Outsourcing photography on a budget
2 alternatives to taking your own photos:
Shooting your own photos is not the only option. First, you should familiarize yourself with stock photos. Stock photos are images that you can buy that are already created. Shopify has their own free stock photography on their site called Burst. A second option is to collaborate with an amateur photographer that you might find on Instagram. This can be for a trade or at a discounted rate. For example, I've heard of success with companies that sell lifestyle products, like children's clothing, working with Instagram photographers that are influencers in the children's lifestyle space.
The caveat is that these are typically amateur photographers and they may not have the commercial experience to do a higher level production or complex lighting, so you never know really what you're going to get. If you have a specific vision, timeline or shot list in mind, it may not be a good fit.
