Quantcast
Channel: Results Revolution » Promotional Ideas
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

How to Make Your Photos Look Magazine-style Pro

0
0

How to make your photos look like Lucky MagazineA client of mine sent me this magazine clipping from a recent edition of Lucky Magazine a few of days ago. He loved the layout and educational nature of this photo editorial. Lately, we’ve been spotting more and more of these types of presentations in off-line magazines and retail web sites lately.

 

But did you know that you can make your retail photographs look like Lucky Magazine?

 

The concept isn’t that difficult to pull off for your own retail business if you set it up correctly.

I consulted with Haley Montgomery over at Small Pond Graphics, and she gave us some great tips for pulling off this look without hiring a professional photographer.

 

What you’ll need:

1. A ladder or a position that will allow you to photograph from above.

Haley said, “Clothes don’t look good with the sharp perspective of taking this shot from standing in front of it. [The photograph] needs to be from overhead so it’s straight on.”

 

2. Additional lighting.

I found this great tip on lighting:

Professional light kits can cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars, so a good cheap option for lighting equipment is to purchase some metal shop lights from your local hardware store.

Three of these lights with bulbs will cost you under $20, and they’ll give you a huge increase in the amount of control you have while you film. You can bounce lights off of walls, mirrors, or any other flat, lightly colored surface to provide more ambient “fill” light.

 

3. Mock green screen.

It doesn’t have to be green, but you should create a flat solid surface of a color that is distinctly different from the color of the items you are photographing. Haley recommended using a big piece of solid colored cloth – something in an odd color that separates itself from the color in the subjects to be photographed. She said that this allows a graphic artist or in-house Photoshop-user to easily select, delete and/or replace that background color.

 

My quick tips for a successful recreation of this sort of look for your own retail store’s marketing:

1. Assemble items to be photographed.

Gather your pieces and your props all together in one place. Practice laying them out in such a way that you can easily see everything and so that it all makes sense to the reader. Edit out a few things… don’t try to include every possibility in one photo. Put the look together – then simplify.

 

2. Setup the shot.

Spread the “mock green screen” on the floor or a large table surface. One client of mine actually uses the surface of a pool table as the flat surface AND the green screen for smaller items!

Layout the items to be photographed as desired and in a clear and simple manner on this flat surface.

Position the lighting so that there are no shadows and also no harsh direct light on the subjects.

 

3. Take the shot.

Position your ladder as closely as possible to the items. Alternately, balconies and stair banister areas sometimes provide other good elevated opportunities for photographing straight down onto something if you’re not a professional. Get as close to “straight down” as possible and snap quite a few shots with different settings on your camera. Try to get clear, steady shots so the items are crisp in the final photos. If your camera allows to adjust the “white balance” based on the environment, I recommend doing that. My cell phone camera even allows this, and this simple step makes a huge difference in the outcome (and color accuracy) of your photographs.

 

4. Edit the shot.

Move the photos to the computer and identify the photos that are most clear and show the most real representation of the colors and textures of the objects.

Using Photoshop or a similar photo editing program (free or low-priced options are available online), select the background “green screen” and delete it.

In one example that we saw, a corkboard look was used as the new background. To accomplish a “new background” after eliminating the green screen, layering stock imagery or even a separate photo of fabric or texture with the retail shot you just edited. In essence layering two images together to get the end product.

Voila!

 

Moneymaker Notes

This is a great look – and it can be realized in many variations with standard desktop tools and a decent camera. It is definitely possible to do it your self.

However, I must caution you: my recommendation at the end of the day is that it’s a great idea to know HOW to do something like this, so that you can more intelligently discuss projects and marketing concepts. But when the rubber meets the road, the best investment a small business owner can make is to hire professionals to help create investment marketing pieces for their business. Outsourcing frees up our time – and it makes us money by leveraging our time and resources. Professional commercial photographers and graphic designers are worth their weight in gold when you utilize their services in an educated way. But know how they work allows you to keep them reigned in appropriately when it comes to their time and your budget.

 

Photo Credit: Cell phone photo of a spread from a recent Lucky Magazine. To learn more or subscribe to this creative fashion mag, visit www.luckymag.com.

Amplify

Related Posts


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images