I'm gonna eventually need to get some pictures done for a flyer or catalog. I'm pricing out pro photographers right now. I'm kinda leaning towards just doing it myself but then I know that the pictures won't look as good.Or have that "quality" look to them. I'll end up saving a few hundred dollars though. So Opinions please!!!!!
Personally I think the most important thing is, how good is your equipment? Anyone can take reasonable photos with a digital SLR. A professional will do better, but with the right equipment an amateur might be good enough. Without the right equipment though, you're not likely to end up with quality photos.
As a professional photographer (yeah, I have more than one trade) I can tell you that there is much more to photography than having the right equipment. Good photography is an art form that requires years of practice and study... quite similar to screenprinting.
Even if you had the very best equipment, your work would not necessarily be as good as someone who had taken a few classes in the basics. A case in point was Ansel Adams, who took the most beautiful photos with very simple camera equipment at a time long before digital was even a dream.
I would suggest that you contact the local school and ask if there might be a student who could use the experience and a portfolio piece. These students are often willing to take the assignment for no money and use the school equipment to boot.
My feeling has always been a professional can get great photos out of pretty much anything, but digital SLRs are so easy to use (on a basic level) any idiot should be able to get a few passable photos with one. I'm definitely not saying they can compete with a pro, but it might be good enough. You still need to understand composition, etc. but anyone who lacks such basic skills shouldn't be designing t-shirts anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Hood
Even if you had the very best equipment, your work would not necessarily be as good as someone who had taken a few classes in the basics.
True. The majority of people I know are artists, many have taken photography classes, a couple are professional photographers, so I tend to assume anyone creative will be at least basically acquainted... which is possibly naive of me. I think photography is so important to the other arts that it's intertwined (in other words, most artists will be at least amateur photographers).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Hood
I would suggest that you contact the local school and ask if there might be a student who could use the experience and a portfolio piece.
I did take photography classes in high school,..... but I have probably one of the cheapest digital cameras ever (Olympus fe110) Also like you all said I think I might go back to my old high school and get a student to do it for me as well.
I'm not a professional photographer, but I do take fashion and motorsports photos for fun. I do 50% of the photos on our retail store It can be a fun experience, if you enjoy that kind of stuff. Plus, depending on your store/style, "non-professional" photos may work for you.
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if you know any photographers as friends, friends of friends, or business acquaintances, you might consider bartering for services/time, especially if you're a graphic designer. i have a standing barter arrangement with a photographer friend and it works out well for both of us. i get product and portfolio shots any time i need them, and he gets business cards, contracts, postcards, and ads.
I agree on the ask your friends idea. I do all my own photography as well, but I've been at it for years now(currently use a Nikon D70s SLR), but even in the beginning I was always asked what camera I had used which at the time was a pretty crappy Olympus 35mm camera. I was fortunate enough to have a grandfather teach me about photography and learning the core basics is what made using SLR's actually very easy since I had a good understanding of aperture and shutter speeds. Good photography also takes a good eye for the emotion or the feeling of a photo, without that it's just a plain picture. So out-sourcing is your best bet overall...but try friends first.
This is a discussion about Photos for promotion, do it yourself or not? that was posted in the General T-Shirt Selling Discussion section of the forums.
Photos for promotion, do it yourself or not? 
It can be a fun experience, if you enjoy that kind of stuff. Plus, depending on your store/style, "non-professional" photos may work for you.
