How to present yourself with photos

Digitalisation is moving the world and is this year's theme of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Whatever business you are in, you will have encountered the need to present your service product or you personally in some way. Have you looked at the competition in your industry and want those photos too? Have you wondered how these photos are created and how much work goes behind it? I've been in commercial photography for over seven years, and we've put together an overview of how to better present yourself and when photos from your phone and when photos from a professional come in handy. Here we go.

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Who you are shooting for and where you will present the photos is the first important question.

If you don't have a website, it's almost as if it doesn't exist, and whether you choose to present on other social networks is up to you. You have to decide where your clientele is, whether you find them on Facebook or have a younger audience on Instagram, whose you extend your reach on YouTube and show the product in action. Text information is simply not enough and customers need to see the product before they buy. You need to know who your client is not only for targeting purposes but also because otherwise you will be taking photos for the corporate, others for farmers and others for teenagers.

Photos are not everything.

As much as I'd like to say it, quality photos aren't everything. Together with quality service, quality product, a nice responsive website and text, photos make up the mosaic of marketing. Unfortunately, today it's not enough to put out a sign or instagram photos and wait for orders.

Photos are often the icing on the cake, but without them it's hard to sell.

Consistency is king.

I mean visual consistency. If you want to reach clients, the first thing they notice is whether you have different quality photos on your website or social media. If one photo is from a phone and the other is from a photographer, clients will definitely notice. That's why it's a good idea to determine which direction to go in at the beginning. And most importantly, what to put out into the world. Consistency is also about photo editing. Today there are apps and filters to help us do this. Choose one filter that you like and use that. This will make your photo content look consistent.

The weakest link in the chain.

Although it doesn't seem like it, clients evaluate the whole based on the weakest photo. We often see clients spend tens of thousands on quality photos, but leave the ones from their phone on the site (to stretch it a bit). Do you know where the mistake is yet? Clients are scrolling through the many uploaded photos in the gallery and suddenly see the worse ones. Often times this creates distrust not only in the product, the service, but in the merchant itself. And it can even happen that you lose a client. So choose what you show people and what you don't. Sometimes less is more.

A product on a white background is not passé.

If you sell products don't be afraid to take pictures and show them on a white background. The advantage of this style of photography is that you are able to shoot them pretty quickly yourself. All you need is a white background and plenty of sunlight. However, if you are not happy with white, you can easily change the background color and the photos will get a unique touch.

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Don't be afraid of advertising photography.

Advertising photography is ultimately any photography that aims to sell a product or service. For social networking, you are able to shoot it yourself. Show how the product works. How people enjoy your service. By giving clients inspiration of what's possible, they'll be happy to try it out. For photo shoots, just wait for the right time of day to capture the mood. Usually that's before sunset.

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Video over photo?

Even video has its place in the sun. If you choose to showcase yourself on Instagram, adding a video will bring your profile to life. Likewise, instastories love short videos. The advantage is that you can simply make the video yourself. Think about what part of the production or some process is interesting to the viewer and show it. This will bring your company closer to your customers and they will get the feeling that you know each other. For example, we are fans of the cinemagraph, which is a photo with a moving part.

Where do you take the photos ?

Let's not kid ourselves, most of the time the budget decides where and how to take photos.

Make sure you have an idea of how much money you are willing to invest in your photos and based on that decide on the option.

You will get the photos from the supplier.

One option is to have the supplier provide the photographs. This is the cheapest option. If you are reselling products, this is common practice. Here, however, watch out for copyright. This means that you need the photographer's permission to use the photos on the site.

You take the photo yourself.

Today, technology allows many things and this is one of the options. And if you are into photography then this is just an advantage. You can definitely at least take your own photos on social media.

Authentic content tends to be the best.

Photos from customers. Here again a great option for social networking. If your clients are sharing photos of themselves on social media and you can repost them then this is great advertising. For one thing, you have authentic photos and the sharing still promotes the reputation of your service or product.

If it's big, it's with a professional photographer.

Hiring a photographer tends to be the most expensive option, but on the other hand, you're ordering one to make your photos look professional and, most importantly, to sell.

If you work in the restaurant or hospitality industry, then a quality photographer is a must. You need your space to jump out at onlookers in a flood of photos and invite them to visit the place. Don't be afraid to tell the photographer what you envision, the more he or she knows your vision and goals, the better the photos will work out for you.

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There is no photographer like a photographer.

If you choose to shoot with a photographer, it is better to choose based on recommendations or their portfolio. If one photographer took your children's photos and you were happy with them, it doesn't mean they will shoot your hotel just as well. every photographer specializes and choose them accordingly.