Capturing quality photography should be a key part of any business's marketing strategy, but a common misconception is that you must spend hundreds, if not thousands of pounds on expensive camera gear in order to do so. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Utilise Camera Gear You Already Have
While fancy new cameras can be appealing, first try and utilise your existing camera equipment and resources.
Cameras can quickly get expensive, and unless you know what you're doing the best tool is the one most of us have in our pockets - smartphones.
The cameras that smartphones have nowadays are fantastic and can achieve excellent results. You’ll be surprised at the quality of photos you can create just by using the camera on your phone.
There are some great apps out there that can help elevate your photography to the next level whether that’s during your shoot or in the editing process.
I think it’s essential to get started taking photos to find your style and develop your skills before investing in a lot of expensive camera gear - and 9 times out of ten, you should use a professional.
It’s all about understanding the basics and identifying what equipment you could purchase to improve your photos in the future.
Focus On The Story Your Photos Tell
You might be able to take stunning pictures, but if your photos aren’t telling a story about your brand, it’s pointless!
The best way to showcase your brand is to capture lifestyle photos.
The aim of lifestyle photography is to capture people, services or products in real-life situations.
This tells a story that helps to inspire and engage your target audience and give them context as to how your service/product can help them.
If your target audience can relate to the story you’re trying to tell through your photography, they are much more likely to buy from you.
Learn Photographic Techniques
Before investing in an expensive camera, learning about photographic techniques will quickly enhance your photos without breaking the bank.
There are so many little things you could do that would make a huge difference to your final shot such as:
- Learning to hold your camera properly
- Understanding the exposure triangle
- Learning how to use Aperture and Shutter modes on your camera
- Learning to adjust white balance
- Playing with perspective
- Understanding the rule of thirds
- Paying attention to the background and overall photo composition
- Thinking about colour theory
It might feel overwhelming trying to do everything at first, especially if you’re a beginner, so focus on mastering a few key photographic techniques and then start to build on them as you go.