Ep# 095: How To Take Quality DIY Photos To Showcase Your Brand with Amy Eaton
You guys are going to love today’s topic.
Do you find yourself in one of these three camps?
“I just don’t really need good photos for my business… Do I??”
“I want to have high-quality brand photos to use in my marketing, but I just can’t afford to pay for a photographer.”
“I take my own photos for my business, but they don’t really seem to be moving the needle for me.”
If you have ever had one of these thoughts, this episode is for you.
We live in a very visual world. We have to have good pictures for everything from our social media feeds to our websites and sales pages.
But this doesn’t mean you have to hire somebody or be a photography whiz yourself.
You can create incredible visual content for your brand that will drive your business forward, and our guest today, Amy Eaton, is going to tell us how!
Amy is a brand and product photographer turned educator who specializes in teaching online entrepreneurs how to DIY their own awesome photos for their business. She breaks it all down into a step-by-step approach that anybody can follow--even someone like me who sucks at taking pictures, doesn’t have a fancy camera, and doesn’t want to spend a lot of time doing it.
High-Quality Photos are a Necessity
When people search for a business, whether it’s a local business or online business, they usually start with Google. Which means the first impression they have of that business is their online presence.
High-quality photos demonstrate professionalism. The quality of your photos often communicate the quality of your service (whether it’s an accurate depiction or not) to potential customers who land on your website but don’t know you yet. So if the photos on your site are poor quality, visitors to your site are subconsciously thinking, this obviously isn’t a serious business, and they’ll click away. And as soon as someone clicks away, you’ve lost them.
Good photos that show your personality and your life will help you build a Know, Like, and Trust factor with your audience very quickly, and that translates into increased sales for your business.
The Dos and Don'ts of DIY Brand Photos:
You don’t have to know everything about photography, there are just very specific pieces that you need to know. This process can be simple and fun and creative and a way for you to connect and share.
Tools
Start with what you have. If all you have is an iPhone, start with that. Smartphones are getting better and better all the time. You may want to upgrade to a professional camera someday, but many cameras nowadays are incredibly user friendly--don’t be intimidated!
We should all have a tripod (and/or significant other that is willing!). Selfies are fair game in your Instagram stories, but our Instagram feed and the professional photos on our website should be self-portraits, not selfies.
Lighting
Your lighting has to be great. And this is one of the trickier things to learn and understand, but there are a few key tips:
Never have a window behind you, you should be facing the light
Avoid direct light sources (like the sun or overhead lights)--it will look overly shiny and harsh in photos. This is also why you should never use the flash on your camera!
Seek out indirect light for photos that look soft and make your skin look great. Taking photos in the shadow of a building or tree is a great option.
If you are taking photos of an object, a great setup is to place the object on a table/stand next to a window and set up white foam boards around the perimeter of the table. This will help contain the light to that area and will result in a bright and clear photo.
Strategy and Technique
Don't move! Movement creates something called motion blur, and this screams unprofessional.
Variety is key. Your audience wants to know your story, and this is achieved through your captions and wording, yes, but also through your pictures. So show yourself in different outfits, in different environments, in many different poses.
Don’t be afraid to incorporate bright colors, especially your brand colors. When someone is scrolling social media, a bright pop of color is what might stop their endless scroll for long enough for them to start to read and engage with your post.
Editing Your Photos
When you’re photographing a product, don’t use a filter. It detracts from the color and lighting and lowers the authenticity of the product.
There is a little bit more leniency when it comes to brand photos because you aren’t showing a product that someone is going to receive in the mail. But it can become very unprofessional very quickly. If you are using a filter it should be fairly subtle.
Having a similar aesthetic in your photos can be achieved through simple editing. Presets are an easy way to give your photos a consistent vibe without messing up the color or lighting. You can create your own presets or you can purchase them from a photographer.