The photos on a small business website do a lot of quiet work. They show visitors that you are real, that your work exists and that someone is home. The good news is you almost certainly have a camera good enough already, in your pocket.
Here is how to get photos that do your business justice. We do not offer photography ourselves, so we will also tell you when it is worth calling someone who does.
Start with the boring bit
Wipe the lens. Phone lenses collect fingerprints and dust from pockets and bags. A dirty lens is the most common cause of hazy photos. A quick wipe with a soft clean cloth fixes it.
Turn off filters. Filters and heavy editing date quickly and can make colours look false. Keep the photo natural.
Light is most of it
- Use daylight. Soft natural light from a window or outdoors on a bright but not harsh day looks best.
- Avoid shooting into the light. If the window or sun is behind your subject, it turns dark. Stand so the light falls on what you are photographing.
- Be careful with the flash. On a phone it often flattens things and makes shiny surfaces glare. Better to move toward a window.
- Tap to focus. Tap the screen on the thing that matters. Most phones will then focus and set the brightness for it.
Framing
Turn on the grid. Most phones have a grid option in the camera settings. It helps you keep horizontals level.
Hold it level. Crooked photos look careless. A tilted shelf or horizon is the giveaway.
Do not zoom with your fingers. Pinch zoom on a phone usually just crops and loses detail. Step closer instead.
Shoot both ways. Take wide photos held sideways, and some tall ones too. Websites often need wide images across the top of a page, so sideways shots are particularly useful.
Leave some space around the subject. It is easier to crop a photo later than to add what was missing.
Tidy the background. Move the stray cables, the coffee cup and the box of supplies out of the frame before you shoot.
What to photograph
Think about what a nervous new customer would want to see.
- Your work. Finished jobs, products, dishes, results. This is the most convincing thing you can show.
- Your place. The front of the shop, the workspace, the van.
- Your tools and process. People like seeing how things get done.
- You and your team. Faces build trust. Photos of other people, especially customers, need their permission first.
- Before and after shots, if they suit your trade. Take the before shot from the same spot as the after.
Take plenty. Ten decent options for each subject gives your designer something to choose from.
Use photos that are yours
Do not save images from Google or another business's website. Someone else owns them, and using them can cause you real trouble. If a photo was taken by someone else for you, check you are allowed to use it.
Sending them to us
- Put the original photos in one folder on your phone or computer.
- Send them by email or a shared folder, whichever is easier for you.
- Avoid screenshots, and be wary of sending through apps that shrink pictures, because a shrunken photo looks soft once it is stretched across a screen.
- A short note on what each one shows helps, especially for the key ones.
Our list of what to have ready shows where photos fit in with everything else a build needs. Because we work with clients all over Australia, this folder method is how it runs for everyone, as we explain in web designer in another city.
When to hire a photographer
Phone photos are plenty for most businesses. But if your business sells on looks, such as food, accommodation, fashion or high end work, or if you want professional photos of yourself or your team, a photographer is worth the money. We will tell you straight if we think you need one, and who to call.
Photos help the rest of your online presence too
The same photos can go on your Google listing, which we cover in your Google Business Profile and your website, and on your social pages. Take them once and use them everywhere.