The pandemic has forced industries to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses. Many businesses were forced to close their shops and operate from their homes. If there’s one industry that was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, it’s the events, photography, and videography industry. Traditional photo shoots have to be shut down. Photographers and videographers find themselves suddenly with a free calendar. Their clients, meanwhile, have to make do with what little photography skills they have to create valuable content for their target markets.
Is it viable to depend on your photography skills to create content for your website and blog sites? Fortunately, people can adjust well even to situations that are out of their control. They even take violin lessons while in quarantine. Who cares if they have to receive the instructions only via teleconferencing? People know how to adjust well to difficult circumstances.
So, is it any wonder that business owners are now learning how to produce media content for their websites, social media feeds, and blogs? In true resilient fashion, business owners used whatever they can find at home for their product images. Without traditional photo studios, entrepreneurs and marketers have to shift their content strategies.
Watch the Weather
The best photos are the ones done under natural lights. Experiment with it. Go out during sunlight and take photos of your products. If the sun is too high, you might get shadows on it too much. Try to wait until late in the afternoon when it is still clear and bright. There are less chances for shadows because the sun is a bit lower.
Pay attention to the weather when planning your shoot. For optimal lighting, shoot either late in the afternoon or early in the day. The high noon is the worst because it creates shadows and washes out the images.
Use the Window
The area near the window is also the best place to get maximum light capability. You don’t have to set up the subjects outdoors. If you have a large window that faces the sun, use that area to shoot your products. Make sure, however, that the subjects are prepared for the shoot. If there are props that needed to be in the shot, make sure that these are in their right places. This way, you can get as many shots as possible when the light hits that sweet spot.
Practice with a Self-timer
Before the actual shoot, try practicing with a self-timer. If you have to take photos of kids, for example, it will be extra hard to make them stay on one spot. So, try it with yourself first. See what kind of photos you can take when you position them a certain way. Move as they would move around. Once you see how the photos turned out, you’ll be more prepared to follow your subjects’ movements.
Find a Background
Look around your house and backyard. What could be the perfect backdrop for your images? Do you have a high wall covered in ivy plants? That could be a good backdrop. The coffee table in your living room can be a great surface to shoot products on. You can also look for an old slab of wood or turn the bed sheet into a tablecloth. If you can’t find a pattern you want, try flipping the tablecloth over. It could have a plain color or pattern that you want to use.
Experiment with White Paper or Poster Boards
You do not have access to reflectors. Why would you? That’s the main reason why you take your subjects to an actual photo studio. You need to make use of their equipment. But now that you have to stay at home, you can a single sheet of white paper is a cheap alternative to a reflector. You can also use a poster board. It should face the light source while angled toward the subject. This will help bounce the light and brighten the photos naturally.
Call a Professional
When all of these are too overwhelming for you, call a professional photographer. They will give you tips on how to make the right shot. Tour them around the house, making sure they see the best sources of light. They’ll pinpoint which areas are great for the photos.
Next, they’ll make you look for surfaces you can shoot on and guide you in setting up the “scene.” They’ll recreate the exact scene in their place, take photos, and send them to you. Now, it’s your turn to recreate those photos. The photographer will guide you in angling the camera and taking the right shot.
It may be quite challenging especially for those without photographic skills to suddenly be responsible for producing great-looking photos for their marketing strategies. But these are unusual times. The best entrepreneurs shine during these times. So, learn how to cope and adjust to the challenges.