Digital photography is revolutionizing the way companies communicate their products and ideas.
From elaborate presentations and detailed brochures to print advertising to a quick e-mail, it's instant gratification.
It's getting your goods out there and getting them noticed.Words with a strong visual to support them are going to connect more quickly to your
target than copy without one.
For many small businesses, the key to getting noticed is doing something different.
So how do you make yours stand out? Why not consider using digital photography? The results are unique to your business, quick and easy to produce and can make a real impact.
Photos make powerful presentations because showing how something will look is almost always more effective than telling how it will look.
They help to catch a consumer's eye in an over-saturated media environment.
They help illustrate ideas and clarify complicated written descriptions and information.
When your business relies on quick and timely communications, digital photos convey messages that your customers need in an efficient and persuasive manner.
Digital photography helps all sorts of businesses flourish For businesses selling a large range of products, the advantages of images are obvious.
When you can't bring samples of the products themselves, photographic brochures can achieve the same effective results.
And photographs aren't just used for practical purposes.Visuals are also used to elicit emotional responses.How many times have you connected with a visual element in an advertisement? Example: A sentimental photo of a mother and daughter ... The winning touchdown.
There is a connection that happens when a photograph is used in a proper way.
It is memorable whether is it humorous or sentimental, it still makes an impact.
The way a photo is shot, the lighting that is used, the placement, the colors, the focus, they all play a part in bringing out certain feelings in the consumer.
But all photography is not created equal.
The merits of using digital photography over regular film are many.
First, there's no penalty for taking too many photos.With digital photography, the client knows instantly whether they have the shot they want.
No one's time or money is wasted.And by the time the client gets back to the office they already know which photos worked and which didn't.
They've already narrowed down the choices.
The instant gratification from digital photography also gives you information you need to know on how to change the shot.
Tilt a head to the left,move a leg to the right, fix the shadow on a pizza.
All the information is right there in front of you.No guesswork involved.
The client and the photographer are on the same page with input from both parties participating to create a better picture.
But beware.Using a digital camera, a device that sends every would be photographer into a frenzied state of picture snapping, might not meet your objectives as easily as you think.While many small businesses believe that it would be too expensive to hire a professional, it can be more expensive in the long run not to.
Six things that can go wrong Say someone at your company has taken a snapshot of your product.
Is the file size appropriate for magazine or print reproduction? Is the image going to be used larger than it was intended to be? Is the image fuzzy, out of focus or too bright or too dark in some areas? Was the image file handled properly for print or web reproduction? Most people are just excited to be able to add a visual element to their promotional material.
But no matter how good your product is, a photo that displays your product poorly may leave a negative impression with your potential customer.A professional photographer can provide a business with the proper image handling to insure that the image is used correctly and is in the best interest of the business.
So, if you lack the proper skills to use a digital camera, there is help out there.
Hiring the right photographer is just as important to getting the right shot as the right lighting or the right camera.
It is important that you work with a photographer who is open to your ideas, someone who is personable and flexible and has a good grasp on what you're trying to achieve.
How to find a photographer There are many ways of going about selecting a photographer.
Recommendations from friends and colleagues, soliciting portfolios from local photographers or if you are using an advertising agency, they will likely have a long list of talented photographers that they work with on a regular basis.
Flipping through local award show books is another way to find good talent.
But make sure that your photographer specializes in commercial photography.
Taking photos at weddings is not the same as photographing for business purposes.
Once you've found the right photographer, bring in snapshots or other ads you like to show the style that you're looking for.
Knowing the results you would like to achieve beforehand can save you a lot of time and money.
Photographs make everyone's life a little more productive and they hone in on your target in a much more precise and specific way.
When a house is for sale and there are photos of it online, it weeds out the uninterested from the interested.No one is taken by surprise when they arrive at the house.
It doesn't waste anyone's time.
Because of its affordability, digital photography has revolutionized the way business is conducted, especially on the Internet.We can see everything before we go out and try to find it.We know what it is,what it looks like and whether or not we want it.
Using pictures to help sell your product is nothing new.
But digital photography has made it simpler and easier to achieve great results.
Frank Haxton is an award-winning commercial advertising photographer based in the Reno/Tahoe area and has been working with professional digital imaging for seven years.
He operates Digiman Photography Studios.
