When using images to market your business, photography tips can make a big difference in sharing your brand’s image with the world. Don’t just take any picture — take the right picture. And think before you snap. Planning out your brand or product photography will make this time well spent. Think about all the places you will use the photography (ie social media, ads, website, etc) and plan your shots to show your product in the best way possible.

1. This Photography Tip Starts Before You Take a Picture: Understand Your Brand and Your Market

Understanding your brand/market is the first step to knowing what kind of photos you need. Get an idea of what you want to convey to your audience and what values you want to

display. Something to help you understand is to create a mood board of photography styles you like or just an overall aesthetic. Websites such as Pinterest is perfect for creating a mood board.

2. Invest in High-Quality Equipment

Make sure you have a good camera and lenses that can help you with your photography. There are many lenses that would better suit your needs, depending on what you want to shoot. Do some prior research on what cameras are best for what you want to achieve. Overall, when looking for a camera, this website that can help with figuring out what camera would be the best fit. 

3. Learning the Fundamentals Is A Photography Tip To Start With

Composition techniques will help you make visually appealing photos and help with your overall image. Framing and using the rule of thirds is very beneficial when you are taking photos of products, people, and places. Learning these techniques will elevate your photos and give a more professional feel to them.

4. Use the Best Lighting

Overall natural light develops the best results. Depending on the time of day, it can make or break your photos. Choosing morning or later evening times when the sun is lower, results in a softer light and a better image. If you want to shoot inside invest in soft boxes and flashes. For product photography, it’s best to have bright lights and a solid background to get that professional look.

5. Highlight Your Product or Services

Showcase your products and services in action and show how they can benefit your customers. Focus on capturing your brand and the overall message you want to convey to your audience. Photography tip: Show your product or services in a real-life setting, capturing action shots or setting up a still life. 

6. Biggest Photography Tip: Edit, edit, edit!

Use editing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance your images. Adjusting brightness, highlights, contrast, and colors will ensure your photos look professional. There are also photo editing tips on YouTube for those who want to get into editing more. And finally, here is a website that has some photography tips and tricks for a beginner.

Photography Tips Can Help Make Your Brand Stronger

Overall, you can create solid brand or product photography by taking the time to plan out what you will need, learn the photography tips, and use your time and resources efficiently — to make your brand stronger.

I’m the type of person that will take a photo of anything and everything. But how do you change your everyday photos into something more professional and refined? With a few adjustments and knowing what your iPhone is capable of, you can achieve something worth putting up, even for your brand’s marketing photography. Here are some tips on how you can upgrade your iPhone photos!  

Try different angles in your photos  

Shifting on where you take the photo can really change the way it looks. Try crouching or flipping your camera upside-down so your camera is closest to the subject. Another tactic is walking around or going directly on top of the subject. These can make for a professional, unique look! 

Play in rule of thirds 

The “rule of thirds” is important because it creates a good visual balance between the subjects in the frame. It makes your background or foreground visually appealing. It also helps if you have a lot of empty space to make the result a bit more intentional and artistic. Just work with your subject like it’s in a 3×3 grid in the corners or middle. You might be surprised on the different compositions you can create with just one object.  

Get the right lighting  

The truth is, lighting can really make or break your photography. Try playing with the direction of the light if you have control over it. Playing with shadows can really add some depth to your photos. You can also have multiple light sources and even throw in a color filter.  

Edit, edit, edit  your photos

Editing is what is going to make your photos pop. My favorite software/ apps to use are Lightroom or VSCO because they have great free options. Playing with the exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows can change the overall feel of the photos. You can make a photo appear richer and vibrant by pulling in highlights, and adding in contrast to reveal hidden details. Play with the colors if you want to make the overall mood of the photo warmer or a bit on the colder side. Another thing I like to do is add some grain to the photo to give it a vintage film feel. 

I hope these tips help you excel when you are taking iPhone photos! Don’t be afraid to try new things with your editing. You may never know what you can capture as you create! 

Nonprofits work hard for little money and recognition. With few resources, you’re doing the best you can. But don’t think for a second that just because your organization is a nonprofit that you can’t have great marketing.

Remember, nonprofit is a tax status, not a case for support. Being a nonprofit alone is not a reason for anyone to give. Nonprofits must tell the public about the good they are doing and how people can help.

Here are 5 common nonprofit marketing mistakes and how to fix them:

Mistake #1: Not Participating in Social Media

The point of social media is to be social. Too many nonprofits post only about themselves, follow only a few accounts, do not respond to comments, and ask without giving in return.

This is the equivalent of meeting someone at a party who only talks about themselves, talks your ear off for 20 minutes, and then asks for $50.

Don’t be that guy.

Here is a good rule of thumb to remember when it comes to social content:

• A third of your social content should promote your organization, converts readers and generates donations.
• Devote a third of your social content to sharing ideas and stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded organizations.
• A third of your social content should be fun stuff to show that there are human beings behind your social media handles.

Mistake #2: Forgetting Who Your Audience Is

Too often, organizations market to themselves. They only consider what appeals to them and not their supporters. Step outside of your perspective and think long and hard about your audience.

Are your supporters older, younger, parents, young professionals? Are they more likely to respond to digital appeals or direct mail? What do they care about the most – saving time, professional development, kids, the environment, education, social issues? Put yourself in your supporters’ shoes.

Mistake #3: Brand Inconsistency

A consistent brand is a strong brand. Brand consistency builds trust and increases loyalty.

Stretched logos, incorrect brand colors, spelling errors, pixelated photos – if they happen once or twice, it’s a simple mistake. If they happen all the time, it makes your organization look homespun at best, or unprofessional worst. And that can erode trust.

Mistake #4: Too Much Text

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. And a thousand words alone is, well, not something anyone wants to read.

Your supporters lead busy lives. Take a closer look at your content and figure out where you can tighten your copy.

Mistake #5: Boring Photography

Scott Kirkwood, former editor-in-chief at the National Parks Conservation Association magazine, put it best in a HOW Magazine article:

“…if you helped the nearest national park receive money for a new building, don’t show a photo of that building – it’s a building. Think about how that building will change the life of a visitor. Will the park be able to offer more bird-watching programs as a result? Great. Show a photo of a bird.”

Don’t think that just because your organization is a nonprofit that you can’t afford great photography. The latest smart phones can take great pictures and with a few tutorials, you could be well on your way to taking great photos.

Show photos of the people, animals, environments, etc. helped by your programs.

Show, don’t tell.

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You’re trying to do good on a shoestring budget and a skeleton staff. We get it. Its understandable if this seems overwhelming. Great marketing is a constantly moving target that poses a challenge for many organizations.

If you want to talk about your organization’s marketing challenges, give us a call.

We love a challenge.