Recently, in a discuss group made up of magazine editors, the question was asked, "Do Photos Make a Difference Getting Product Placement". Overwhelming the response was yes they make the difference. The editors made the point that often they receive great articles or press releases on potential stories they want to run but because the photos are so bad or not provided at all they are unable to run the story.
For example here are a couple of quotes:
"They certainly do. I don't publish any news articles on my website without pictures."
"I think *good* high-res photography is very much an aesthetic thing. Who wants to read a solid block of text? Not I. Graphic elements are an improvement, but nothing attracts the eye like a great photo."
"I can say that finding good, well-composed, well-lit, high resolution images is our toughest job. Too many people think they can just point their cellphone at something and get a good photo. Cellphone cameras are the 21st Century version of a Kodak Brownie."
"Like a written brochure, photography is a reflection on the company itself. If you read a brochure that is full of spelling and grammar errors, and looks and reads amateurish, it reflects badly on the company. ame with photography. If it looks like it was taken by a digital Brownie, it implies the company doesn't care about quality."
The comments all made the point that quality photography was critical in the ability to get coverage for a product or service, and this was especially true for a new product. But what surprised me was a number of comments were aimed at Public Relations and Marketing companies who either did not provide photography for their clients or expected the editor to download, re-size or track down the images.
Hiring an experienced working professional photographer to convey there product or service can often be considered expensive. But in considering any purchase there is always the issue of price verse cost. The price is the dollar amount paid for a product or service but the cost to a company is calculated by the final results. In the end a companies image, brand and possible success is reflected by the photography presented to the market. Of course, as these publishers point out, it's possible some may never get that opportunity. 