Photos are an important part of any social media feed. And along with stock photos, you need to incorporate some photos of you, your team, your product, your office, etc.
If you aren’t in a position to hire a photographer every quarter, you are going to have to do the photo shoot yourself. That means a DIY photo shoot four times a year. Plan it out, put it in your calendar and make sure you protect that day.
I’ve been curating my own social photos and website photos for years. I have some tested and true strategies that will make your DIY photo shoot a success and, most importantly, give you some amazing images to use to grow your business.
An iPhone newer than the iPhone 7 is going to have some amazing photo options. I use the native camera app and a simple filter (keep reading), and I curate some amazing photos with little effort.
My number one tip is to use a filter. When you’re using your iPhone camera, using a filter can give the photo any overlay you want.
A filter is software or an app that changes the appearance of an image by altering the shades and colours of the pixels in some manner. Filters increase brightness and contrast as well as add a wide variety of textures, tones and special effects to a picture. I keep the filters consistent across my social media platforms.
Snapseed is my go-to app for any simple, easy photo filters. If you’re a more serious mobile photographer doing DIY photo shoots, this app is going to let you fine-tune your photos. Easy to use and easy to learn, Snapseed is your best choice.
Download the app (Snapseed or some other) and then allow it to access your photos. From there you upload your photo and then use the various editing settings to make your photo look professional.
The next thing you can do is invest in a ring light. The light is the shape of a ring and it’s main purpose is to cast an even light on the subject. This reduces shadows in the face, and minimizes blemishes and enhances the eyes. This is why ring lights are commonly used in portraits, glamour shots, or even video capturing only one subject. For branding photo shoots, a ring light will give you a really professional look.
You can find ring lights on Amazon and they come in all sizes. I always read the reviews to make sure that everyone else likes what they got. I have a UBeesize mini and a regular-size one. I use both of them all of the time.
Once you have the filter and the equipment, it’s time to make a plan. There are two things to remember when you’re shooting quarterly:
- Try to make sure you cover any holidays or celebrations with your photos: fall, Calgary Stampede, back to school, etc.
- Take an easy clothes change. If you can easily put on another jacket or cardigan, take it with you. It will give you more options for your photos afterwards. I always try to take one fairly dressy jacket, and one jean jacket and/or leather jacket.
The last thing I do to make my DIY photos look professional is use a tripod with a Bluetooth remote control. There’s a holder on the top for your phone that works on a spring system, so you might have to take your phone out of its case. You can get so much more creative if you have a tripod setup.
Use the Bluetooth remote control for an even more professional look.
And remember, these professional–looking photos are going to help you dominate your social media platforms.
Donita Fowler is an online marketer who supports entrepreneurs in their quest to be the boss of their online platforms.
Donita is a Troy Media Thought Leader. Why aren’t you?
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