Simple photo tips to showcase your business

Are you looking to elevate your business’ photography but don’t have any fancy equipment?

For this month's Knowledge Hub, our resident Visit Exeter photographer Dylan, is sharing some beginner friendly tips and tricks to elevate your photography - with just a smartphone.

Good lighting

Lighting is key in making your photos come to life. When using natural light indoors, try positioning your subject so the light falls onto them rather than coming directly from behind them. If your subject is standing in front of a bright window, they may appear darker because the camera is exposing for the brighter background.

Instead of relying on natural light you can use simple lamps or cheap LED lights to help brighten a subject and allowing you more control over brightness and shot composition.

Spacing/depth of field

If you are planning on using your photo for a poster with additional text and graphics overlayed, bare that in mind when framing your shot. Envision where you are going to adding your assets and leave blank space in the frame. This will make your life easier when doing graphic design as it allows all the subjects to be spaced out and readable.

By having a slightly blurred background, it makes sure your text/logos/graphics stand out and don’t get lost in the busy background of your image. In most recent smartphones you can enable a blurred background by using portrait mode, you can adjust the intensity of the blur in your camera roll afterwards by adjusting the depth control slider.

Editing in camera roll

Editing photos might be a daunting prospect, especially when using tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom. Fortunately editing photos in your own camera roll is very simple and there’s just a few adjustments that can make a huge difference to your photos.

Start by making small adjustments to Brilliance, Exposure, Highlights and Vibrancy, while comparing results with the original photo. A subtle vignette can sometimes help draw attention towards your subject if it’s centred in the middle of a frame. The exact amount will depend on factors such as lighting and location, but be brave to experiment with some other settings to help your images come to life.

Here's an example using these simple settings: Exposure +32, Brilliance +60, Highlights -28, Vibrancy +22

Before

After

With so many software apps offering photo editing, choosing the right one can feel a challenge in itself. Some of my favourite, easy to use, apps include:

Canva

Ideal for beginners looking to combine photos with text, graphics and other elements. It also offers a range of templates and easy-to-use editing tools, perfect for social media, posters and more.

PicsArt

Featuring a wide range of creative tools, filters and effects, making it useful for heavily stylised edits and giving you more freedom to experiment.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile

A more technical software however features more detailed adjustments to edit your photos. A free version is available with a selection of tools available.

Creating a consistent look

By keeping a consistent visual style, your content will gradually feel recognisable online with users beginning to associate your style with your business. For example, a café would use an uncluttered background, with inviting shots of the location and a warm colour palette.

Not every photo needs to look identical, you just want them to feel like they belong to the same business. Start by describing your business in three simple words and use those to lead your style.

Try putting these tips into practice the next time you're photographing your business. Experiment with different lighting, compositions and editing techniques, and don't be afraid to take a few extra shots!