The Intention of the Photographer

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Click on the image to see it larger

Click on the image to see it larger

In my opinion, when evaluating the work of photographers to decide who to hire, it's important to try to discern the intention of the photographer.

Now yes, technical aspects of the images are also essential. Photographs are only as good as the weakest link that created them. (Unless the photographer got lucky).

This includes the quality and consistency of the lighting in addition to the quality of the cameras and lenses. It also consists of the skills of the photographer: technical knowledge, mastery of light, attention to detail, compositional skills, problem solving abilities, creativity, their expertise and artistic ability with Photoshop and other post-production programs; and the interpersonal skills that are so necessary to evoke the desired expressions and body language when people are photographed.

Assuming the photographer has all of this down, there is still another problem. Many photographers see themselves as artists and try to create images that will draw attention to themselves so everyone will be impressed at how great they are. It's like a writer who wants to write the great American novel that will impress everyone with his or her writing skills. What makes a writer great though, is when the reader gets so involved with the story that they are unaware of the writing. It's the same way with photography.

When someone engages my services for a project, unless specifically instructed otherwise, I intend to create images that will improve their image and increase their sales.

It's not my goal for people to say "that's a great photo." My goal is for the viewer to see a product and feel it's beautifully made and desirable to buy. For the viewer of a room to think, what a beautiful space. For the viewer of a person to think: they look attractive, professional, intelligent, and trustworthy. I trust them enough to do business with them.

Without a doubt, the intention of the photographer matters. Remember, it's only creative if it sells.

Indeed, we "buy with our eyes." 

Photography for an Interior Designer

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This is a sampling from 15 interiors that I photographed the other day for Dana Neeld of Staging Spaces, an exceptionally talented interior designer in the Philadelphia region. We were tight for time, so I shot with minimal lighting, averaging about 15 minutes to set up the equipment and shoot each view. I prefer this approach because the photos "feel more real" to me.

The images don't come out of the camera looking anything like this. Cameras don't render scenes the way we perceive them. Extensive post-production is required to make the most of the data captured by the camera and create an image that has depth and looks real. Up to a dozen, images are combined to create each image. The post-production time averaged about 45 minutes for each image.

I show these to illustrate that excellent interior images are possible without going in with a crew and doing extensive lighting.

These images, especially when combined with her "before" photos are invaluable for her marketing as they show potential clients what she brings to the table. Since we buy with our eyes, photographs are by far the most effective way to demonstrate what she does.

Remember, if you're providing a service, you're selling trust. You can't show a buyer in advance what you're going to deliver, but you can show what you've done for others. Perception is everything, so you can't afford to use images that are less than the best.  

Great images aren't an expense, they're an investment.

See more examples of my Philadelphia architectural photography.

Jewelry Photography

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This is from a series of images I created for a jewelry designer. The company is Dylanex. Their cool designs are both challenging and fun to shoot. Just the perfect look for wearing around the house. :) 

Some additional examples of jewelry photography are in my portfolio.

Apparel photography

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I recently produced over a hundred images of clothing for the manufacturer. There are many ways to approach the photography of clothes. Certainly, one way is to shoot them on a model, but this adds quite a bit to the expense of a shoot as you need multiple models, hair stylists, make-up artists, etc. This particular approach was taken both to control costs and to keep attention on the product and make it look and feel very organic, very real. 

Some additional examples of apparel photography are on my website.

Ghost mannequin photography

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With more and more people buying online, clothing manufacturers need to have images that are both attractive and descriptive. Great photos both increase conversions and reduce returns. 

Ghost mannequin photos are increasingly desired by some apparel manufacturers. They offer the advantage of showing the clothing without the change in shape caused by laying them flat or the expense and distraction of having them worn by models. They require much more time to create than photographing them flat, but if you want to increase your internet sales they can be a great investment.

A Great Place to Work

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These images were commissioned by a multi-national chemical company. They'll be used as job recruitment posters a colleges. The space on the right side of the images will be used for a headline, copy and their logo. The client requested that the images be done in B/W. Real employees were used as the subjects. The goal was to show young employees who enjoy working there.

The Perception of Quality

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This image was created last week for a client that manufactures high-end skincare products. It's for a business to business ad that offers a special promotion price for this group of products to the dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medical spas that sell them. 

This marks the 50th time that they've called on me to do their photography. I photographed, enhanced, retouched and delivered this and two other images less than 4 hours after their delivery to the studio. 

Think of the internet as a dating site

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? Would you think they had something to hide?

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?

Recent assignment for a jewelry ad

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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.

Some more examples of my jewelry photography.

Images for print ads.

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.

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

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, beautiful 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.

Learn from Apple

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.

Photos that communicate quality

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This image of a '67 Corvette Stingray die-cast model was created for The Franklin Mint along with some detail shots. It was quite cool actually. The lights worked, the windows cranked up and down, and much more. They need photos that communicate quality, create desire and make their models look as realistic as possible. Remember, we buy with our eyes. High quality photos can make all of the difference between making a sale or not. Great marketers like The Franklin Mint get it. They understand the vital role that photography plays in motivating buyers to purchase.

Shoot for an interior designer.

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Just shot these for Dana Neeld, a very talented interior designer in the Philadelphia region. These were shot in a 60 year old home that she did an amazing transformation on. They'll be used in her portfolio and on her website.

These images, especially when combined with the "before" images will be invaluable in her marketing when it come to showing potential clients what she brings to the table.

It's not creative unless it increases sales.

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The purpose of your images should always be to increase sales. They should be eye-catching, convey quality and create desire. 

Unfortunately, many professional photographers, graphic designers, creative directors and ad agencies just don't get it. They get so caught up in their desire to "be creative", win an award or copy the latest fad that they totally miss the point. They forget that the whole reason they're hired is to increase sales.

In the right light (and with some help in post-production), everything is beautiful.

The six images above are from a series of about 40 that I just shot for a housewares manufacturer. They've been digitally enhanced and retouched as the prototypes provided were scratched up and didn't match the colors desired for the final products.  The colors were modified in post-production to match the PMS colors specified. 

The photos you use create powerful perceptions of your products or service. High quality professional photos provide a great return on your investment through increased sales.

Images that aren't high quality create the perception of an inferior company and inferior products. The money you think you're saving is small compared to the sales you'll lose.

Images that increase sales will return profits that far exceed their modest cost. Cheap shots  will lose you sales without you even knowing it.

Could your competitors use the same images you're using?

Are you using generic images that your competitors could use? If so, you're making a BIG mistake. 

Think of it this way. . . would you use copy that would work equally well for your competitors? Copy that if they just changed the name of the company or product would work for them as well as you? 

If you use copy that makes you look just like everybody else, you're giving the reader no compelling reason to buy from you (unless you're the cheapest). You're communicating no clear benefit over your competitors. It's the same with your photos. Stock photos don't cut it.

Use professional photos of your staff, facilities, products, processes and happy customers to build trust, convey quality and create desire. Choose images that strategically communicate the benefits that you or your products provide. Don't choose images just to make your website or brochure pretty. Use images to influence how buyers see you. 

Perception is everything.

Photography of interiors

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before lighting and enhancement

You can compare the images more easily here.

Interior decorators have a problem. To get new work they need to show potential clients what they've done, but driving them around to past jobs isn't desirable or practical. Their own photos will fail to impress. They need images that are inviting and can capture a buyers imagination.

This interior is from my most recent shoot for a Philadelphia based interior decorator. She uses my images on her website, for direct mail and in her portfolio.

She does beautiful work, but capturing interiors well is always a challenge. They're extremely contrasty, especially during the day, and snapshots won't record them properly. This one was especially challenging because of the combination of the bright window and the black piano.

In addition to the specialized equipment required; viewpoint, staging, lighting and digital enhancement in post-production are all crucial components of high quality interior photography.

When choosing a photographer to do interiors, make sure that you use a photographer with a lot of experience doing architectural photography. Their photos will increase your sales and can pay for themselves very quickly.

In the end, the best pictures always win. It's only a question of who has them.

Making products look beautiful

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The products

This beauty shot of acrylic pieces was created last week for a multi-national chemical company. Barbara Craig, the art director, gave excellent direction and contributed a great deal to the shoot.

The product was very challenging as it was just a few clear pieces of plastic. This particular product is very strong and has applications in architecture, so this image was designed to appeal to architects.

The goal was to come up with an image that would communicate beauty and quality while creating curiosity to get the viewer to read the sales copy. 

When choosing a photographer for your business needs, make sure to use someone who brings more to the table than just an ability to operate a camera. 

Photographs that create desire

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This image is the most recent in a series shot for a flooring manufacturer.  Each image features a particular product line. This image was for "The Stone Collection".

They need photographs that make their flooring look beautiful and luxurious, photographs that create desire.

Mike Ticcino,  the art director and designer came up with the terrific idea of using cast shadows on the product. He also styled this image. We've used several types of shadows - most of them of different types of windows. This one is made to appear like dappled sunlight filtering through a window although the lighting is completely fabricated in the studio for purposes of control since the sun is constantly moving.

The client just brings a box of floor tiles and we arrange them on the studio floor and then light them beautifully (and add some post-production magic). 

How to save money on photography

When hiring a photographer, have in mind a realistic list of shots that you want to accomplish. Keep in mind that the more shots you cram into a session, the average quality of each image MUST go down. The quality of your images will generally be in direct proportion to the thought, energy and time and effort that goes into planning and executing them (and your photographer's ability). There is no free lunch.

Leonardo da Vinci was a great sketcher, but he's best known for the Mona Lisa. He worked on it four years.

I personally think that there are two ways to go about saving money. The first is to use a photographer that shoots royalty-free images (as I do). That way you'll be able to build your own corporate stock library. Images that will be connected by the thread of your photographer's personal style. You'll find you can use many of them for years, re-using and re-purposing them for brochures, web, trade shows, and perhaps even office decor. Because they're shot by the same photographer, they'll have a "look" that ties them together.

The second thing to consider is this: Do you really need as many images as you think you do? Think about what images you need in order to show that you're different, that show unique capabilities, that can be used in your branding, that will help your image, that humanize your company, that can build trust and desire or communicate quality. Think benefits, benefits, benefits. Your customers don't care about you - they care about what you can do for them. 

You're better off with a smaller number of high quality images than lots of images that aren't as compelling.