the specific projects. Other staff members would have to keep track with the progress made by the outsourced company periodically. Basic information would need to be delivered to the team in charge of the project’s completion as to maintain a grip on the progress.

Buying specific equipment for in-house photography could be beneficial to the company to prevent possible mistakes in the project’s overall success but may prove to be a more expensive endeavor when all is said and done. The expenses may also prove too much for a budding company unless it is done with meticulous planning and management.

References

ADORAMA. (2012). Photo and Video. Retrieved from Adorama Camera Store: http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=category&cat1=Cameras%20%26%20Lenses

Greenspun, P. (1999, June). Studio Photography. Retrieved from Photo.net: http://photo.net/learn/studio/primer