How to Ace a Professional Photo-shoot

We’ve all heard that a picture tells a thousand words and this has never been truer than in the era of smartphones and visual content on social media. In spite of this, I’m still surprised by the number of marketers I encounter who have a fantastic looking, professionally designed website and logo but a blurry, low resolution shot of themselves for a profile picture. For me, it just doesn’t quite add up.

As a marketer, a great picture (or ten) can be your best weapon in the fight to increase your brand’s online visibility, and I always recommend that my clients pay close attention to their online image, especially when it comes to profile photos and pictures of their business and products.

If you are serious about your brand, you need to be taken seriously and in my experience this means getting professional photographs taken of you, along with your premises, your products and anything else you want to use in your branding.

Professional photographers may not be the cheapest, but more often than not the long-term gains are well worth the initial outlay. If you have a decent digital camera you can get reasonable results doing it yourself but however you decide to approach it, ditching the dodgy mobile phone snapshot will make a big difference to your brand’s credibility and image.

So how can you make sure you get the most out of your photo shoot? I’ve organised a number of different photo shoots during my years as a Marketing Manager and in the Next Marketing business and have picked up a few tips and tricks the years that have helped me get the best results and avoid any (most!) mishaps. Here are three things I always focus on when planning and preparing for a photo shoot.

1.    Styling / Look and Feel

If you want to make sure you create just the right look and feel in your photographs, the look and feel is something I recommend that you pay close attention to. Styling covers a whole range of different elements including positioning, props, clothing, hair, makeup and backgrounds.

2.    Lighting

Lighting can really create the entire mood. If you’re shooting outside, choose the right time of day – I like mornings and early evenings for softer light, and I always keep an eye on the weather. Sunny and overcast days can give great results, but if it looks like rain, I usually try to have a backup plan, which either involves taking it indoors or rescheduling.

The other option is to book a session in a studio. Professional photographers can do just about anything with a good lighting setup and there’s no need to worry about rain on expensive equipment or the wind playing havoc with anyone’s hair.

3.    Do I have permission to shoot here?

I’ve never had any problems shooting in public places, but if you are on private property that you haven’t hired specifically for the shoot, always ask for permission from the owners.

I’ve learned from experience that things don’t always go according to plan on a photo shoot. Bad weather, unforseen events and technical glitches can all lead to disastrous results, but the best advice I can give anyone is don’t panic!!

Photo-shoots can be nerve wracking – I still get butterflies whenever I have one coming up for my business, but if you want to make sure you are presenting your business in the most professional and flattering light, bringing in the professionals beats trying to do it yourself.

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Jo Macdermott is a well known thought leader when it comes to all things Marketing. Jo is the Founder of Next Marketing, a well established Marketing Agency based in Melbourne. Jo is looking to connect with Marketing Managers, Entrepreneurs (in funded start ups) and Small and Medium Sized Businesses (with a marketing budget). Need some marketing help? With a commercial bent? Get in touch with Jo here