Module 3: How to show off your image consultancy skills with ‘wow’ photography As an image consultant, your work is all about creating great first impressions; creating confidence; and generally making people look (and feel) good about themselves. In short: you empower your clients with a ‘wow’ factor that radiates from them. So it makes sense that you want to convey some of that ‘wow factor’ in your marketing, right? Photography gives your marketing that ‘wow’ factor Using words in your marketing materials is all very well. But let’s face it: words by themselves are boring! zzzzz… It’s photography that gives your marketing the ‘wow’ factor. But it can’t be any old photograph – it needs to have a certain something to add that ‘wow’ factor. So what is that ‘wow’ factor in photography? Let’s take a look… Photographs convey emotions Photographs convey a lot of feelings and emotions in them. Photos can make us happy; they can make us sad. They can be uplifting and inspiring; or they can make us feel quite the opposite. 1. Consider the ‘mood’ of the photograph Let’s take a look at two photographs side by side, to see how powerfully images can convey moods: This photograph makes you feel ‘ugh’ and glum just by looking at it… … whereas this photograph is fun, lively and aspirational. Which shopping experience would you prefer?! Think: what kind of mood do you want your reader to feel when looking at your marketing materials? You can influence this with your choice of photography. I’d recommend that you aim for something aspirational. Tip #1: Your marketing photographs should be aspirational That is, they should inspire the person looking at the picture to think “I want to be that person in the picture”. Copyright © FX Marketing Limited (trading as The Leaky Bathtub). All rights reserved. Page 1 of 5 www.TheLeakyBathtub.com 2. Boost your photography skills with these simple tips Now that you’re clear on what kind of mood your want your photograph to convey, you need the photography skills to make it happen. Photography is cheaper and more accessible than ever, thanks to digital cameras. However, a good degree of skill is needed before you “click”. Again, let’s look at an example to see what can go wrong… This is a photo of the author of this article having a wardrobe planning session. It is a useful reference photograph to help me remember my outfit combinations, however as a marketing photograph it is terrible! Although this photo is a useful reference shot from my wardrobe planning session, it is not a good photo for an image consultant to use on their website. The reasons why this photo is not a good marketing photograph are numerous: it’s blurred; I almost blend into the background… etc. etc. In short: the unprofessional photograph doesn’t do justice to the skills of the image consultant. All the distracting elements take attention away from my outfit. Moreover, a good quality photograph can convey professionalism; whilst a poor quality DIY photograph makes a business look unprofessional and sloppy. The good news is that it just takes a little bit of planning to take a much better shot. J Copyright © FX Marketing Limited (trading as The Leaky Bathtub). All rights reserved. Page 2 of 5 www.TheLeakyBathtub.com Tip #2: Plan in advance where you’ll take the picture Location, location, location! Before you press the shutter, have a good look around to find the most photofriendly location to take the photos. § § Consider the background: For example, in the previous example, simply closing the wardrobe door would have provided a less cluttered background. Consider the lighting: Is there enough daylight to take the photo? Or will you need to use the flash? Take some test pictures to check the result. Tip #3: Take time to critique the images as you take them When you’re busy, it’s all too easy to keep taking photos and not check them properly. Do take the time to review the photos (zoom in on the details if you need to). § § § § § § Are the images blurred? If so, consider using the flash if the low light levels are causing blur. It’s always a good idea to use a tripod, too, as that’ll help avoid camera shake. Is the flash reflecting on something? If you’re using flash, make sure it’s not reflecting on glass or a mirror in the background, as that can ruin a perfectly good photo. Is the lighting OK? Make sure there aren’t any shadows falling across the subject’s face. If so, either move them to a shadow-free spot, or eliminate the shadow with flash. Has the person blinked? Some people are “blinkers” and will blink nearly every time you take a picture. If that happens, try counting down: 3-2-1-go! Sometimes that’s all it takes. Is there anything else distracting in the image? Take a good look at the photograph, as there are all sorts of possible distractions. This could be wrinkled clothing; clothing gaping where it shouldn’t be; unflattering upper arms/chins; hair across the face; hands in an unnatural looking position; strange posture or pose; and so on. Props: Are there too many props/accessories? Or too few? Hint: if your subject is really awkward with their hands, get them to hold something (e.g. a book, or a handbag). 3. Give your photos the supermodel treatment Once you’ve uploaded photos to your computer, it’s worth spending a bit of time enhancing them to make sure they’re as good as can be. (If airbrushing is good enough for supermodels Elle MacPherson, it’s good enough for us mere mortals!) You’ll need some software to make the image enhancements, and there are some really good, powerful image editing options that are free. One of the most popular free image editors is http://www.gimp.org/ Tip #4: Some basic image adjustments for you to use The most basic image adjustments are: § § § Rotation: Do you accidentally take all your photos at a weird angle? Then rotate them so they’re level. Brightness/contrast: Many of my photos come out too dark. Just a few small tweaks of the Brightness/Contrast controls make them perfect. Cropping: If there’s too much background, and your subject looks tiny, crop the image. Don’t be afraid of doing a really tight crop – you don’t need to show all body parts in a photo! Cropping photographs lets you get a bit more creative with your composition. Copyright © FX Marketing Limited (trading as The Leaky Bathtub). All rights reserved. Page 3 of 5 www.TheLeakyBathtub.com For example, here’s another photo from my wardrobe planning session. This had many of the same issues as the previous photo (but at least it’s not blurred). I’ve been able to crop many of the distracting elements out of it: Use image editing software to crop distracting elements out of photos. Your assignment for module 3 1. Review your existing marketing materials and critique your photographs using the tips you’ve read here. If any need improving, then fix them up (either by editing the existing images, or taking new photos). 2. Are there any marketing materials (or web pages) where you haven’t used photographs? Take some new photos that you can use. " - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - -- --- --- -Photo checklist Make sure your photos are always fab with this handy checklist. General: ¨ The photo is uplifting and positive to look at (i.e. it’s aspirational). ¨ The image is crisp and clear (not blurred). ¨ The background doesn’t distract from the subject matter. ¨ The lighting is good and even (and flattering!). ¨ The person in the photo has their eyes fully open and looks pleasant and happy. Image editing: ¨ Is the image level – or does it need rotating? ¨ Is the image too dark or too light? Adjust Brightness/Contrast if need be. ¨ Would the photo look better cropped? Copyright © FX Marketing Limited (trading as The Leaky Bathtub). All rights reserved. Page 4 of 5 www.TheLeakyBathtub.com Marketing eBooks by Cornelia Luethi Does marketing feel like you’re throwing money down the drain? You know you need to do marketing to grow your business – but what should you be focusing on? The Leaky Bathtub will remove your confusion around marketing. Written especially for small business owners who don’t have a marketing background. The Leaky Bathtub – Part 1: Marketing 101 Find out more: www.TheLeakyBathtub.com/products Is your website stuck in first gear? But you’re not sure what to do about it – and then there’s all that horrible computer jargon? This eBook will help you rev up your website… and for less than a tank of gas! The Website Owner’s Manual explains – in plain English – everything you need to know about your website. Website Owner’s Manual Get your copy today! www.TheLeakyBathtub.com/products Did you know that using the wrong photographs (or not using any photos at all) could be costing you sales? It’s true. People are highly motivated by visuals, so make sure that you’re using images which attract readers, rather than repel them. Packed with hints on marketing photography, this eBook is invaluable for marketing novices …and it also has plenty of tricks even the pros don’t know! How to Choose and Use Eye-Catching Photographs for your Marketing Get your copy today! www.TheLeakyBathtub.com/products Buy with confidence All eBooks come with a 60-Day Money Back Guarantee. Copyright © FX Marketing Limited (trading as The Leaky Bathtub). All rights reserved. Page 5 of 5 www.TheLeakyBathtub.com