A picture can say a thousand words, so make sure the photos you choose are saying the right words!
We’ve discussed a lot so far through our Your Brand Identity series, but another important topic is photography. Whether for web or for print, your audience is going to see and pay attention to images before they read any of the words you put down. By having the best images possible, you make sure you’re giving your audience a great first impression before they read a single word. Here are some things you want to remember before you choose your images:
Quality matters.
No matter what business you’re promoting, quality is number one. The easiest way to make sure your images are high quality is choosing images that aren’t pixelated. The image below is a good comparison of clear vs. pixelated photos. The photo on the left looks looks amateurish, while the right looks clear and professional. When you put time and care into choosing or taking the best photos, that will go a long way in your audience’s eyes.
Think about the emotions
Oftentimes, we look to photos to feel emotion. For branding, this is an opportune way to express whatever emotions you want your customers and clients to experience. For example, If you’re doing the branding for an animal charity, you can show pictures of an animal transformation: from before they got help, to after when you can see a happy puppy running through a field. This will convey to your audience how important your service is through emotion.
Choose the right style
There are millions of great photos out there, and it’s easy to pick the photos you simply “like,” but making sure you’re choosing photos that express your business is so important. Hospital photos should feel clean, comforting and safe. But if you have a fashion brand, consider using illustrations or more artistic photos to capture the styles.
And keep that style consistent
It’s important that all the photos you choose work together for your brand. If you’re showcasing someone looking summer and happy in one photo, and then moody and sultry in the next, your audience will get style whiplash! A great way of making sure you stay consistent is creating mood boards for your business. You can use your keywords from the previous post to really get a handle on what you want your business to represent. This is a fun, creative way to make sure you stay on track when choosing images.
So, where do you go to find good photos?
If you can, hire a professional photographer.
While there are plenty of images out there on stock sites, you’re still only getting photos that are close to what your business offers, but not exact. To really go the extra mile, hire a local photographer to take pictures of your office, products, staff, or whatever else to represent your business. You will be able to tell a professional what your vision is, and have them at your exposal to help guide you into the best solutions possible for your visions. This will ensure that your audience sees your real business, and not something close to it.
Or, look online.
Fortunately, we have access to an incredible amount of beautiful stock photos. If you’re strapped for cash, you can check out some free image sharing sources like morguefile.com, pixabay.com, or pexels.com. If you’re willing to spend a little more, iStock.com is a classic, but you can also see what shutterstock.com has to offer as well. All of these are great resources from free pictures to premium photographs.