How to Blend Non-Professional and Professional Photos into Your Content

by Crystal Hollman | Aug 24, 2020 | Content Creation

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How to Blend Non-Professional and Professional Photos into Your Content

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Everyone wants that cohesive style to their Instagram feed. So how do you get that when you don’t have a ton of pro photos? Here’s how!

here’s a lot of power in maintaining consistency with your content as a business owner. It plays a major role in building your brand identity and brand recognition.

When you’re consistent in your work, images, and brand your audience becomes more familiar with who you are and what your message is as a company.

With that in mind, mixing your non-professional photos with your professional photos can take some additional brainstorming to keep your photos consistent across the board. So, I’m going to break down two of the best practices to help you blend both types seamlessly.

Look for Great Lighting Opportunity

When in doubt, natural light is the best light and will always give your photos that extra boost of professionalism it needs – no matter what camera you’re using. But consider the time of day. Natural light changes throughout the day so to avoid any major contrasts, shoot your photos at the same time, same place, every time.

Lighting affects an image’s tone, mood, and atmosphere. It will take some time to nail down the perfect image but pay attention to the lighting. Your goal is to blend your professional and non-professional photos within your content. The fewer changes your audience will notice between photos, the better. This will also keep your photos looking professional and keep the customer’s focus on the product you’re selling instead of the quality of the photos you’re posting.

If you’re worried that you will struggle to blend your photos seamlessly, check out my blog post where I teach you how to take great photos on the fly.

Use a Preset (or Filter)

It can be hard to match your photos with your photographer’s style. This is why I recommend that you use a preset or filter closest to it. You can even ask your photographer if they have presets they use or have created for their business.

Filters and presets are an easy way to have a cohesive look amongst all of your photos. It doesn’t work as well when you’re using several at once, so stick to a couple that has a similar tone and can be used for the different styles of photos that you post for your different platforms.

For example, I have the CCP Presents mini-course that comes with the Lightroom Presets for your desktop and cell phone – just for these kinds of situations. You can use them to reset your files to keep your content consistent with lighting and coloring.

Conclusion

The key to making your photos blend cohesively with one another is lighting. If you can get your photos to have similar lighting and coloring, you’re on the right path. Maintaining the same look across the board will take some practice, which is why I recommend using filters or presets to get you going. You start blending your professional and non-professional photos into your content in no time. If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please feel free to contact me! I’d love to connect with you and address any problems you may have along the way. You can also find me on Instagram!

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About Crystal

Crystal is the Creative Director, Photo Stylist, and Commercial Photographer behind Crystal Clear Creative Studios. From increased sales, visibility, and trends to conversions and full production, Crystal and her team, experts on the subject matter, provide clients with confidence to take your photography and videography needs off your plate. We support you in your growth with the creation and implementation of transformative ideas.

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Why You Need to Refresh Your Images Regularly

by Crystal Hollman | Aug 17, 2020 | Content Creation

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Why You Need to Refresh Your Images Regularly

The online world is constantly changing – adjusting to new trends, new technology, and new content regularly is a must in your business.

s a business owner, you must be focused on staying relevant to your audience.

Adding and Refreshing

Repurposing old image concepts or replacing old images with brand new ones keeps things fresh and current, right?

Doing this also keeps potential customers on their toes, looking out for your latest products and trends. If your images stay the same, your customers may struggle to know if you’re still in business, creating the products they love.

So how do you know when its time to refresh your images? You know it’s time for a refresh if you notice your website or storefront is out of date, sales have slowed down or maybe you’re running out of images for new Ads. So, here are a few reasons why you should change up your images regularly so you can move forward confidently!

Trends and Styles Are Ever-Evolving

Most of us know that trends and styles are always evolving and as a business owner you need to stay up to date for your audience. Many consumers want the latest and greatest of products and they look to you to bring it to them. Keeping your images fresh and up to date can affect what your customers buy from you. It also helps them to determine if your product is something they can benefit from at that time.

As you stay up-to-date on the latest trends, you keep your customers engaged and you develop long term loyalty. They can trust that you will inform them of your new products every time you launch. This also drives traffic back to your website each time you update your images. It’s your loyal customers that will keep coming back to see what products you’re launching next.

Large Amounts of Marketing and Testing What Works

If you’re in the middle of launching a new product, the best thing to do is market as much as you can to see what works. As an online business owner, your customer’s first interaction with you, your brand, and your product are your photos. Utilize as many different images as you can but continue to tell your brand’s visual story. Show your audience every angle of the product you’re selling and be as transparent as possible. When you are clear with your message, visuals, and brand, your customers have a better idea of what to expect before they submit an order – especially since they cannot physically see your product for themselves. When you’re constantly updating your images and putting out fresh content, you continue to place yourself as an authority. This is also a popular marketing tactic if Facebook and Instagram Ads are a focus for quicker growth. You will find that you will test out certain images and copy to see what your audience responds best to for quick growth.

You Have a Seasonal Product

Every year when the holidays come around, any store you walk into has already been decorated to fit the occasion. The same should go for your business. If you’re running a campaign with a specific theme or you are selling seasonal products, then you need the photos to fit those items.

Display your visual theme using props and relatable elements to add to the story. Your audience needs to relate to you or your brand before they ever decide to purchase from you. Something as simple as switching out your images to fit the campaign theme or seasonal product can make a huge difference in whether or not a customer will buy your product.

It’s Time for a New Look

The day you decide to change up your brand or give it a complete makeover, you will need fresh photos to fit your new style. It’s easy to get into a brand change. We have all been there. So, when you start changing your brand colors, style, and even your products – it’s time for an update. Maintaining consistency across the board is an essential way to build brand recognition. If you’re giving your business the complete makeover, then you need to make sure you do the same across your entire brand. Consistency is key.

Conclusion

Constantly keeping up with your photos can take a lot of work if you’re not prepared. This is why you should always plan to have enough content to cover you for a few months. Life happens and you never know when you’ll need the extra time to do something else in your business. I get it! You’re busy as it is trying to juggle ALL the things. This is why I’d love to help with your next photography project. From catalog, business lifestyle, to styled photography – I can provide you with fresh new imagery for your brand consistently. Feel free to contact me to schedule a consultation call. We can also connect on Instagram!

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3 Ways to Display a Product in Images for Social Media

by Crystal Hollman | Aug 6, 2020 | Content Creation

The Blog

3 Ways to Display a Product in Images for Social Media

Social media is one of the best marketing resources you can use as a business owner.

f you’re not already utilizing social media in your business, it’s time to get on it, friend. Social media is one of the best marketing resources you can use as a business owner. It’s a FREE and easy way to showcase your products while sharing your brand message with your customers.

Before you take your photos, know exactly what it is you want to sell and how you want to sell it. When you understand your customer’s journey, it’s easier to provide them with what they need. This also allows you to tell a visual story in a way that appeals to your ideal customer. There are many ways to capture your product in its best light so I thought I’d share my top 3 ways to strategically display your product in images for social media.

Artistic Label & Product Display

While you want your product to be the main thing you present in your photos, don’t be afraid to show off your artistic labels and displays. Use this opportunity to flaunt your cute packaging and decorative labels along with your valuable product. Give your customers an idea of what they can expect when they purchase from you. Advertising the little pieces that make your brand unique is a great way to share your brand’s message, style, and personality. Your current and potential customers will appreciate your transparency.

Consider this – display 3 to 5, of the same type of product in one photo. Sticking with odd numbers adds visual appeal and make it easy to direct the eye to where you want it to go. I teach this method in the Flat lay Method e-course. This is especially popular for website banners. Mixing a display of various products allows you to market different things at once. You can also utilize this strategy if you’re selling a full package of products and you want to show what’s included when someone makes a purchase. The clearer you are about your offer, the less confused your buyers will be about you and your product.

Lifestyle

The second way to display your products in images on social media would be by using models and implementing the “lifestyle” look. A good example of this would be to utilize a model’s hands to hold your product. It’s one of my favorite techniques to show the texture and application of the item you’re selling. The hands, more specifically, because you can get in closer to the product itself while also tying in the human element.

Models are a great way to add the human element to your photos. Remember – people build connections with other people before they decide to buy a product. Your customers could love what you’re selling, but if they can’t relate to you or your product, they won’t buy. Models add that extra touch needed to make your product more relatable. Don’t forget to mix it up. You don’t want all of your photos to be closeups of your product and some hands. Instead, have the model show emotion with their face, body language, etc. all while using your product. Your photos are all about telling a story, so incorporate relatable elements that will give your photos the upper hand (literally).

Flat-Lay

The third and most obvious way to display a product in your images for social media is with a Lifestyle Flat Lay. This is my favorite thing because it gives you an aerial shot of your product in its entirety.

A solid and well-planned flat lay is great to show texture, the application process, and a variety of tools and supporting items that your ideal customer might find. A flat lay helps them see the product in a way that they would use it on-the-go or at home, bringing it into their real-life spade. If you really want to stretch your creativity and stand out you can use lots of fun paper cut-outs, blocks, flowers and other props for an artistic flat lay that pulls that editorial, high end, commercial look.

Flat lay photography can be a lot of fun, but to get the best results, there are a few things to consider. Check out my list of 7 do’s and don’ts for flat lay photography to help you slay the flat lay.

Conclusion

There are many ways to display your product in an image for social media. Plan and implement a strategy before you move forward with the entire shoot. Time is valuable as a business owner so you want to be sure that you’re utilizing it as best as you can.

Like anything in life, it takes time to nail the perfect flat lay or product photo so remember to be patient with yourself and to have fun with it. Experiment with different props and colors (related to your brand, of course) and see what works best, what looks good, and what fits your brand. If you think you need some extra help putting together the perfect flat lay, check out my Flat Lay Method Course. I cover the basics of what it takes to make the perfect, Insta-worth images. You can also schedule a call with me if you have any questions or we can connect on Instagram!