Enhancing Your Image

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.

2010-01-25T09:54:00.013-05:00

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

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.

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?

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 spend for photography?

2010-01-12T10:50:00.003-05:00

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.

Quote of the day

2010-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

"The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive."

Albert Einstein

What are you trying to communicate?

2009-12-27T09:23:00.004-05:00

Before you design your website (or corporate identity piece), it's very important that you decide who your target audience is, what their problems are (or what they want), and how you can help them. You can't appeal to everyone, and shouldn't even try.

Think about how the goods or services that you provide are different than your competitors and what type of buyer receives the greatest benefit from your unique way of doing things. Then decide on how best to communicate to those buyers what they'll gain by purchasing from your company (and what they'll lose if they don't).

Only after this is done should you decide on what images will reinforce your message and how they should be executed. The photography should be crafted with a consideration of what you want to communicate and who you're appealing to.

You want images that show your uniqueness, are believable, convey quality, work together stylistically and strengthen your brand.

Quote of the day

2009-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

"If you can't turn yourself into your customer, you probably shouldn't be in the ad writing business at all."

Leo Burnett

Recent project for a website

2009-12-19T10:09:00.001-05:00

This is one of many images created during a one day photo shoot for a company's website. I was hired to create images of their staff and facilities. They provide imaging analysis for the biotech industry.

Use photos that show your uniqueness.

2009-12-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

Your sales copy, headline, and photos are all made stronger the more unique they are.

We are surrounded by a sea of companies all trying to get our attention, and most of them are just copying what most in their industry are doing because they haven't thought things out.

If your headline and sales copy could be used by your competitors, you're not giving buyers any compelling reason to buy from you. You must emphasize what makes you different.

Likewise, your photos must do the same. They should convey some of the "personality" of your business, and it must be obvious to the person viewing them that these photos are of real people and show your real facilities. That's the only way to foster trust, which is exactly what stock photos do not do.

Your photos should also have captions whenever possible, as they're read much more often than sales copy. This way you can communicate many of your benefits whether all of your sales copy is read or not.

Quote of the day

2009-12-17T08:17:00.000-05:00

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

Albert Einstein

Make yourself and your differences seen

2009-11-30T10:12:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest problems in business today is the intense competition caused by our ability to produce things faster than we can consume them. Because of computers, almost every task can be done faster and more efficiently. Fewer workers are required to do any task. So you have more products and services available than there are people who can afford them or even have time to use them.

Take movies or books for instance, how many can anyone possibly see or read? How many other things are competing for our time and attention? We're all very picky then about where we spend our time and money, so you have a situation where a few products and services do very well and the rest don't.

If you want your business to be one of those few that do well, you have to stand out and be different. You can't look like everybody else. You have to be visible and communicate your unique benefits very quickly (people are in a hurry).

Photos that are strategically created to communicate your story can give you that winning edge that tips the scale in your favor. They communicate the advantages of what you provide far faster and in a more convincing way than words alone, words that may not even be read. Don't just tell them what makes you the better choice, show them.

How to convey quality

2009-11-26T15:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a link to an excellent article in Entrepreneur magazine by John Williams - "6 Ways to Convey Quality". He has some very good advice. (Although I'm in total disagreement with him about the use of stock photography. Stock photos and communicating quality don't go together, no matter how good the photos look - they don't ring true.). Check it out.

Quote of the day

2009-11-26T15:00:00.002-05:00

"It takes half your life before you realize that life is a do-it-yourself project."

Napoleon Hill

Learn from Apple

2009-11-14T14:18:00.003-05:00

Apple has some of the best marketing and branding (and products) on the planet. Learn from them, study their website - www.apple.com.

They understand that people buy based on their emotions and then look for logical reasons to justify their purchases. They get people to pay a premium for their products (premiums which I happily pay myself). Look how they use images to communicate their message.

They use beautiful images and almost always combine them with a caption or headline. (They understand that people are busy and that photos communicate much faster than words.) People also read captions on photos much more than body copy.

They use large photos on each page. Photos that make their products look great.

They have more photos and less words - only increasing the amount text as the viewer is drawn into learning the details about the products benefits and features.

They never, never, never use stock photos.

Almost every selling point is reduced to a few lines or a paragraph and has an accompanying photo or illustration. They say less and show more.

They communicate beauty and simplicity with everything that they do. Their products, their marketing, their packaging, their instructions, and their software. All of these things strengthen their brand, increase their sales, allow them to have higher profit margins, and improve their customer's experience and satisfaction.

They get it.

Quote of the day

2009-11-14T13:01:00.001-05:00

"There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see." Leonardo da Vinci

Do your photos communicate your brand message?

2009-10-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

Photos have the ability to create in the viewer a sense of emotional connection with your brand. They help them to visualize themselves experiencing your brand. They provide that all important first impression.

It's been shown time and time again that we no matter how logical we would like to think we are, our decisions are almost always made on an emotional level. We then look for logical reasons to support the decision that we've already made - often by first impressions.

It's imperative in this overcrowded marketplace to stand out and be different. You must stand for what makes you unique. Then you must then communicate this uniqueness every way that you can. This includes your photos.

Always remember, we buy with our eyes.

Are your photos on message with your brand? Are they unique to you? Do they inspire trust?

Could a competitor use them? If so, then they're too generic.

Your images should communicate qualities that you want buyers to associate with your business. They must be of professional quality and consistent with each other in style, a style that is consistent with your brand.

You can't do this with stock photos.