As we note often in the SmallBusiness.com Guide to Marketing With Photos, we believe a camera is one of the most important tools those who run a small business can use to tell their company’s story and sell its products or services. There are times when you should call on the services of a professional photographer: commercial fashion, architectural, portraiture and advertising photography are a few examples. However, with the advent of ubiquitous cameras (that fit in one’s pocket or bag) and social media marketing, you can help grow your business and sell your product if you learn how to be a better photographer.


The key to better photography can be explained in one word: Light!

If you learn how light interacts with the lens of a camera, you are half-way to being a good photographer. For close-up photography, how you use light in a photograph can make-or-break a sale. Professionals spend lots of time and money on studio space and equipment with which they can control the light and color in order to capture the essence of a product.

For the rest of us, the cost of the equipment and space may make us think the studio option is out of our reach. However, the how-to video below from the web magazine The Cooperative of Photography is filled with great ideas for using free or easy-to-find low-cost materials to create a small space Do-it-Yourself (DIY) photo studio for small, medium and even large objections.

Tip | The key to improving your marketing-with-photography skills is to practice, practice, practice. Take lots and lots of the types of photos that will show off your products at their best.

VIA | The Cooperative of Photography


Related Articles

5
5 Tips for Taking Great People Photos

Relax and have fun for the best people pictures.

6
GoPro Slashes Price to $200 on Hero4 Session, Its Smallest Performance Camera

Less than six months after launching the Hero4 Session for $400, GoPro has slashed the super-small performance camera’s price to $200.

7
How to Get Started Using Google Photos (June, 2015)

Google wants its new Google Photos to change the way you file, store, organize and share your digital photos and video.

8
Flickr Now Offers Even More Options for Legal-to-Use Photography

Flickr has added a public domain designation its users can select to grant permission for legal-to-use photography.

9
Amazing Smartphone Camera Tricks to Help Your Small Business Photo Marketing

The technology now packed into iPhones and Android phones make them capable of capturing high-quality images in all sorts of conditions and situations for use in your photo marketing.

10
A New Wave of Free Alternatives to Traditional Stock Photo Agencies

A new wave of photography websites are using free stock photos as a loss leader for publicity.

11
Tips for Improving Your Profile Picture (and Why You Need the Tips)

A high quality profile picture in your professional social media increases your marketability while serving as a key identifier to your personal brand.

12
SmallBusiness.com’s Beginner’s Guide to Instagram | 2014

This SmallBusiness.com Guide is a quick overview of Instagram and some beginner’s tips if you decide to integrate it into your company’s social media marketing efforts.

13
SmallBusiness.com’s Guide to Purchasing a Digital Camera

Smartphones can’t do everything. If you care about your business’ image get a digital camera. Here’s a guide to purchasing one for your small business.