So often photos are included on websites that only:

• misrepresent the brand or philosophy
• don’t reflect the culture of the targeted area/market
• fail to inspire – i.e. BORING, weak, low-impact
• fail to show products clearly and in a favourable light
• do not give real life examples of the business at work
• use horrible profile photos that don’t inspire confidence in the person pictured
• imply a lack of attention to detail and a lack of quality
• just look cheesy and sales-pitchy

So why are there photos on your website? Presumably they’re there to:

• Create interest
• Match and enhance the words
• Provide strong examples
• Improve your SEO
• Build a brand
• Make your website look pretty (don’t underestimate what this does in people’s brains)

These are just the essentials. Then you may also be using photos to:

• Show how you are different
• Show who you are as people
• Create an online gallery or shop and sell products

If you boil it all down to one thing, the photos are there to:

• Make people buy

Think about what you want the photos to do versus what they might actually be doing.

Now think about how clever buyers are (aren’t you a discerning buyer?) and how much first impressions count. And where they’re going for their first impression.

So I ask the question again: Why are there photos on YOUR website?

The answer is: if they’re not great shots, they are there to help your competition.

Related articles

When real life images are better than stock images

What’s really involved in a product shoot?

Why try editorial-style corporate photography?

Image by Jennifer at work choosing clothing and accessories

You’ve finally scheduled that photo shoot for your business, fashion line or personal brand. You know that professional photography is an important part of marketing your business but you are more than a little anxious about what to expect and whether or not this will prove to be a worthwhile investment.

Like anything you do in marketing, much of the value you receive from your photo shoot will come down to the actions you take. Things like clearing your work environment of clutter, checking your products carefully and understanding how to dress or apply make-up for a shoot can save you paying for extra time in shooting or touching up photos! In photography, little things like a layer of dust or a scratch on a product’s packaging can make an enormous difference to the photographer’s workload.

Here are 3 important tips to ensure you not only save time and money at your photo shoot, but make money from your investment as well.

Tip #1 Get organised

• Follow the procedure outlined by your photographer or marketing consultant. Are there permission forms to sign and return? Do you need to secure your booking in any way?
• For profile photos, check that all team members will be present on the day, if possible. It can be more cost effective to get everyone in on the same day than to schedule the photographer on different days (and it cuts down turnaround time, too)
• Find out if there is a schedule for the shoot, common for shoots longer than 2 hours. Some photographers will provide this but you may need to tweak it to suit your staff’s timetable on the day. Always check changes with the photographer as he or she will know how much time is needed for set-up changes etc.
• Always read the brief provided very carefully and ensure that staff members do too. The brief contains details of what to bring and how to prepare for the shoot.

Tip #2 Ensure you, your staff, your products and your work space look their best… BEFORE the photographer arrives!

• Be aware that investment-wise, it is often better to hire professional models/talent for set-up shots of customers, board meetings etc. (your photographer or marketing agency can organise models) rather than to use your friends. Trained talent can look like regular people but have the skills to portray the exact feel that you want for your photos, and work more efficiently to get the shots than non-professionals who are often nervous, need ‘warm-up’ time and more direction through-out.
• If you have organised your own models, ensure they are given a brief with very precise details of what to wear (your photographer or stylist can help you). This includes things like nail colour, hair style, clothing changes, make-up requirements and whether tattoos need to be covered up! Note that both male and female models should use a cover-up for blemishes (this saves you paying the photographer for extra photo editing time!)
• Ask the photographer for tips on what to wear for your own photos. Be aware that one style does NOT suit all, and features are emphasised under the camera lens. If you have a uniform with variations on styles, it is best to give staff members a choice as they will naturally choose the pieces they look best in and are most comfortable wearing. Ask them to bring a variety of options.
• If not wearing a uniform, you should bring a couple of changes such as a jacket/no jacket look. Hair, make-up and jewellery should be worn as feels most comfortable, with special attention to covering up shadows and blemishes with make-up where you wish to do so.
• This may sound obvious but you would be surprised how often it creates a problem… ALWAYS ensure your clothes are ironed and stain-free! Also check for missing buttons or problem areas such as too-sheer fabrics, too-short ties or gaping holes in blouses!
• Products and their packaging to be photographed should always be brand new. Creases, dust, stains and dog-ears are very time-consuming and sometimes impossible to remove in post-production and will add to your photography bill considerably! Remove price tags or any labels or elements you don’t want pictured – and do this beforehand, laying out your products ready for the photographer, preferably in the combinations you want them shown in (the photographer can suggest placement and styling to help you).
• If your workspace is to be photographed, scan your eye across the room and ask yourself what you do and don’t want seen in the photos. Are there stickers, personal notes, bits of paper or yesterday’s lunch cluttering the scene? What impression are you trying to make? Maybe it’s friendly and approachable but at the same time it’s almost always professional and organised. Generally photographs with little going on in the background are more effective in drawing attention to the subject and saying what you want them to say. DON’T end up paying the photographer extra time to do the clean-up themselves (or to stand around while you do it) – get it done BEFORE the shoot!

Tip #3 Communicate

• Ensure you understand what is/is not included in the photography fee, prior to shoot day. Don’t assume because the photographer is there with a camera, that they can ‘quickly take a photo of…’ if it was not included in the brief! Different photos require different setups and different equipment to be done properly. Ensure you are given a summary that itemises all the aspects to be photographed BEFORE the shoot day.
• This also extends to understanding what is included in the editing process of your photography package. For example, some basic touch-ups and resizing of images are normally included, but not converting images to black and white or creating special effects… like making you look 20 years younger (why are you asking for that anyway? Your clients like you as you are!)
• If you have questions about your shoot or want more information, always ask. Your photographer should care about making you feel comfortable and delivering the best value to you!

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My top 3 tips to get the most value out of your product shoot

What to do before, during and after your shoot to get maximum return on investment

How to spot a great-value photographer

Our work for Patrick McMurray

Although product photography is detailed work that takes time to get right, there are some significant steps you can take to ensure an efficient and successful photo shoot for your products, saving you time and money and leaving you with photos that you are thrilled about!

Here are my top 3 tips for a great value product shoot:

Tip #1: Have a vision and a plan

Take some time to write down what you want to see when you look at your product photos.

What mood or feeling do you want to create? Is it necessary to show your products in detailed and clinical clarity or do you want more evocative photography to convince people to buy? (Most people need a combination.)

Do you need to show your products in use to put them into context or show them at their best? (e.g. clothes look better on models; technical equipment can make more sense if a person is shown using it)

Some of my clients email me examples of competitor’s websites they admire, or photos they like or don’t like, or bring in clippings or scrapbooks of a concept. It’s not essential to do these things and I always ask questions designed to draw out the client’s goals for their shoot, but it helps to have the visual element.

I also always look at the layout and design of the website (or wherever the photos will end up) and look at how the collection can be arranged for consistency and high-impact.

Tip #2: Only products in tip top condition

This is the number one way to save money on your shoot. Ensure that the products to be photographed are in mint condition. If the photographer has to polish or clean up products it will stretch out the shoot time; if the products have even small dents, scratches, chips or stains you will pay for extra time after the shoot while each imperfection is edited out of each image one at a time.

Here are some BIG ones:

Price tags! If you don’t want the price tags or stickers in the shot and you haven’t removed them, you are literally paying for a photographer to stand there removing each sticky label. Crazy!!

And stains/wrinkles on fabric. This can be very hard to edit out of shots later, depending on the fabric and colour. Check your garments very carefully and have them freshly laundered and pressed before the shoot.

Tip #3: Get a production line going

We all know production lines save time, so a bit of planning and organisation goes a long way.

Choose your pieces to be photographed and group similar pieces together. If you are transporting them to the studio, carry them in a safe and organised way so that when you get there you can easily pull everything out for the photographer to access.

If you are combining pieces, such as piecing garments and jewellery together for a clothing shoot, try to have your combinations figured out ahead of time. I often help my clients with this sort of ‘styling’ but not all photographers do, and keep in mind it takes more time.

If you have stands or display cases you usually use and think could be incorporated into the photos, bring them along (and again, ensure they are in top condition).

Enjoy your product shoot!

If you’ve followed these steps you’ll be sure to have a stress-free, value-packed photo shoot with some gorgeous images to properly showcase and sell your products.

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What’s REALLY involved in a product shoot

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Building your brand story

Our work for Glass by Gina

How an image sells a product

Have you seen a catalogue, ad or online shop with really good photos of products?

Think of the ‘what’s new’ or ‘top buys’ page in a glossy magazine. I’m talking about photos that clearly show what the product is, that make it stand out, and that make you want to buy it now. The sort of image where you feel you could literally pick the product up off the page and hold it in your hands.

As everyone knows (even if for some, they only know it deep down), slapping a product on a table and taking a quick snap with your phone is not the way these delectable images are achieved. I work with a lot of new businesses who understandably are on a tight budget and have started by taking their own shots before realising it was a far better use of their resources to hand the job over. The common cry I hear is, ‘It just took so much time to get a shot that just looked sort of ok!’ And with this comes disappointment because the vision, philosophy and hard work behind the business are not well represented in a bunch of DIY photos.

Good product photography takes considerable time and is detailed, finicky work. Here are some of the aspects that come into play:

Sprucing up

Before anything else is done the products need to be in top condition. They come to me in a range of conditions and sometimes I can do a bit to clean them up e.g. polishing off fingerprints, and at other times there will be extensive post-production editing to remove imperfections. (Hint: If you want to save money, save the photographer time by only presenting items in mint condition.)

Styling

I call this ‘fiddling’. There’s a lot of arranging objects in groups or individually and turning them this way and that to achieve the best effects. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to arrange objects so they just seem to stand up by themselves, balance in a stack, or float in mid-air!

Lighting

Closely related to styling, because every time you change the object’s position you inevitably have to change the lighting as well. Studio lights, reflectors and other professional equipment are used to create particular moods or effects, to highlight particular product features and to eliminate glare off reflective surfaces.

Framing

The way the camera is angled in relation to the object and how it is framed in the picture often determines the whole effect. Even a very slight tilt of the camera can completely change the way the product looks.

Design and layout

Photos are taken as a series of images that look consistent and suit the website design and the brand. Often I will also include variations on setups, such as teaming a bunch of images in different, artistic ways, to give the client choice but also to give them images they can use in more than one way. For example, you may want single shots of each product for the online shop but then an arty group shot of products for the home page. Or you may want clarity in the general product shots but want something more evocative to go in an ad.

So there you have it – the behind the scenes stuff that makes an image sell a product. Just like a website that works or a reliable cash register, product photos are something that businesses simply have to get right to make money!

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Our work for Get Coached

Ok I will loosely use the term ‘real life’ here. By real life I still mean professional (because if the images on your business website don’t look professional then the only reason they could be there is to help out your competition!). Real life can also mean ‘life-like’ or constructed. But while these images may well be set up to serve your purposes, real life images are taken just for you and incorporate REAL aspects of YOUR business.

Of course if you are selling products online or promoting a fashion label then the images have to be accurate representations of the real thing. While stock images can be used in other ways – to add a visual element to information, for example – they often are nowhere near as effective as using photos of your actual business at work.

Customers want to connect with something real. We’ve all seen the same stock images floating around various corporate, health and beauty websites, for example, that have become so commonplace that we instantly disconnect from them. So the purpose for which they were put there to begin with – to engage – has not been achieved!

Our work for Commara

Wouldn’t it be better to see photos of real team members engaging with clients? Or images of ingredients/components particular to your products? Or photos of the various locations/projects/stores/offices in which your staff work?

If these are done well (read: professionally!) they add value to your website and other marketing initiatives on a whole new level.

And I don’t mind bragging… we are proud of our work with clients where we:

• organise a range of photo setups to demonstrate their products and services and really tap into their brand
• arrange local talent to help blend with staff members for natural looking shots
• provide tips and direction to staff members to help them relax and enjoy their shoot
• and all within great-value packages that often beat the price of decent stock photography.

Our work for Allwest Uniforms

Just look at our examples!

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How our clients get maximum ROI

Is your branding saying what you think it’s saying? Branding and images

Why try editorial-style corporate photography?

As I sat there editing a hundred photos as fast as my hand could click the mouse, hunching over the computer, gripping my coffee mug for dear life… it occurred to me that today, it would be a stretch to deliver my best to the clients I was working with.  I had limited time to choose and edit this client’s photos and then drive over to deliver them personally, before wrapping my brain around that client’s photo shoot – going over brief, brand and strategy, gathering and checking equipment, getting there and then delivering a creative and efficient shoot.

It made me realise that saying yes to every request (Can you squeeze my shoot in this week? Can you send me some photos straight away?) did not make me a saint, it just made me a business owner who wasn’t using her brain.

I’ve heard it said that when you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else, because you can’t possibly do everything. Even with the most wonderful team members by my side, I still cannot do everything. So by bending this way and that to accommodate an extra request, I’m inevitably letting someone else down – it could be a client, but it’s more often a loved one who also wants a share of my time, or it’s letting myself down – my values, my health, my sense of satisfaction in my work.

As the day wore on and I continued churning out the work, not enjoying it as I normally would but feeling I had no choice at this point, I became more agitated and stressed. I knew at the end of the day I wouldn’t have a sense of achievement because most of the things I had actually planned to do today had gone out the window. My to do list remained a mile long.

When I finally arrived home late that evening – too tired to think of cooking and wondering if there was any wine even though it was only Monday – I felt suddenly furious that I’d allowed my day to be hijacked yet again. I reached for that glass of wine (well, I needed it) and a notepad and pen, threw myself onto the couch and started to write, in quite large and angry scrawl, a list of things I will and won’t do from now on.

I WILL make time each week to take a complete break from my business.
I WON’T book a shoot on my designated day off, even if that means missing out on a new client.
I WILL remind clients of the terms they signed when they make requests outside of the reasonable boundaries I have set.
I WON’T drop what I’m doing to attend to one client just because they ‘scream the loudest’. 
I WILL put my health and wellbeing first no matter what, because without that, I’ve got nothing to give myself or anyone else!

The ‘angry list’ went on for quite a while, but I’ve since distilled it into a few short points that summarise my values about how I structure my day to deliver the best customer service I can. Whenever I feel like I’m being backed into a corner, I look at these signposts and change my behaviour to get back on track.

I still instinctively want to say ‘yes’ and make promises I can’t always keep because I really want all my clients to be deliriously happy, but I’m learning that saying NO more often ultimately serves my customers better.

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Not just a photoshoot  - the way we work at New Work

How my business has changed and thank heavens for that

A fantastic photo shoot starts with YOU

Our work for TS Glass - this is a very simple profile setup with an editorial feel

With the overwhelming quantity of on-screen information available these days, companies are looking for a way to stand out and make a visual impact – knowing this is the quickest way to gain attention when attention spans are short.

My corporate clients are starting to seek photography with a difference – whether it be for profile photos or personalised ‘stock images’ for their websites – and one way we’re doing this is through editorial style photography.

What is an editorial style? If you’ve ever picked up a copy of In the Black, or another high-quality business magazine, you may have an idea. These are the images that go alongside a story – usually about business success – and offer more than just a visually boring head and shoulders shot. It could be an interesting angle, a backdrop such as a busy city street or elegant boardroom, or a simple prop such as an armchair that gives the photograph a fresh approach and something interesting to look at. Most of all these photographs tell a story themselves – and you can choose the story.

So why is an editorial style a good idea when investing in your corporate photography? Well we all know an image says a thousand words, and by thinking carefully about the words you want to say you can make the right impression and attract the right market. Photography that is edgy and fresh says the same about your company, and that can only be a good thing in a time of such fast-paced innovation.

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How to get maximum ROI from your professional photos

Is your branding saying what you think it’s saying?

Be media ready!

There’s a lot you can do to ensure you have a great professional photo shoot… so take ownership to enjoy your shoot and get maximum ROI!

Before the shoot

• Check you understand what is expected of you – do you need to organise a running sheet, location, permissions… or is this being done for you by your photographer? Do you need to source particular ‘props’ or clothing?
• Do you know what to wear? We give our clients a tip sheet to help them feel informed about what looks good through the lens. If you are unsure, it’s much better to ask and be prepared than chance a guess at what will work and run the risk of being disappointed in your photos.
• Make sure you are clear on what is and isn’t included in your photography package – e.g. black and white editing, special effects, extra airbrushing… these are usually extras because they take time if done well

During your shoot

• Your photographer should guide you through the setups for each shot so you aren’t left wondering what to do. However, if you are unsure, ask for clarification or ideas. Don’t be afraid to contribute ideas of your own!
• Posing for photographs can be tiring. If you need a break, take it, or the strain will show on your face.
• Understand that excellent shots take time to set up. Unless you and your photographer are able to schedule extra time, don’t expect the photographer to ‘just quickly take a photo of …’ just because they have a camera in their hands. It is better to plan for a few quality setups than a long list of shots that you will both have to rush through.

After your shoot

• Check with your photographer what the next step is. Usually, this will involve post-production editing and delivery of work. To avoid a hold-up, ensure you abide by the terms of your agreement – such as paying your invoice on time.
• If you need the work by a certain date make sure you tell the photographer as early as possible – preferably at the time of booking the shoot. We finish our projects within two weeks of the shoot but if a client has let us know in advance that they need their work earlier, we usually can schedule it in to suit.
• Communicate with your photographer if there are any problems after your shoot. Photography is a subjective art and if the photos don’t meet your expectations for any reason, a good photographer wants to know this and try to make it right for you. If it’s a reasonable complaint or request, this usually doesn’t cost the client any more, so it’s worth touching base.

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Photographers: Telling the goodies from the baddies

How to get the best out of your team and profile photos

Ok, so first off every business is different and your return on investment in a shoot will depend on a lot of factors such as how well you prepare before your shoot, how good the photographer is both at their craft and at communication, how much you paid for the shoot, how many photos you receive and how well you leverage them in your marketing. However, one clear indication of return value is in how many ways you can use your photos to help build your brand and therefore your business.

I guess what I’m really doing here is demonstrating some of the many ways my clients use the photos I take for their business. While you may not use all of these, you should find – if you have a comprehensive marketing plan – that you can use the wide variety of photos from a New Work photo shoot in a wide variety of ways, for a long time to come!

So here are some ways my clients use their photographs to gain return on investment:

• On their websites – be it limited-edition stock photos, personalised ‘at work’ photos, profile photos, store shots or product catalogues – this is the obvious way to use your professional photos. Examples

www.lillycoaccessories.com.au

http://www.allwestuniforms.com.au/new/

http://www.imagebyjennifer.com.au/

• On Linked In profile – yours and your team members, plus company and group pages. Well done to these clients

http://www.linkedin.com/company/via-appia-networking-wa

http://au.linkedin.com/pub/philip-simmonite/2a/872/102?trk=pub-pbmap

http://au.linkedin.com/in/andreadeegan

• On their Facebook business page and in social media campaigns – heard of visual branding? Or showing samples of your work where a wide audience can see them? Clients doing this well

https://www.facebook.com/TraditionStainedGlass

https://www.facebook.com/MyAcademyTutor

• On blogs – their own and others, a great way to get noticed. Examples from our clients

http://www.chercheursdebonheur.com/christine-silbert-fondatrice-de-slinky-sleeves-creation-mode-demploi

http://amiobrien.com/new-work-photography-and-my-photoshoot

• In newsletters – people still read the good ones

• 
  

  

  http://segueresources.com.au/

• In advertising and print marketing collateral  - don’t bother spending money on advertising unless it looks slick!

• 
  

  

  http://www.stockstandard.com.au/

  
  

  

  http://glassbygina.com.au/

  
  

http://www.video-marketing-millionaire.com/

• PR – whether you are actively seeking media attention or not, you need to be prepared for when someone wants to interview you about your business. Part of this equals great professional photos of you and your work place, product or service, as well as major events your business has been involved in, or photos of you at work. Here’s some of our PR!

• 
  

  

  WA Club magazine feature

A little side note – when using photos on different websites and publications always check with the photographer if you are unsure on how to acknowledge the source. Although the photos are there for you to use, most photographers expect at least an acknowledgement somewhere on the page and in some cases (particularly with images of celebrities or fashion), use of watermarked versions. At New Work we have tried to find a balance between what is reasonable and easy for you and fair to us.

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My very own sister Sylvia Shrewsbury

If you are going to be around Northbridge in the next week pop into the pop up shop and check out Sylvia’s work as well as that of other artists and designers… you can even buy something precious and take it home.

White Licked Slab Plate Stack

Sylvia’s website http://sylviashrewsbury.wix.com/sylviashrewsburyart

Sylvia at Montage http://montagecollective.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/montage-feature-artist-sylvia.html?m=1

About Sylvia

Sylvia  Shrewsbury creates quirky  handmade  ceramics  as  well  as  other  craft   items.  She is  currently  completing an Advanced  Diploma  of  Contemporary  Art in  Northbridge.  Majoring   in  sculpture, she also  dabbles  in  all  sorts  of  art  making  processes  including  drawing,  collage  and ‘zine’ making. Sylvia is motivated  by  the  realisation  that   she can  give  new  life  to  static  material.  Reinvention  is her  primary  concern  when  making,  and  is  done  in   a  variety  of  ways  including  up-­‐cycling  (making  a  new  object  from  an  old  one)  or  by  revisiting   out-of-date or ‘ugly’ visual themes in new forms. It  is  an  important  part  of  her  process  that  nothing  goes  to  waste;  therefore Sylvia sources  most  of  her materials  from  salvaged  items,  or  ensures  that  anything  that  she  makes  will  serve  a  purpose  in  the  future.

Images by New Work Photography