Throw out the notion that talented photographers come with a high price tag. That's just not true. There are many talented, beginner photographers out there who are willing to work below market price. Some may just want the experience. Others may be looking to build a client base. Many will work for free.

You just have to know where to find them.

First, identify where the low-cost to no-cost photographers are hanging out. Community colleges and universities are breeding grounds for creative types. Department store portrait studios employ photographers at minimum wage to snap pictures of families for the holidays. Smaller community newspapers usually hire photographers with little work experience and big dreams.

Then, tap into the power of networking. Pick up the phone and call the arts department of your local college. Make an appointment to speak with a professor of photography. Most educators are only too eager to recommend their brightest students for real-world work experience.

Or go to your local department store and talk to the photographer behind the camera at the portrait studio. Keep the discussion short and quickly exchange business cards for a follow up phone call. These photographers are, after all, working on the clock and get paid by the number of clients they sell pictures to. But an initial face-to-face meeting with the photographer will get you remembered.

It's easier than you think to contact a newspaper photographer to shoot your website products. First scan the paper for local pictures; non-local pictures will have a wire service credit in the photo caption. Pick the name of the photographer who you think takes the best local photos. Then simply call up the paper and ask to speak to him or her. Leave a message since most photograhers are usually out on photo assignments during the day. But be clear in your message: Tell them you enjoy their photography and you have a great freelance assignment that you'd like to hire them for. End of message.

Next, determine your budget. Before you talk to you potential photographer about details of the assignment and price, decide how much you'll want to spend. Research what professional photographers are getting paid per hour in your area of the country. Can you afford half of that? Do you literally not have a dime to spend? Knowing what you're willing to pay will help you with the next step of hiring a photographer for little or no money.

Next step: Identify what you have to barter. Maybe you're willing to give the photographer credit on every page of your website where their photos appear. If the photographer has a website, you could give him or her a link with some compelling anchor text like: "For great, inexpensive photography, visit Nick Nikon Photography Studios." Of course, if you've hired a student, you may also want to give them the rights to use the photographs in their portfolio, along with an excellent written recommendation from you.

Next, agree upon services. Agree on how many products they'll shoot, and how many photos of each product they'll take. If you are paying a small fee, decide if you'll pay hourly or by the job. Decide on a location of the shoot and whether you'll bring the props or they will.

Finally, follow up after the shoot. Nine times out of 10 the photographer will use a digital camera for the photos. If not, the photographer should scan the photos into digital format. Make sure you have copies of all the photos on a CD-ROM. Thank the photographer for a job well done; if you like their services, let them know.

You should be able to walk away with a CD-ROM of excellent photographs to use for your site. And when you need digital pictures of new products for your website, you'll have contacts and resources to get more unique photographs at a bargain price.

Copyright © 2006 by Diane Metz. All rights reserved under U.S. and international law.

About the Author

Writer Diane Metz writes about website marketing and development. Her companies include Crown CD Duplication, which specializes in CD duplication and CD replication, for marketing, music, promotions and software.