What's Better?
Since the dawn of our breed, the first place people turn if they want to capture a significant event is to hire a photographer. Alternatively, if the project requires it, a videographer–rarely do people choose both, and even rarer is the act of hiring a storyteller, a modern trend among the intelligent.
Do the intelligent thing.
Creative professionals, like myself, who market themselves strictly as a "photographer" or "videographer" are missing the mark these days. Yes, veterans who have honed their craft and established a reputation and clientele will inevitably be hired and remain successful, but that's because many people still don't know any better. "It's just what people do if they want a great result, right? Hire the experienced?" Yeah, that's not always the case anymore.
Intelligent shoppers know that established "norms" aren't always the best option. In an ever-evolving landscape of creative professionals, you'll get a bigger bang for your buck if you go with someone who is a photographer, videographer, graphic designer, etc., because they're all necessary parts of effectively telling the story in front of them. But at the end of the day, they utilize the trade(s) that give them the best final result (which is what makes a storyteller great, by the way).
Research before hiring.
Okay, so I asked ChatGPT to find a storyteller for me, and it did. I should be good to go, right? Maybe. More and more professionals like me are beginning to market themselves as storytellers because they know that's another way to grow their business. But that doesn't necessarily make us true storytellers–the kind you want to hire. You may be wondering, "So, what do I look for?" True storytellers are a pretty rare find. What's important is that you research each "storyteller" you come across. Check out their portfolios and work to get a sense of them as artists. Chat with them to see how they interact with you. During all of this, you should get the feeling that what drives them and their brand isn't JUST photography, isn't JUST videography, isn't JUST graphic design, it's telling the story in front of them in a way that captivates the viewer.
