Guest Post: Website Images, the Qs to ask yourself

Things a branding photographer thinks about that your web designer will thank you for!

By Gillian Robb Photography

Whether you’re building your own site or working with a web designer, great images will boost your design and help make a site your own. 

As a branding photographer I’m obviously a little biased in believing that every growing business at some point needs to invest in imagery that really tells their story. but whether you’re working with a branding photographer on a new set of images, choosing from your own existing archive, or having a go yourself at some content creation, here’s a few of the things I think about when creating, or choosing, website images. Before you start to place images on your website or share with a web designer, ask yourself these questions.

1) Do I have a good mix of images? 

Variety is the spice of life and all that….and you want to give yourself enough variety throughout your website. Change up the outfits, the backdrops, the action or aspect of your business you’re showing - people, product, premises etc… Don’t let someone land on a page on your website and assume they’ve already read it because they’ve seen the same photo elsewhere on your site. 

2) Are my images the right size and shape for my site?

As well as a variety of scenes, you’ll also need a variety of aspects or orientations. Landscape photos are great for headers and full-width sections, for example. Portrait shots can work great for split column layouts, but can also take up more “scroll space”, particularly on mobile. What size are the image spaces on your site? Does your web design layout have placeholders for images? Are they round or square? Think about how your images might need to be cropped to fit these spaces.  

3) Can my images give some direction through the site?

Not every image you show needs to be a centred “straight to camera” shot, in fact I’d probably advise against it, other than for your “about me” profile shot! Get creative with your compositions and think about how you can use the composition or alignment in images to lead a visitor’s eye through your site. There’s no point using an image looking off to the right if that leads the viewer straight off the page…

4) Is there space in my imagery? 

Don’t feel the need to fill every frame in every photo. Close-ups and full frame shots work great in many cases but try to also embrace some “negative space” and leave yourself some neutral backdrops - it doesn’t have to be a blank white wall, but an area in an image without your key subject or lots of detail will give you more flexibility. Not only can it help with cropping images to fit your site (see question 2!) but it can also give you a canvas to play with - you can overlay text or logos, or add buttons for those all important calls-to-action. It can help with designing branded social content too.

5) Do my images have a consistent style?

You and/or your graphic or web designer have probably spent considerable time defining a colour and font scheme to give your site a consistent look. Maybe you even have a tone of voice for your copy? Similarly, you ideally want to define the image style for your brand too - mixing and matching monochrome, brights, pastels or different filter or preset styles will only confuse your audience. A look that aligns with the rest of your branding will strengthen the visual identity of your website. 

And finally… if and when you can, shoot with someone who “gets” you & your brand…

I understand it’s a juggle for growing businesses - time, budget, DIY vs outsourcing… but don’t torture yourself trying to create imagery. A good branding photographer will take the time to understand your business and the messages you want to get across before they pick up the camera. A well planned shoot can not only boost your website but the rest of your marketing material and social content too. Working with someone you feel comfortable with really does show in the images, but they also need to be able to shoot in a style that works for your brand. If you’re ready to invest in a shoot - take the time to do some research and find the right photographer to work with -  a good branding photographer will want to get to know you too! 

I help all my clients plan their shoots so we can make the most out of time together. If you want to learn more about the business photography services I offer visit: https://gillianrobbphotography.co.uk/business