Do your photos have punch?
“Marketing is the difficult work of telling a story that resonates, of bringing a consistent set of promises to people who want to hear them.” Seth Godin.
Business photography is marketing. It is telling a story with images. People look at photos before they read copy, so what we select to show makes a difference. Good photos attract attention. Boring photos are ignored. We want people to be surprised and delighted and draw them in.
When it comes to photos people often are most concerned with what they want to show. This makes sense. Good photos tell a story and we are doing the telling.
But what about the viewer? They are really the ones who matter. Not you.
Ask yourself these questions:
What do they want to see? Will they know what it is you are showing them? Will they get the point? How will it make them feel? Will they like it?
We should be able to answer these questions about the photo we chose to display. We often have a choice of many photos and it’s important to select the right ones.
What is the subject? Is the photo simple or cluttered? Does the subject stand out? Is it mundane or special? Will someone spend their attention on it?
Can I do it myself? Chances are you can. Cameras and cell phones have advanced quite a bit enabling almost anyone to take a technically good photo. But that’s not what makes a photo sell. It’s really all about content and composition.
You know doubt know what you want to show. It’s the how you show it that add a whole other dimension.
There are many rules for composition; fill your frame, be careful of backgrounds, make your subject dominant, etc. It’s important to follow the rules but that’s not all it takes. It takes a good gut.
After the shot is taken post processing can make or break your photo. Can you edit and enhance your images? Photos right out of the camera are seldom as good as they can be. Lighting is not always perfect and editing software , properly used, can make a huge difference. If overly used your photos made suffer.
Photos are here to stay and are a huge benefit for your marketing efforts. Think things through a little and you’ll see results.