Photography is essential for any business selling a service, especially in our industry. You want to ensure your marketing strategy not only communicates what your business can provide, but also present it to your customers visually. 65% of the population understand information better when it’s presented to them visually. Photographer will allow you to showcase your skills and expertise—capture your completed projects to share on your website, in your digital and print marketing material—and highlight your capabilities by sharing beautifully completed projects.
Better yet, your images will grab your customers’ attention. When it comes to online channels like social media, blogs, websites, and banners—content with relevant images get 94% more views!
1. How to Capture It Right
When you’ve completed your work and the finished project is beautiful, you might want to photograph it and be ready to show it off. However, even the best completed landscaping project can look unappealing in a poorly taken photo. You want to ensure you photograph your projects properly, and compose better shots for your customers in order for your work to truly look its best. Consider the following tips when taking photos of your work.
- Framing: If your project has a pergola, trees, or garden gate, they can serve as a natural frame for your shot. Using these as a natural frame will bring your customer’s eye to your completed project. Framing shots can be interesting as they provide depth and layers to your photo.
- Variety: When it comes to lawns and landscapes, there can be a lot to take in from photographs. Make sure to get a variety of shots by taking vertical and horizontal pictures. By combining up your viewpoints, you can change your background and find engaging perspectives you might have otherwise missed. Having a mixture of wide and medium shots can also be a great impression on your customers and become more engaging. Wide shot shows entire environment and medium shot shows components of environment.
- Tripod: Whether you’re using your phone, or a camera, consider investing in a tripod to hold your device. Taking photos with your hands can result in blurry shots. Tripods allow you to compose your shots more carefully, and be able to take steady and sharp photos.
2. Capture a “Good Photo”
As mentioned previously, you want to ensure the shots of your completed work are beautiful for your customers in order to attract their attention. While taking beautiful photographs may seem like a challenge, it only requires a few techniques to keep in mind when taking your photos. Whether you plan to take the photographs yourself or you plan to hire a professional photographer, keep the following in mind:
- Lighting: Lighting is one of the most important factors to consider when taking a picture. When it comes to taking pictures outdoors of your completed projects, it’s best to take them when there is an overcast and the wind is calm. Extremely bright sunny days can wash out vibrant colors and create unpleasant contrast between darks and lights. The best light for your outdoor projects can be early in the morning or late afternoon—also known as the golden hours.
- Rule of Thirds: A common concept for creating an interesting composition in photography is called the rule of thirds. This principle consists of dividing your shot into thirds with grids, which often come as an option in your smartphone or camera. When you place your subject in one of these four intersecting lines, it gives the photo a dynamic & balanced look. These intersecting points are where your customers will naturally also tend to look. Instead of focusing your subject of focus in the center, try placing it more to the right or to the left in order to capture an interesting photo.
- Remove Eyesores: You don’t want to be reviewing your photos and realize there was something in the composition you should have removed. Be sure to remove any weeds, debris, equipment, grill covers, wires or anything that does not add to the image. Taking the time to remove any objects that take away from the photo will make a big difference in the photos of your project.
3. How to Capture Better Images Using Your Smartphone
In the recent year’s smartphone cameras have only gotten better, including their lenses, photo resolution, and better photo storage that allow you store more photos. It’s no surprise we are seeing more and more photography taken simply from smartphones. With a camera already built in to your phone, you’re ready to go when it comes to capturing the images of your completed projects. Take a look at the following recommendations that will enhance your photography by using your smartphone.
- Gridlines: As mentioned previously, using gridlines for your photography will visually enhance your images. Remember to take the rule of thirds into consideration and activate the gridlines in your smartphone. Placing your subject along the intersections of the lines will make your photo balanced, and allow your customers to interact with the photos naturally.
- Avoid Zooming In: Zooming in on your phone to take a photo will lead to a grainy, and low resolution image. Avoid zooming in digitally and instead try to move closer to your subject when taking photos on your smartphone.
- Use Natural Lighting: Avoid using flash when taking photos of your completed work. Flash can make your images have a harsh, odd-colored appearance. As mentioned previously, capture your photos using natural light, ideally when there is an overcast and the light from the sun isn’t so bright.
4. Leverage Before & After Photos
Displaying photos of your finished completed projects is visual proof that your business will provide a successful service to your customers. You want to ensure you also provide the photos before the project began, in order to show your process and the amount of hard work you and your team put into each project.
Showing your customers before and after photos will also give your potential customers a view of your offerings, and will communicate what words can’t, especially for customers who are hesitant in purchasing services from a new contractor. A portfolio of before and after photos will ensure a quick way of defending your quality of service without having to communicate it with the customer, and will provide visual proof that your business is up to the challenge. Remember when taking your before and after pictures to capture a clear, precise image to portray an accurate depiction of the completed project.
5. Increase The Impact of Your Photography
Many businesses focus on just showing imagery of beautiful green grass or their completed projects. While these images are nice to look at and showcasing projects are important, you are only part of your story.
Consider including customers in your photos. Take photos of them enjoying their new space. Highlight team members, your equipment, a new truck, or a team building event. Your photography truly has an impact when you showcase what’s important to you. Think about what your company values are: your customers, your team, giving back to the community, training and education. When you highlight these things in your photography, you’re not just another company and you can make a personal connection with your current and prospective customers.
Finally
Whether it’s online support, website audits, or design support, Central is the right partner for your business. Our highly experienced marketing team has decades of experience to help you identify best-practices and implement initiatives that deliver results. We’re ready to help you grow!