What Every Photographer Knows

Posted by Elena del Valle on October 20, 2010

and what you need to know before hiring your next one

By Art Montes De Oca
Owner, Montes De Oca Photography

Photographer Art Montes De Oca

Photo: Montes De Oca Photography

How do I know?

My first language is Spanish. My second is photography. Over the decades my career has spanned, I’ve photographed many award winning ads, brochures, and annual reports. Along the way I’ve learned a thing or two, and I’d like to share with you some of the secrets that every good photographer knows. These insights should end up saving you time and money in your marketing and advertising budget.
What do I know?

From the camera of a good photographer, it a rich medium filled with nuance, symbolism, and abstract concepts that can deliver a variety of meaningful messages. A good photographer uses the subject matter to convey a larger message to the viewer and to the marketplace.

Photography is not a universal language. The same picture can mean different things to different people. For instance, shooting for the Hispanic consumer marketplace means more than styling a photo with primary rather than tertiary colors. If your photographer doesn’t understand this, you have the wrong photographer. You need someone who didn’t learn Spanish in high school. Your photographer needs to know the difference between pan dulce and a donut.