Product and Food-Based Businesses: 5 Social Media Photography Tips
And not just photography, but good photography. Engaging photography. Photography that makes people slow down, because some conscious or subconscious part of their brain goes, “Wait… I want to know more about that. Look again.”
There are dozens—if not hundreds—of ways to do this, and in fact I could probably write a book about it.
But for today, I want to focus on a handful of methods that should be within reach for anyone with a product- or food-based business, regardless of budget or whether you’re shooting from a phone or working with a pro.
To illustrate each concept, I’ll be using photos I’ve shot for one of my long-time and faithful subscribers, Lindsay Jordan, a maker who works with leather, canvas, and metals to create custom bags and jewelry for real women with taste. For food photography examples, scroll to the end!
Tip No. 1:
Take your photos in natural light
Natural light simply means light from the sun, rather than from a man-made bulb.
Natural light is the most universally appealing kind of light because it’s the one we’re most familiar with, and because we usually associate sunlight with good memories (like summer vacations). In photography, natural light is very forgiving light, and also it tends to stimulate positive chemical reactions in the brain.
Taking photos in natural light doesn’t mean you have to go outside. Actually, for products and food, it usually just means shooting near a window, where the subject of the image will be shaded a bit, but soft light will be coming in from one side (although it can also mean shooting in a shady area outside).
You might already think capturing photos in light like this is a no-brainer… but you’d be surprised how often (especially with food-based businesses), a client wants me to shoot something in a spot that will be twenty or thirty feet from the nearest window. So if you’re not using natural light yet, think about it!
Tip No. 2:
Add a human element to your images
Sometimes it’s not enough to merely photograph the thing you’re trying to sell—you need a human element, such as a hand holding the item, for people to get it.
This is because the way the human mind works (more of the time than you might think) is through imagination.
People need to understand that whatever you’re offering could enhance the story they’re writing in their heads, a story in which they are the main character and good things happen for them that help them get closer to the ultimate version of themselves that they’re trying to become.
To tap into a person’s imagination—rather than the cognitive part of the brain that merely registers, “That’s a purse,” or “That’s a pizza”—you sometimes need to introduce even just one thing to your image that changes the message your photo is sending from “object” to “human interacting with object.”
This will help the subconscious brain of your viewer register, “Someone else wants this thing. Do I want this thing?” This is called engagement—and you want it.
Tip No. 3:
Know what lifestyle your product best fits into
If you’re selling to everyone, you’re selling to no one. No one wants generic. Everyone wants to feel special.
Even if the product you’ve created has mass appeal, it can take your marketing efforts further to curate your images for a particular audience.
So what does an audience look like? Well, usually it’s a group of people who share certain values, money habits, and aesthetic. This is sometimes referred to as a lifestyle.
Think back to being in junior high or high school, and how there were the preppy kids, the jocks, the theater kids… You could probably tell at a glance which group(s) a student belonged to, because of how they lived their lifestyle—what clothes they wore, where they hung out during elective periods, how they did or didn’t do their makeup or hair, what they talked about.
If you know what lifestyle your product fits most easily into, or enhances the most (yes, this applies to food, too), then when you take photos of it, you can decide what the people in your photos should wear, how old they should be, and even how they’d enjoy your product.
This will really stir the pot of the imagination so that you can create higher curiosity for new customers, and greater loyalty when they become customers.
Tip No. 4:
Style your products in a context your audience can get excited about
Once you know the lifestyle your products fit most easily into, you can take your scenes a step further and really get into the psyche of the people you’re trying to reach—what excites them? What does their perfect day look like? Which seasons or holidays are the ones they absolutely live for?
For many of the women in business I work with—and more importantly, for their clients and customers—autumn is a special time, filled with spooky magic and cozy clothes and lots of coffee and hot chocolate. So when we integrate their products (or food) into scenes that stir up the positive associations that come with fall, it’s easier for their audiences to interact and engage with the content.
This is just one example. For your audience, there are probably similar ways to grab their attention and pique their curiosity. Ask yourself: What could I do to make my photos stand out to my tribe?
Tip No. 5:
Don’t always shoot just one item at a time
So far, most of these tips have built on one another: You can stack tip 2 onto tip 1, and tip 3 onto tip 2, and so on. This one is a little different because it stands by itself (ironically!).
One of the biggest missed opportunities I see with product- and food-based brands is not capturing items en masse. Brands shooting without creative inspiration or a pro’s insight will often feature an item all by itself—and never deviate from that starting place. Their photos will always be one pair of earrings, one breakfast sandwich, one handmade mug, one cup of coffee… never a rack full of earrings, or a teetering stack of breakfast sandwiches, or a shelf full of mugs fresh from the kiln, or a to-go tray filled with coffees in a variety of shades because of the different amounts of cream.
You’d be amazed how quickly you make a boring image interesting by multiplying the subject in the frame!
BONUS:
Food examples from my loyal restaurant client, Sassy Biscuit Co.!
Here are a handful examples of how to leverage these principles if your brand is food-based! These were all captured for Sassy Biscuit Co., a brunch spot in Dover, NH. How will you apply these ideas to your food-based brand?
What do you think? Which tip are you most excited to try? Tell me your favorite below! As always, if you found this article helpful, remember to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board so you never lose it. Until next time, friends!
HELLO! MY NAME IS ALEXIS.
Coffee lover, day dreamer, foodie, and creative. I believe in doing what you can with what you have where you are. I blog to help you do more with what you have. I hope you love it here!
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