As a modern marketer or business owner, you probably use a variety of media to help establish your brand and communicate with your clients or customers. Maybe you tend to use one medium over another — it’s a logical thing to do. Each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses. Video is one of the world’s most popular media. Thanks to increasingly affordable and high-quality technology, anyone can be a videographer at any moment. That presents a powerful opportunity and challenge for your business. Shooting video is easy; mastering video takes loads of practice. Here’s a little crash course on how video can bring your story to life. (more…)
Blog
Don’t Take Your Director for Granted
What do you think of when you hear “director?” If you’re not plugged into the world of production, it might be a caricature. The cartoon picture of a director is a portly man causing a fold-out chair to sag as he sits in it hollering cues through a megaphone. Perhaps he’s even wearing something pretentious like a beret or an ascot. There’s also the manic creative genius stereotype: a fast-talking Tarantino-type whose method is madness. In reality, there’s plenty of middle ground to be found. A good director helps you articulate your vision. He or she brings to life the concept you’re trying to illustrate. Really good directors even keep you under budget! This is why you shouldn’t take your director for granted. (more…)
Does Your Photo Shoot Need Gear?
Gadgets are fun — they’re designed to make things easier for you. However, up-to-date tools and gadgets are often expensive as well. This is especially true when it comes to the realm of photography and video. So, how do you decide when to pay for the goods, and when you can get by on some Macgyver-esque rigging? Well, you should probably ask yourself what the purpose of the photo/video shoot is. Obviously the size of your company or department will determine what your budget is, but when you’re deciding what kind of resources to devote to the project, your end goal is crucial. If this photo and video content is going to be the flagship of your brand, the initial touchstone for new customers or investors, you’ll want to make sure it’s up to snuff. (more…)
What Your Headshot Says About Your Brand
As showbizzy as it sounds, everyone has their own personal brand in 2017. Even if you’re not an aspiring starlet, you still have a brand. Perhaps the better way to frame it is, everyone has an image. This sounds like a burden, and it can be. However, the good news is, it’s easier than ever to control your own personal presentation. You can brand yourself however you like. Whether it’s tech-savvy entrepreneur, dedicated sales representative, or even just the witty person in the office, you control your own image. In fact, it all starts with an actual image — your headshot. Portraits aren’t just for auditioning; the right business headshot can help you present your personality to potential employers. So, what does your headshot say about your brand? (more…)
How Lifestyle Photography Can Work for You
Once upon a time, only the wealthy could afford to have their picture taken, let alone own a camera. Now, cameras are ubiquitous; images even more so. People are capturing every moment of what they’re doing. Lifestyle photography used to be the meticulous product of photojournalists. Now it has inundated the world. To stand out amongst the sea of visuals we encounter on a daily basis, your pictures have to be exceptional. The good news is, exceptional images have a huge impact on potential clients or customers. If you can harness the power of lifestyle photography, you can work to increase your own traffic and business. (more…)
The Need for Speed with Food Photography
Photography is an invaluable asset for restaurants and food producers. Capturing the essence of a delicious dish in an image helps with marketing and awareness. Showcasing the appetizing awesomeness of a food seems easy enough. However, what you see with your eye doesn’t always match what comes out in the camera. You need to account for light, framing, and focus like you would with any other style of photography. However, unlike working with a human subject, you can’t give food direction. You have to manually adjust the product yourself. Furthermore, you have to do so on a condensed timeline. Food looks best just after it’s been prepared, so there’s an obvious need for speed when it comes to food photography. (more…)
5 Things You Must Check When Shooting DSLR Video
It’s never been easier to go out and shoot video of your own. Gone are the days of over-sized cameras, bulky editing equipment, and the generally cost-prohibitive nature of the video-shooting process. You can even shoot solid video on your phones. If you’ve got a little bit of money to spare, DSLR cameras are nifty products that shoot excellent video for a reasonable price. This is the future! However, the future is not entirely foolproof. There are still plenty of ways to screw up the video you’re shooting. So, to help you avoid any facepalm moments while reviewing your footage after the fact, here are 5 things you must check when shooting video with a DSLR. (more…)
How to Utilize Creative Design Photography
You’re a savvy business owner. You understand that getting consumers’ attention is all about branding. To create a strong personal or business brand, you need eye-catching media. You’re probably no stranger to the world of engaging video and images, so you know that holding your audience’s focus is the goal. Design, photos, and videos are all part of visual media — when you combine these elements, you end up with content that your audience simply can’t ignore. Creative design photography uses design elements in still photos to help craft a message. This is how you utilize creative design photography for yourself. (more…)
What Makes Photography So Powerful?
Photography is an iconic medium that surrounds us everywhere we look. What was once an event reserved for special occasions or the wealthy is now a momentary occurrence. There are more photos being taken by more people than ever, and yet, quality photography still stands out. “A picture is worth a thousand words” has long since become a cliche, however the sentiment has stood the test of time. Photographs are how we preserve history and personal moments. Still images engage the senses and trigger memories. This visceral quality makes the power of photography undeniable. If you want to tell a story of your own or build your business, you can’t ignore this medium. (more…)
Framing Tricks to Help Your Photography
Photography and videography have become more ubiquitous and vital to branding and messaging than ever before. Everyone has the ability to take their own photos and videos to document their experience. Whether you’re a business or an individual, you want to take the best photos possible. Capturing quality images is a product of a variety of factors, some of which aren’t even in your control! One element you can control is the framing of your photograph, so here are a few framing tricks to help you shoot awesome pictures and videos.
(more…)