PR and Social Photography Tips
Tips on how to take some fun topical photography for PR and social.
Whilst we would always recommend using a professional photography when you can, especially for your hero / brand images on your website, the need for more and more content is there and having access to a good stream of topical / themed images to showcase your businesses is really key. If you have got a good smart phone this could be enough with some clever styling to get some really good shots. Here we are going to focus on tips geared towards Christmas and Winter but they can be used for any season.
1. Seize the moment ... frost, mist, snow, Christmas decorations, sunsets, seize that moment. You just might get a great shot to use now and for years to come. Getting up early to capture stunning misty mornings for social can be really rewarding. Plus, during winter with shorter days it is actually easier to capture those golden hour sunrise and sunset shots. Having exterior shots of your property through the seasons is really useful to keep for social and press to show the changing seasons – winter, spring daffs, bluebells, autumn leaves etc.
2. Use Natural framing…cropping rather than zooming always works better and many smart phone have grid lines to help you see the shot through the shape of the social media post.
3. Perspective …show off your property or service so it tells a story of what it’s like to be there .. not just a detail you really like. Exteriors are really important, especially your entrance – show your customers where you are in your photography if you can – in a town centre, down a rural track for example.
4. Flat lays for foodie and retail shots can work really well. Go to Thoroughly Modern Milly @millykr – she is he master of the flat lay, for tips by looking at her grid on Instagram. Keep it bright and colourful to show off your dishes or products really well. Be topical .. festive spreads, winter picnics are always going to be winners.
5. Think ahead .. what’s coming up for your business and how can you best illustrate it? Can you add a woolly hat and gloves to a shot with some holly or put a festive wreath on the front door to give a Christmas feel? You could think ahead for Valentines shots for February during this time. Are you going to offer any special packages ? How can you illustrate these and pre promote them on social media?
6. The use of colour can make a shot .. contrast is key .. bedspreads, fruit bowls, a scarf can be useful to inject colour. Or, if you are going for a monochrome look make sure you have some definition with maybe a pop colour with a green plant or something similar.
7. The human touch… put someone in the shot, even if it’s a hand on the side of a dining table shot, or the back of a head with someone in a Santa hat snuggled in from of a roaring fire with mince pies and a hot toddy in front of them, or holding out a glass of bubbles from behind a wingback chair could work really well.
8. Add personality.. people love seeing who makes it all happen. Show them your smiling face. And, if you can’t quite handle that, maybe introduce them to the company dog or cat, it all adds warmth and interest.
9. Make it real .. if you are styling a shot think about how a scene would be naturally. A mince pie with a bite out of it / an open magazine / poured drink or coats and boots in the hall and a bath poured with bubbles and towels over its side. It doesn’t have to look like a perfect to still work really well. I’ve even seen breakfast trays on crumpled bed linen still look really good. Also, one specific tip, try to avoid piling towels or toiletries on beds for bedroom shots. It’s a pet hate of picture editor across the land. Always have things where they should be rather than in an awkward display.
10. Add some humour.. you can go a bit crazy sometimes if you feel like it! Preparations for Father Christmas, your dog lurking under the tree looking cute. The Pig Hotel has a shot of the piglets with festive hats on which is one of my favourites. Create a story by the direction of your gaze, looking out from shot, to a person for interaction can work really well. Social distancing and masks can all be used in humorously to cheer people up.
11. Turn the phone …shoot in portrait and landscape so you can use your pictures on different platforms and don’t be afraid to shoot footage. It could be a few seconds of you stirring up the Christmas puddings, laying out the decorations, sweeping away the snow if we have any. These are great for social stories.
12. Use of subtle branding… can work and be a good way of ‘place marking’. The top of a menu card on a table of food in a dining room, the exterior sign of the business are two useful ones.
13. Be social .. if you work with other brands and there’s an opportunity to incorporate them into your shots it works really well to tag them into your posts and encourage more social shares.
