Quality Images To Tell Your Story

A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why great images are essential. Think of how often you scroll through your newsfeed ignoring most of what you see only to pause on a vibrant or interesting photo. In digital marketing, captivating images can be the difference between a potential customer pausing to look at your product or scrolling right past you without even noticing you exist at all.

Now, you should never choose just any photo. The images you choose should fit with your brand and the story you are trying to tell. There is a lot to consider when you are choosing the right images, but the very  first step is having images to choose from. So, where should you get your images?

Original Content is Best

Whenever possible, I recommend choosing original content, This advice holds true for text and images. When your images are unique to your site, it generally means they can be easily customized to your brand and the story you want to tell.

There are some exceptions, but as a general rule you should use your own images. This can mean using your favorite scenic photo as a background on a website, taking photos of your specific products, or having a photographer take professional headshots.

Use Your Own Photos

You do not have to be a professional photographer to get halfway decent images. Depending on what you use your images for and how often you use them, you may want to look into investing into a decent camera. If you are just getting started with your small business or personal blog, technology has come so far you may be able to get away with using your smartphone as your primary source of photos.

If you have access to Lynda.com, there are lots of great courses that can teach you some simple tips and tricks to help you snap the best photos. You can also find tutorials on YouTube with tips for composing impactful photos. Some of the best advice for beginners is to keep it simple, think about the background and negative space, and understandthe rule of thirds.

Hire a Professional

If you are on the fence about hiring a professional photographer, jump off the fence right now and do it. Hiring a good photographer means you will have a collection of quality images to make your website or digital campaign visually appealing and more effective.

Before you meet with a photographer, take a minute to list out what you will need. If you are creating image for a website, you will most likely want primarily horizontal images. If you are looking to photograph products, you will want to compile a list of those products and discuss whether it makes more sense to bring the products to your photographer’s studio or have the photographer come to you. Thinking through these details ahead of time will help your photographer give you the best service possible and ensure you get exactly what images you need for your project.

My two favorite photographers are Daisy Moffatt based in Chattanooga, TN and Kim Bomberger of Jacksonville, FL. I have been fortunate enough to have sessions with both of these incredibly talented women and cannot recommend them enough.

Daisy Moffat Photography

Daisy Moffatt and her team have photographed products and events I have worked with in the past. She always delivers stunning photographs and has ample experience with commercial photography. She will make sure you get the images you need, even if you don’t know you need them. She also took one of my all time favorite headshots.

Kim Bomberger Photography

Kim Bomberger specializes in women’s portraits. Whether you need a stunning professional headshot or a portrait that really shows off your personality for your blog, she’s the photographer you are looking for. Kim’s luxury photo sessions and team of stylists (yes, a whole team just for you!) leave you full of confidence and feeling like a celebrity. If you are curious how much of a difference a professional photographer and a few stylists can make, check out Kim’s Before and After collection.

Stock Images 

If you don’t have the time or budget to hire a professional and can’t take the photos you need on your own, stock images are a valuable resource. No, you can’t just grab images off of a Google search and use them on your website. The same applies to Flickr, Instagram and anywhere else you might find photos online. Most of these images are the sole property of the person who took or posted the photos.

Fortunately there are lots of websites out there where you can purchase stock images. These are great if you need a very specific image. But before you start paying for stock images, I recommend checking out my two favorite resources for free stock photos.

Unsplash

Unsplash offers millions of free, high-resolution images by some very talented photographers, These photos are great for website backgrounds, blog posts and any project that doesn’t require personalized photographs. New photos are added all the time, so even if you are looking for relevant, current photos, they may have exactly what you need.

You may have to search a bit to find exactly what you are looking for, but there are quite a few to choose from and odds are you will find some stunning photos.

When you download a photo from Unsplash, you will see a small pop-up at the bottom of your screen with a link to credit the source and the photographer, This is not required, but if it is appropriate based on your use of the photo, it is a nice way to give a shout-out to the photographer that just gifted you the photo you were looking for. I’ve included the credit in the caption on the photo above to give an example of what this would look like.

Pexels

When I need stock images, Pexels is usually pulled up in a Chrome tab right next to Unsplash. Just like Unsplash, Pexels offers free, high-resolution photos. These images are free and added to their database by community photographers.

Also like Unsplash, when you download a photo you will get a pop-up with info and links on how to credit the photographer. Pexels also includes a link to say thanks to the photographer on Twitter or Instagram. Again, this is not required but is a nice way to acknowledge the photographer.

I’ve included the credit in the caption on this photos as well. It is worth noting that when you copy the text provided from Pexels is does not include the link in the text. You can add this in yourself or leave it as it.

Where Do You Get Your Images?

Do you have a favorite resource for images? Have you worked with a photographer that was above and beyond your expectations? I’ve love to hear where you find your best images.

Need more help finding the right images for your brand or project? Send me a message and I’ll be happy to work with you.