Commercial Photography & Digital Media Services

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Commercial photography, headshots, event coverage, corporate interviews, and music videos.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. It is important that you know exactly what you want and know its ultimate value. For example, if you are model and really need a portfolio update to impress an agency or casting director, you should not sell yourself short. What you're making is an investment in yourself. It shouldn't be cheap, and definitely shouldn't be unappealing. What you should concern yourself with is a photographer who has an impressive portfolio, regardless of their rate. Their past clientèle should not matter either. If you don't like what you see, then you're not going to like what you get. If you really love their portfolio, all you need to ask yourself is, "Am I worth the photographers rate?".

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Photographers will always try to justify prices on intangibles like their personality and the "experience you'll receive while working with them". While it's important to us that the client enjoys their experience and is happy with all the work we return, you can't justify rates because you claim it'll be an experience that "no other professional photographer provides". That's almost impossible for us to prove and a very weak justification. Our proof needs to be experienced to believe. You will definitely notice the difference in the finished product.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. With photography and videography, there is always a range that is solely dependent on what your final product will be and how much it costs to do it. There are no solid rates, but estimates. Remember, it's a service, not a t-shirt. It's important that you have assessed every detail of what you need done and what it'll take to do it. Usually, before you start talking numbers, you have to talk details with a professional photographer, so our advice is not to jump into rates before you get into details.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Firstly, we're a partnership, a duo. All of our clients get double the work for their budget, with no loss of quality. Most individual photographers will try to shoot stills and capture video all at once. It either takes too long to get lots of coverage, or you see quality sacrifices in their work if they work too fast. With Chamber Images, what you get is both quality and quantity leaving you satisfied within your given budget.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The tasks are never the same, sometimes they're corporate and clean, sometimes they're viral and crazy. Creativity is always a factor, and most of all, we're always meeting and working with interesting people.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. "What is your day rate?" To that I we usually reply, "Nothing is carved in stone. What are the details of your shoot?" We find it best to discuss what it is you need so we can give you a fair estimate and not over charge our customers.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. There are too many to even pick from. It's probably much easier to follow us on our blog, twitter, youtube and on facebook.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Customers are always looking for the best deal for their dollar and that's understandable. What they need to understand is that the quality and price are directly linked. With photography and videography, you will get what you pay for. There are plenty of photographers out there willing to do jobs for next to nothing, hurting those who make a living from your business. Usually they're unskilled and are just looking for the quick buck. Clients will notice it when they turn in their final product and are unsatisfied, but it's already too late. Clients will then need to reshoot with someone more competent and qualified, spending more money this time, putting them at an even greater loss. It's always best to go with those honest individuals who'll admit they're not cheap, but it's only because they provide the highest quality product and care about your satisfaction.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. It was very natural. We've been using cameras all our lives and have always been interested in the growing technology around them. We have a fascination with fashion and advertising as well as commercials and video production. We would even go so far to say that we were professionals in the post production end of producing before we pushed into principle photography. Digital imagery is our passion.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. We've had the pleasure of covering the opening of both Who.A.U stores in NYC. We've covered a release party fashion designer Domenico Vacca's Denim Line. We've made videos for SHAPE, and a music video for upcoming pop star Oh My Josh, which will soon be on MTV. We've worked with upcoming clothing companies Autumn Hawk New York, American Apothecary and Jo Handbags. We've taken photos of Ronnie and Sammi of Jersey Shore, O'Neal McKnight, and Joanna "Jojo" Levesque all this year.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. We attend various photography and videography related seminars. We also have a vast library of photography related books and keep up with many photography and technology related blogs. We also subscribe to and attend PDN's PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo | PhotoPlus Expo when it comes to town.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. The affordable DSLR's and Photoshop is actually going to make it difficult for professional photographers to find paying clients. Now, all companies have to do is find anyone who understands how a DSLR works, snap a few photos, and find a talented retoucher to make the work look professional. Retouchers are significantly cheaper to hire. I've worked as a retoucher for a major retailer. I've seen it first hand.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. We don't usually divulge that information to the public. It's part of our client - photographer privacy agreement.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Please start by giving us the details of your project, and we'll iron out the details of our pricing plan.
Our day rates are just a small portion of the cost of shoot. What you can expect to pay is mainly based on what it is you desire. The level of work necessary to give you exactly what you want ranges depending on how much you actually need put into the photos or video. Whether it's multiple looks or just one, many light configurations with multiple lights or just ambient light, plenty of different locations or just our studio, and the level of post production necessary or just receiving raw footage. Those are a few things that change the cost of a shoot with us. In order to give you a proper estimate, we need full details. There are also usage fees for commercial photography and videography which must be accounted for.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. You need start up income to be taken seriously as a professional photographer. This equipment does not come cheap nor is it cheap to repair if god forbid something happens to it. You'll need business insurance and sometimes you'll have to travel with lots of equipment. Always think about the up keep of your studio and equipment. Oh and don't forget you need to eat and pay rent too, we do that sometimes.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. "Why should we pick Chamber Images?"

Chamber Images is composed of two easy going professional photographers that leave their egos at the door. We have both a studio and lighting equipment which most "professionals" rent and have little experience with. We are perfectionist and most likely, you will be satisfied with our product much before we are. You will get your moneys worth and nothing makes us happier than a satisfied customer.