Photography is a vital part of your business, if you are selling a product online with no brick and mortar presence. If you are selling a service you could describe it, but more often than not a well produced photograph can communicate faster and invoke deeper feelings than words. Do you agree?

I love the quote about the IO people who do not understand binary. Thanks for your input.

We tried to take our own pictures....wow, what a mistake.  They never looked right, and the lighting was all off.  Most of the pictures we use now are professionally done, which looks much nicer.  We were able to trade services, so the direct cost was much less.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a professional photographer that works with many start up companies and I have run across a variety of attitudes towards photography. I am interested to know what you think photography is worth. 

What do you look for when searching for a photographer to create custom images for your business? Check all that apply.

I do not believe that it is necessary to have a physical book of your printed photographs, since more and more of our work is published in electronic format. However I do believe it to be absolutely necessary to showcase excellent work - be that in print (portfolio, marketing materials i.E. mailers, brochures, …) or electronic forms (website, email campaigns, …)

I voted "value" because when choosing between two photographers who have good work I have chosen the cheaper one and have been happy with the results!

i look for a photographer who registers his creative work and trademarks - it shows he values his reputation.

Interesting answer! And one I have not heard before. 

What`s your interpretation of value and quality?  I`d just go for the one with the past work which I like more, be it a showcase or an online portfolio

Jmes

When I say value, I mean that you are receiving a service - the photographs of your people, products or places - at a fair price to both client and photographer. Quality in photography is an image that displays what you want to sell in a perfect way. My favorite comment that I love to hear from my clients is: "That photo looks exactly like the image I had in my mind."