Enhancing Your Image

Think of the internet as a dating site

2012-07-26T09:46:00.105-04:00

The internet is a giant match.com, and your website is your "listing". You're competing with other businesses to attract people who are deciding who to "ask out" (someone they'd like to do business with). They're searching, and they're comparing you to others. They have MANY to choose from.

If you were on a dating site what would be the first thing you'd look for?

If you're like most people, you'd check out their photos. What if they didn't have a photo? What would you think?

What if you saw a photo of Angelina Jolie or George Clooney on someone's listing? What would you think then? Could you trust them? That's what happens when the photos used aren't theirs. They're called stock photos.

Most people compare the photos, then if they like what they see they read to find out more.

If you want your website to attract new business, great images are vitally important. It's foolish to skimp on photography because we buy with our eyes. Your website is being compared to others. Lots of others.

You need images that attract, create desire and inspire trust. If you don't have them, they won't even read about what you have to offer. They'll just leave your site and go elsewhere.

Painful, isn't it?

Quote of the day

2012-07-26T09:00:00.020-04:00

"People hear what they see; we must communicate visually."
Harry Beckwith - Internationally acclaimed marketer and author of "Selling the Invisible"

Who is your target audience?

2011-04-24T08:59:00.048-04:00

Your marketing will be much more effective if you tailor your message to a particular target audience. Those people who have absolutely the most to gain by using your product or service.

People buy for their reasons, not yours. You must figure out all the benefits of what you offer, who will benefit the most, and how to communicate those benefits to them in a way that gets and holds their attention as quickly as possible. Photos greatly speed up communication, but they too must be crafted to communicate the message you want and designed to appeal to the demographics of your target audience.

Quote of the day

2011-04-24T07:23:00.001-04:00

"The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck." Tony Robbins

Recent assignment for a jewelry ad

2011-01-10T09:00:00.086-05:00

Click on the image to see it larger.

This image was created for a full page ad for jewelry from Alaska. It will appear in magazines on Alaskan cruise ships in addition to posters.

The jewelry is intentionally the sharpest part of the image so that the viewer's attention is drawn to it. Everything else plays a supporting role to frame and draw attention to the jewelry.

The cuffs of the coat form the top of a heart.

Quote of the day

2011-01-10T08:24:00.001-05:00

"Advertising is totally unnecessary unless you hope to make money."
Jef Richards

Images for print ads.

2011-01-03T09:48:00.012-05:00

You have only a couple of seconds to grab a reader's attention, and a great image is often the most effective way to do it.

When people look at ads, almost all of them look at the image before they'll even think about looking at the words. However, the image must relate to what your selling, otherwise you just create confusion and people won't bother to read your ad.

The image should be custom made to reinforce the words in your ad. If you don't, you risk wasting your entire ad budget. If you're selling a product it should also create desire.

Quote of the day

2011-01-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
Confucius

Recent assignment for a magazine cover

2010-09-07T08:08:00.023-04:00

Click on the image to see it larger.

This image of a fund-raiser was produced last week for the cover of a Philanthropy magazine. More space was left around her than is shown above to allow room for the masthead and type on the sides. The magazine requested pastel colors for the background so the background was made lighter and also softer to allow for better readability of the type. She brought a couple of different colored jackets and when I saw that one closely matched the colors of some nearby flowers, I decided to use this jacket and position her to one side of the flowers so the colors would repeat. I wanted something both soft and upbeat.

Images communicate best when they are tailored to fit the use, the desired mood, and the audience. The style and approach taken must vary based on the situation. There should always be a combination of planning and an awareness of new possibilities when producing an image. A photographer who produces images that always look similar is more like an omelette maker (who just knows how to make one thing) than a chef. A really good chef has the imagination to take a bunch of ingredients at hand and whip up something wonderful. Same with the best photographers.

Quote of the day

2010-09-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

" "Think simple" as my old master used to say - meaning reduce the whole of it's parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles."
Frank Lloyd Wright

It's not enough to just have images that get attention.

2010-08-14T13:45:00.002-04:00

Many who don't know better often think "All I need is a photo that will get attention", figuring that a viewer will then read the copy. It's not that simple.

In the case of an advertisement you do need an image that will stop viewers from flipping past your ad, but it's still not enough. Attention is really very easy to get. An image of a train wreck or a dead cat will get attention, but it most certainly won't make people want to buy. The image also needs to increase desire for the product or service that you're selling.

If your talking about images for a website, attention doesn't even enter into it. If they're at your website already you don't need to get their attention, you've already got that. They're there for information. You need well executed, pleasing and interesting images that communicate benefits to the viewer. You're selling trust, and images such as these go a long way to providing the information and trust that they require before they'll buy.

Quote of the day

2010-08-14T13:31:00.001-04:00

"I don't regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information."

David Ogilvy

Stock photos make you look the same as everyone else.

2010-05-29T15:34:00.004-04:00

They give you a website that says as Seth Godin puts it: "We're the same, we're the same, we're. . ."

He goes on to say: "Sometimes, we try so hard to fit in we give consumers no choice but to seek out the cheapest. After all, if everything is the same, why not buy what's cheap and close?"

You need images that show your uniqueness. Stock photos can't do that.

Quote of the day

2010-05-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

"Learn from the mistakes of others, because you won't have time to make them all yourself."

Chinese proverb

Recent project

2010-02-11T08:58:00.005-05:00

click on the image to see it larger

This was shot for a business to business advertisement for a corporation that provides consumer financing. It's from a series of ads showing business owners having fun running their business. The ads communicate that their lives are better because sales are increased since customers are able to finance their purchases.

The ad agency is in Tennessee and no one from the agency was able to attend the shoot. The direction I was given was to make the image "fun". Featured in this ad is the owner of a chain of music stores.

Quote of the day

2010-02-11T08:22:00.001-05:00

"Advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on."

Jerry Della Femina

Recent project

2010-01-28T09:52:00.005-05:00

Click on the image to see it larger.

Scene as it appeared.

This image of a diner was just created for an ad. It had to be shot before renovation was started. The new owner booked me the night he purchased it. He needed me to create an image as soon as possible in order to make a publication's ad deadline. My aim is to always create images that are attractive - images that attract new customers. Great images won't keep a customer coming back if the food isn't good, but they can definitely attract new customers who will try it out.

The restaurant fills the bottom of both buildings. In addition to the enhancing and the removal of the bike, a sign was added over the entrance of the building on the left and neon added inside to better tie both buildings together.

Quote of the day

2010-01-28T08:17:00.000-05:00

"If your mind is attuned to beauty, you find beauty in everything."

Jean Cooke

How to evaluate a commercial photographer's work.

2010-01-25T09:54:00.014-05:00

If you're planning to hire a commercial photographer this is what you should think about and look for when looking through their portfolio:

Why was this image taken and what is it trying to communicate? Does it succeed?

Might this image appeal to the type of buyers that I'm trying to reach?

No matter how cool looking a photo is, it's only good if it creates desire, builds trust or communicates in some other way that will increase sales. It's only creative if it sells.

Many photographers have portfolios filled with beautiful models, exciting cars and outstanding architecture. These are not difficult to make look great. They look great from many angles and in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Don't allow yourself to be swayed by the beauty of the subject matter.

Are most of the images in the portfolio obviously from real world assignments or are they images that the photographer probably just did on his or her own, without any time constraints?

I believe that what separates a great commercial photographer from a mediocre one is an ability to consistently deliver believable images that make ordinary people and things look great while at the same time creating images that will increase sales.

Quote of the day

2010-01-25T08:12:00.000-05:00

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is."

Yogi Berra

Recent project for a foundation

2010-01-14T15:00:00.007-05:00

click on the image to see it larger

This is one of a series of images that I just finished for a corporate health foundation. Each one goes with a testimonial telling how the individual was either helped by the work that the foundation funds or is a proud supporter of it. Each one was shot in similar style with the subject sharp and appearing to be lit by natural light and the background creamy.

They were shot in several locations.

Quote of the day

2010-01-14T02:10:00.000-05:00

"Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life."

Vincent Van Gogh

How much should you budget for your photography?

2010-01-12T10:50:00.005-05:00

This is a key question that buyers need to ask themselves before hiring a photographer.

A skilled photographer may be able to create a much better image in 5 minutes than a less skilled photographer could create in an hour. Nevertheless, every image, every piece of art, is going to reflect the thought, time and energy that goes into it.

It's said that Leonardo da Vinci spent 4 years on the Mona Lisa. Now, I'm sure that that wasn't continuous effort. It probably sat in a corner for a while and he'd look at it and think "That fingernail could look better" and then change it. At the same time, he was a great sketcher. Are his sketches as good as his paintings? Of course not. He put much less thought, time and energy into them.

Likewise, with photography, I can crank out a quick snapshot or spend a day or more creating a single image between photography and Photoshop.

When my clients come to me and ask for a quote, the major question in my mind is "What is the proper amount of time that I should devote to each image?" What drives my decisions (and the buyer should also be thinking of this) is "What approach is likely to give the buyer the highest return on their investment?"

If a company's use of a photo is for internal use then they should probably take their own photos or buy cheap stock photos. They just need a "sketch".

But if a business wants images that will attract customers, enhance perceptions and increase sales then it's a whole different ball game. They should spend enough to ensure that their marketing materials and websites are effective. People compare websites and brochures to decide where to buy. Because we buy with our eyes, the importance of the photos can hardly be overstated.

However, you don't want to overspend on photography either, you want to maximize your return on investment.

You need to figure out:

How much profit is involved in an average sale?

How many times a year does an average buyer make a purchase?

How many years do we keep an average customer?

Multiply those three numbers together and you get the value of an average customer to your business.

With that number in mind, you can make a much more informed choice on what you should be spending to get new customers and how much you should spend on photography.

Think of it as buying a customer. If an average customer has a value of $2500 to you would you be wise or foolish to try and save money by hiring a cheap photographer? If the photos that they took brought in just one less customer a year, your savings would be more than wiped out - those photos would be costing you more in lost business the longer you used them.

Another way of looking at it is this - if you go with a cheaper photographer, the most you stand to gain is the difference in price from the better photographer. The amount you can lose from lost sales may be much greater. They may make your marketing ineffective. If you go with better photos, the most you could possibly lose is the difference in price from the cheaper photographer, but the potential upside from increased sales they bring is unlimited.

The better you understand what new customers are worth to you, the better you can communicate to your photographer how good the images need to be to accomplish your goals. Let him or her know what you're trying to accomplish with your photos. Then you'll get an estimate that better reflects the type of image you should be using.

Quote of the day

2010-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Most people spend their lives looking, but not truly seeing."

Joe Navarro

How to choose a commercial photographer.

2010-01-04T09:15:00.007-05:00

There are several things that everyone needs to know before choosing a commercial photographer. They can be found in this free consumer guide: Choosing a Commercial Photographer.