How to put together an image library (featuring Fiona from Coffee + Hops)
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In this episode of Marketing + no Margaritas (much to Fiona’s dismay!) Jade is joined by the creative force behind Coffee + Hops, Fiona! Being a professional photographer for just over a decade, Fi knows her stuff + Jade wanted to get some off the books, free advice. Graciously, she’s allowed us to share it with the rest of you as well 😉
So, what are Fiona’s top photography tips for putting together an image library for your business?
First up, one for all the photographers – make sure your photos stay true to colour!
As a photographer, you’re bound to develop a style but when doing images for a client, that will then get repurposed for a bunch of different materials – true to colour will serve you best!
Ensure your brand identity is established BEFORE getting your photographer booked.
An image library should emulate every aspect of your business. Before you get the photographer on site, make sure your signage is in order, all your staff’s uniforms (if you use them) have the most up-to-date logo – little stuff like that. A good image library helps strengthen your brand’s identity, if these things aren’t sorted, it will weaken it.
Once that’s sorted + you have the photographer on site, get photos of EVERYTHING!
Even if you can't think of a use in the moment, we guarantee that having a photo of the front of your building will come in handy (Google business profile), that random shot with one of your business cards on the front desk makes for a perfect contact page banner etc. It's better to have it. Trust us.
Put together a shot list.
This CAN be left to your photographer, but no one knows your business better than you. This is why it’s best as a collab between you + your photographer. Get a list of photos you want + send it to your photographer asking what additional shots they would recommend! Add their suggestions to yours + boom, easy plan of attack for photo day. A shot list will also help prompt you to clean the areas of your office that you want to have included in the shoot!
If you have a story to tell, leverage your image library to tell it.
An image is worth 1000 words. If you have a story to tell or a unique process with your business, make sure that each step of that is listed in your shot list. If your customer experience is all about walk-ins, explain that process in plain text + then capture each stage with a few images. This makes for awesome socials content.
Be authentic!!!
Where possible, use your own workers, your own clients + avoid excessive makeup for photo day. We get that everyone wants to look their best but it is possible to go too far with this stuff. These photos are meant to be authentic representations of you + your business. Don’t professionally catfish your clients (Fi’s words, not ours 😉).
Have a plan for how the photos will be used.
This comes back to planning your shot list, but telling your photographer what these photos will be used for will ensure that they are given the correct framing. Images for a website need to be wide + have lots of blank space, social images can be tighter – all important things to consider.
And for Fi’s wrap up tip…
Update your image library often.
In a perfect world, you’d be getting a shoot done every year - so much changes over 12 months! But between costs, timing the shoot between leave + busy periods – it can definitely be hard to organise! At max, we recommend getting some fresh photos done every three years. Replace images of staff who are no longer with the team, add in new ones, flesh out your shot list to encapsulate more of your business. The image library is an iterative, ever evolving backlog of content that you can reach to when needed. The more you have, the easier it is to find personalised shots when you need them!
Overall, a good image library is a huge asset for your business + having a talented photographer on your side will make sure it continues to be so for many years to come. If that sounds like something you want to organise, defs send Fi an email, she’ll sort you out 😉