Professional images create a professional first impression
If you’re going to an important business meeting with a new client, you’ll want to make sure you’re looking your best, right?
You’ll pick your clothes carefully, you’ll make sure your hair is neat and you’ll make a conscious effort to smile and make eye contact.
And it all pays off when your client perceives you as professional, friendly and trustworthy and you secure that big contract.
We all know that first impressions count, so we all make that extra effort on important occasions. But what about online? Does your website make the right impression?
Part of that is down to design, of course, and finding a style that suits your business. But as well as cracking code and copy, you’ll need the right images.
It may sound obvious, but a quick browse of business websites proves it’s something that’s often overlooked. Selfies, group shots taken from too far away so no one is recognisable, photos that are badly lit or out of focus or portraits where plant pots, lamps or office equipment appear to be sticking out of the subject’s head are all too common.
Even if you are photographing products rather than people, it’s still important to have the best shot to show them off.
The condensation on this beer pump tells its own story
So how do you get it right? Well, the easiest way is to bring in a professional photographer to take all the images you need. We have the lighting equipment for every workplace, the experience to make even the most camera-shy feel at ease and the skills to get it right first time, reducing the disruption to your business. And we can supply the images in whatever format you need, making the whole process stress-free.
If you do want to do it yourself, pick the right location. Natural light is best, but photos of your team outside may not work for your business. Try to make the background clutter-free, and check what will be visible – you don’t want sensitive information on show, or that embarrassing photo from last year’s Christmas party…
For the most flattering head-and-shoulder shots, have the subject turn their body slightly to one side, then turn their head back to look at you. And for groups, try to avoid straight lines – you want to be picturing a triangle instead. Don’t be afraid to use height to your advantage and stand on a chair or table – after the appropriate risk assessments, of course!
If you’re not convinced about the importance of professional-looking images, this piece on how people make snap judgements from pictures might make interesting reading…
