Importance of Quality Photographs

 

I actually used to do this for a living, I was modeling and for me stepping away from that and being a mom and then getting into business again and shooting again, I wasn’t very excited. 

 

It wasn’t a super positive experience for me, but you can’t really escape it, because it’s really important for your business.

 

Especially in graphic designing, people will send me photos from their phones, and sometimes they are grainy and low quality.

 

They don’t realize they are doing it, and they don’t realize they are wasting money because they will have to get it redone with better pictures.

 

I know that California is the worst for quarantine right now, and because of the lockdown, you need to make sure your online game is really on point, and that is done through pictures.

 

We just shot in Vegas a few weeks ago, and I made it a bigger deal in my head than it was.

 

Once it was done, I was like oh whatever, but I know my clients and listeners care.

 

If you can just get through it, it’s worth it to not use stock photos, especially in the hair and makeup industry.

 

For example, we just bought these colored contacts, and we were looking at real models who were showcasing these contacts, and it was super high quality.

 

When it comes to E-Commerce, photos are probably the number one thing.

 

If you invest in your business, before you have income or profit coming back, people can tell the difference between a website with grainy low quality photos, and a website with professional photos. 

 

You have 2 options, you can send out your products to influencers and they can take photos with the product, or you can have a professional photoshoot with white backgrounds.

 

The clients I work with who are most successful, the ones who get the most out of it, put the most in.

 

If you always take photos with your phone and they are grainy, and not the right lighting, it will not come out the way you want it too.

 

A good example is in the beauty industry, I recognize that beauty needs beauty shots, with studio lighting, heavy makeup, and everything on point. You don’t need outdoor lighting, or anything else.

 

I’ve seen so many pictures of girls in dim lighting in their bedroom and the girl is not attractive.

 

That’s why they say most businesses don’t make it, is because people aren’t willing to invest into their business.

 

You can hire a retoucher for like $50 a picture.

 

At least get quotes and come up with a budget.

 

Let’s say you work at the front desk of a skincare company, and you make like 10 an hour.

 

You can decide to save $50 a paycheck, that you were originally spending on your breakfast sandwiches.

 

Instead you go to the store and pick up a 6 pack of protein bars and that’s your new breakfast.

 

Then you’ve made up that money for your savings.

 

Every day you need to decide and save.

 

Lots of people reach out and ask me how much stuff costs, and I tell them, but I don’t do much of the following. 

 

There are people who pay me like 100s of dollars who I talked to the month before and I know it’s because they were saving.

 

I think the people who are making it are the people who are figuring out a way to make it happen.

 

Another thing is I think your photos are even more important than the quality of your website.

 

If you have a crap logo, and crap pictures, then as a branding expert there’s not much I can do for you, I have to match what you already have. 

 

It doesn’t have to be the most expensive photos, it doesn’t even have to have a popular influencer, you just need someone who is going to make your stuff look good the best.

 

You can find a photographer who doesn’t know how to retouch and then hire a retoucher afterward.

 

It’s called TFP, you can do this with models, with photographers.

 

When you’re a business, you are in charge of your stuff.

 

You can sometimes convince a photographer, like I don’t have a budget for models and photos, but they can say they worked with you, and you can find some pretty girls who are trying to start their Instagram up, then they can participate.

 

If you are taking beauty shots, take studio pictures, don’t go outside.

 

One of the best photographers I’ve ever worked with was $175 a shoot, and we got to pick all of the photos, we got to pick like 5-8. All of his pictures were studio.

 

Once you get the photos, and you start making money with your pictures, you can help invest in your favorite photographers, you can keep shooting with them.

 

Photographers are always on a hustle, so you can ask them to maybe cut you a deal if you work with them often.

 

It’s really not like graphic design where I don’t need to worry if my clients are coming or not.

 

The more you reach out and the more shoots you do, the more power and guidelines you can set, because you are important.

 

It’s always a climb, you can always be better.

 

I wanted to talk about this because I have a lot of experience and knowledge about photos.

 

Maybe you start with a lightbox for your hair oil, and eventually you can hire a professional to take product photos.

 

You should hire someone with a high standard and will tell you if your photos suck.

 

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