How to prepare for website and marketing photoshoot
If you are setting up a new website, updating an existing one, or if you feel the need for some fresh imagery for your business, I am here to help.
Every company needs to represent themselves with good photography - on networking on platforms such as LinkedIn, on websites, in professional marketing materials...the list is endless. There is no escaping the requirement to reflect your brand visually throughout your business.
In this blog, I am sharing with you the experience of a recent commercial shoot with Cygnus Resilience where pre-planning and coordination helped us achieve some great results.
Do you need new website photography?
A call from Julian Davies came through a word of mouth recommendation in early September. The website for his new company, Cygnus Resilience, was well underway and he needed some photographs of himself and his colleague, Ben, to compliment the design and reflect the nature of their business. Based not far from my studio in Boston Spa, we chatted about what he was looking for and it became clear quite quickly that he needed more than a traditional professional headshot against a studio background.
As a professional photographer with over 15 years experience, I could immediately suggest different ways to fulfil the brief, encompassing an outdoor feel to reflect their in the field risk assessment and security strategies, and then a more formal studio session for other aspects of the business involving court work.
We decided upon some natural light portraits, at the break of day in the hope of catching some stunning early morning light, followed by a visit back to my studio on the outskirts of Leeds.
On location headshot photoshoot in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
There is no one-size fits all for business portraits, and website photographs.
Consulting with the people I am working with in advance of a commercial photoshoot is vital. I know that the photographs we take might be used for many years, in a variety of different ways, so being prepared and thinking through the locations and the styling, and talking through the foundations of a client’s business is essential to make the most of our photoshoot.
Choosing the right location
A bit of research and a dog walk later, I had found two great locations in between York and Leeds, just 5 minutes from my studio. One was a low level riverside area by a viaduct, with interesting textures in the brickwork and the possibility of low lying morning fog. And the second location was higher up in the rolling hills, which gave a feeling of vastness, and boundless landscapes.
We decided to meet at sunrise in Tadcaster - admittedly not a time of day I often see!
What is the best time of day for an outdoor photoshoot?
The first light and the last light of the day are great for photographer. We struck gold on the morning of the shoot with a wisp of morning mist, which toned in perfectly with other imagery of the Cygnus website design. After taking photographs of the two colleagues together and individual portraits, we moved from the riverside to the higher ground.
Why is professional photography important for business?
In the business world, expectations are higher than ever before. With professional cameras and lenses, and a trained eye, we were able to make the most of the sun creeping over the gentle North Yorkshire hills, while capturing some natural interaction, as well as a number of posed shots to give Julian and Ben a broad range of choice from their imagery.
It's my job as a professional photographer to help you look your best, to relax you and to deliver a collection of photographs to suit your needs.
Making the most of the Yorkshire countryside
Not every business is office based and I think it's important to reflect that in the website imagery. I feel very fortunate to be able to use the beautiful scenery right on my doorstep here in Boston Spa, and be back in the studio with a cuppa in minutes.
As ex-marines, Julian and Ben were happy to meet early so that we could capture it at its best.
Studio portraits in Boston Spa, near Leeds
We headed back the studio for part 3 of the shoot, where we captured professionally lit headshot portraits, with a change in wardrobe to a suit, dark jacket and tie.
This meant we could achieve a much more formal look and you can see below that this is useful for other aspects of the Cygnus Resilience brand.
Why hire a professional headshot photographer?
This is what Julian had to say after the shoot:
'Thank you, Andrea. We're really pleased with our photographs, which we have already put to good use in our new website and other platforms. We're most appreciative of the work you put in to prepare for our shoot and I'll be very happy to recommend you to other clients.'
So, if you need new commercial photography, I am here to help!
If you are in the Leeds, York or Harrogate area and have some ideas about how best to represent your business through photography, we can talk through your ideas and come up with a plan.
Contact me through the website by completing the form on my Contact page or call me on 07762 111 818.
Andrea
