Lights, Camera, Action: The Photoshoot
Photographer Paul Dyer on a photoshoot for Ann Lowengart Interiors. Photos by David Duncan Livingston
Dynamic and robust project photography is vital to successfully promoting your firm. While it can become one of the more daunting and expensive parts of the process, it is a worthwhile investment. Good photography not only showcases the design of a project, but it helps cultivate a cohesive brand presence and builds the foundation for a firm’s marketing efforts. It is essential to research interior photographers producing impressive work and consider which shots will translate well to digital and print. When shooting a project, examining all possible photo uses is helpful.
A firm's website is one of the most valuable marketing tools, as it sets the tone for the company and its other marketing channels. Portfolio photography that is cohesive across various projects and speaks to your unique perspective is crucial. Using the same photographer for most projects will be one of the easiest ways to create a clean, effective website. It is also a great way to form an ongoing relationship with a photographer that knows your team and your work well.
Pushing out these images on social media then reiterates your brand. Having a variety of shots for social media is important. Detail shots often perform better on Instagram. Users typically utilize these platforms on a mobile device and have short attention spans, so a tighter framed and eye-catching photo can quickly tell more of a project's story. It is also beneficial for a firm to have a handful of images with negative space for print ads in a magazine or digital branding graphics.
One of the more apparent reasons for photography is for press. As the publishing industry continues to shrink, having photography that stands out is key to increasing a design professional's chances of getting published. Editors also look for an intriguing, well-rounded story. One way to solidify that story is to coordinate a photo shoot with fellow collaborators. This same set of photographs is then shared and promoted through various firms' websites and channels. Not only does this cut photography costs for each firm, but it also helps to continue to cultivate project partnerships.
