On Ask Us Anything, BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen taps former Trade Tales guests to answer real, confidential designer questions, offering a safe space to discuss business challenges. Have a question of your own to ask? Send an email to start the conversation.

This week, interior designer Erica Vassalotti answers a question from a designer who wants to make sure she’s maximizing her investment if she’s spending big on photography.

Vassalotti, co-principal of Philadelphia-based firm Bergman Vass, jumps in with insights like the value of teaming up with your photographer to strategize about media coverage, how usage rights are akin to art commissions, and why it’s important to make sure clients feel represented in a photo shoot.

Crucial insight: When Vassalotti decided it was time to make a bigger investment in photography—the first step in her pursuit of revamping the firm’s branding and website—what ultimately sold her on hiring the firm’s now-longtime photographer was that as much as she was evaluating his ability to do the job, he was evaluating her right back. “That actually made me admire him more, because I felt like he was also interviewing me, which made me think, ‘Wow, I really respect the caliber of this man’s work,’” she says. “If he’s being selective with who he wants to shoot with as well, and wants to make sure that he’s really aesthetically aligned with the designer, then together, [we’re] going to create something really great.”

Key quote: “I think people wonder, ‘If I make that bigger investment into a more legitimate photographer that’s been published, will that take some stress off my back? And could I not show up for the photo shoot, or could I just pop in here and there?’ And the answer is really no. It’s the same amount of work. You get a much more beautiful result, but your presence is so necessary in the work of telling your brand story and being true to the intentions set at the beginning of that project.”

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.