THE PROBLEM
Doing photography well is one thing, but its an entirely different story when one is trying to capture that perfect shot on a video site. Getting that perfect angle or shot requires a whole different set of techniques and equipment. Not having the necessary equipment or skills may be all that determines an amateurish effort from a wildly successful one.
There is a lot of equipment that goes into getting that perfect shot or angle, all of which you don’t see during the production. On top of that there is specific knowledge necessary.
Its hugely expensive if you need to rent it to just get a few seconds of one shot, so wouldn’t it make sense to use a company who already has access to this equipment?
Its also not enough to just HAVE the equipment, but it then needs to be used properly. Renting while you learn is almost always NOT the way to go. One learns quickly that going with adequately stocked professionals is always the most cost effective and wise decision.
THE ANSWER
The answer to situations such as these are always always to do your research and then settle on a production company who not only understands your vision, has the experience and creativity to deliver what you want, in the time-frame that you need it, but that also has access to all the proper photography equipment necessary for your project. It may seem less expensive to just say that you will rent it, but open it up and look at the bigger picture.
You are going to need to have the equipment and its then assumed that you already know how to set it up and use it all to their best advantages. If you don’t, then you will be doing your project a disservice by “practicing” and “learning” as you go. Your presentation will not be the best it could be and you end up spending more money and time. When you look at the situation for every angle you will quickly see that its extremely advantageous to collaborate with a company with this all taken care of ahead of time; even if it may cost a little more.