Hello, My Friend! How’s business been lately?
I hear you’re interested in adding some visuals to your marketing? Wise choice! Good visuals are one of the most effective ways to promote your business. I also think photography is the perfect place for you to start (of course, I’m completely unbiased even though I’m a professional photographer).
With the ease and access of the myriad of online platforms around (and the fact that your customers are all there), it’s essential to have photos of your business ready to flash in front of their faces.
Yes, I hear you, “I’m not a dazzlingly talented photographer like you, Chris! I don’t even own a camera!” No worries, I got you covered. Give me a sec.
Feel that thing buzzing in your pocket? That’s me calling to tell you “Viola, here’s your camera!”
Yes, you CAN use your phone to take good photos for your business, but we should cover a few things first.
Let’s start with some basic best practices.
1. Clean your lens. I know this is a dopey tip, but it’s important. Have you seen those photos that look all glowy, like they’ve been taken in heaven? That wasn’t heaven – that was a lens with smudges on it. Use your shirt if you have to but give it a quick cleaning.
2. Natural lighting is your friend, so start with that. If you don’t have windows, your natural light is now called “existing light.” This is good enough to get you started assuming you don’t work in the dark. Don’t use your phone’s “flash”…ever. This is about the basics, so we’ll talk later about how to use other types of lighting. We’ll start with what God has provided.
3. Use the rule of thirds. This is more of a deeper conversation, but the rule of thirds is a basic photo principle using an imaginary grid of nine squares on the screen. There’s a setting that allows you to turn this on. I recommend it. It’ll look like a tic-tac-toe board over your photo, and you position your subject along one of the lines or where the lines intersect. This will create balance and a more interesting composition.
4. Steady now! You don’t have to use a tripod but keeping things steady is a must. Brace yourself by leaning on a wall, and if you can’t do that, keep your elbows against your body. I know this defies everything you’ve seen people do, but if you do this, you’ll get what everyone else has yet to get…photos IN focus and not blurry
5. Try out some unique angles. Experiment with different perspectives to make your photos stand out. Try taking photos from above, below, or from a unique angle to capture your subject in a new and interesting way. One easy way to approach this is like a filmmaker – wide, medium, and close-up.
6. No zooming! Your “camera” doesn’t have a lens that can zoom, so any close-ups are just cropped versions of the original. If you need to get closer or farther away, try the technique used by millions of photographers before the advent of the zoom lens. It’s called zooming with your feet. You’ll figure it out.
7. Sweeten your photos up. Once you’ve taken your photos, don’t be afraid to edit them to make them look even better. You can use some of the photo apps out there or stick with the basic ones on your phone. Don’t go crazy on the effects, but a little contrast, maybe a little brightening or darkening and a pinch of saturation will add just the spice it needs.
OK, now that you’ve grabbed a few shots, you’re probably wondering, “What do I do with these photos?”
Here’s a short list of places to display your newest art exhibition:
Social Media – Start with a series of posts and some light copy. One product or service at a time to keep it simple.
Website – Yup, photos are essential here
Online Listings – Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Google Profile are all perfect places for real photos (and by real, I mean really good ones)
Email Marketing – Got a big sale on something big? Show it off, baby! I love using emails with photos.
Print – Brochures, postcards, even that flashy business card can feature one of your photos
Special Piece– Photos on packaging, flyers, posters, kiosks and other promotional places are ideal for your photos.
The list of things you can do with your photos is pretty long, and I’m just making the big strokes here. The two main things I want to get across are these:
You can do this. Photography is an art AND a craft, so that means you can get better at it. Practice, fail, practice some more and pretty soon, you’ll take a photo that impresses even yourself. The price for failure is $0.00 since you’re just tossing the duds. Shoot, shoot and shoot some more!
The second thing is that photos are important. I mentioned that already, but it needs a second mention, and this time with bullets.
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If you have products, you need to show your products.
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If you have a service, you can show off the benefits of your service (think before/after).
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Take photos of happy customers.
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Show off behind-the-scenes shots of your business (this is a big one!)
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Introduce your team. Let your customers know you’re proud of the people they’ll meet when they visit. Personality is muy importante!
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Tell a story with your photos. Show ’em why YOUR process is special.
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Your photos are your visual identity when your customers are not in front of you. I prefer to say it like this, “The image of your business relies on the images OF your business.” It might be a bit cheesy, but it’s true.
The photos you use serve as an important connection point for your business. They see you IN your photos, so take the time to make ’em good.
We’ll talk more about specific details on taking certain shots, but I wanted to hammer these main points home today.
Now go take some pictures and feel free to send me a favorite for a quick critique. You can also give me a shout, and we can do a little one-on-one training. I like teaching people how to fish if you know what I mean.
Talk soon!
