Five Reasons Why Businesses Need a Professional Photographer

An effective photo can definitely worth more than many words. The right image can summarize a product or service as well as inspire emotion in the viewer. In just seconds, your message comes across loudly and clearly. Consider five reasons why businesses need a professional photographer to help boost their marketing efforts.

1. Beautiful Website Images

Some websites seem to be unaware that certain stock photos appear everywhere on the Internet .They use these images and hope they will represent what they are trying to say. People are tired of seeing the same photos and usually surf away with the impression the business is unoriginal or even unprofessional. You have just seconds to grab attention on the Internet. Your website images should be unique, sharp, and professional. This will keep people at your website rather than seeing them surf away to the competition.

2. Sleek Business Cards

Business cards continue to become more sophisticated. Some people give away cards on a magnet while others use compelling images to convey what they offer. Adding a great image to your business card makes it stand out in a stack of competitors. The eye will instantly be drawn to the card with color and flavor rather than a simple black and white one.

3. Compelling Brochures and Marketing Materials

Some brochures and marketing materials contain no images or just a logo that represents the business. This is a boring way to present your company and is unlikely to inspire emotion in the recipient. Colorful brochures are more compelling and work well to market goods and services. They bring to life what your business is offering so it becomes more realistic and memorable to possible customers. Plus, they can explain what your company does without forcing someone to spend time reading long explanations.

4. Fabulous Menus

If you operate an eatery, write cookbooks, or work in the food industry, you already know the power of proper visual representation. It is why foods are served on pretty plates with garnish on the side. The way food looks instantly improves its value to customers. Fabulous menus are a strong way to market your food at all types of eateries. When the menu include images, people can actually imagine themselves eating certain foods. A truly wonderful image can make people think they are tasting, smelling, and seeing the food. It can also make them want to order it.

5. Sensational Signs

Business signs used to be a simple name printed on a durable material to let people know where a company was located. Today signs are much more sophisticated with options that include gold leaf painting, neon, and more. Sensational signs often include an image of what the business offers. No matter how quickly people pass by or what language they speak, they instantly know what the company has and how it looks. This can transform a passerby into a paying customer. Plus, signs act as an ongoing advertisement for your business for one simple fee. 

Ralph Smith Photography
5226 Elm St
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 839-0560

Five Unique Occasions That Should Include a Professional Photographer

There are many times when a professional photographer is part of the scene. People always remember to have a photographer at wedding, graduations, and retirement parties. But there are many other occasions that should include the services of a professional photographer. Some of the most magnificent milestone moments in your life might be lost unless a photographer is present to capture them. Consider five unique occasions that should have a pro on-the-scene.

1. Preschool Graduations

Everyone is eager to see the photos from high school and college graduations. These are times in your life when you feel proud of your accomplishments and having a photo is a way to memorialize them and prove they really happened after all that hard work. But what about preschool graduations? Most kids today go to preschool and the graduation ceremonies are adorable. Your son or daughter is sure to compare these photos with the ones from high school and college to see their progression in life.

2. Engagements

Some men create an elaborate scene to ask a woman to get married. Over the past couple of decades, it seems this question has become more dramatic. From having a plane write in the sky to putting the question up on a city billboard, there are been incredible ways men have asked women to tie the knot. Why not have a photographer present to capture her look of surprise and (hopefully) delight? This is a moment on film you will both treasure for years to come. It is also a great photo to use at your wedding.

3. First Day at Work

There are people that work hard for years to complete their education or develop certain talents and skills to land their dream jobs. From attorneys to artists, it is a major achievement to get the job you always wanted. Have a photographer present to take photos as you head to your first day at the new job. This is a time in your life you will feel good about and it makes sense to have a photo of you heading out to do it. With this in mind, it is also great to get a photo of your last day at work when you retire. It's the beginning of a whole new and exciting phase in your life.

4. Pregnancy

More couples are realizing the rare beauty of a pregnant woman. It is wonderful to have images of your pregnant tummy as you both anticipate the arrival of a new family member. These images are a touching summary of how you feel as you expect a child. Have a professional photographer capture the glow of pregnancy on film so you can always remember it and share it with your children in the future.

5. Birthdays

Milestone birthdays happen every decade. Have a professional photographer take a photo of you at 20, 30, 40, and so on. Watch the progression of the years on your face and in your overall attitude. This chronological representation of your life can be included in a collage and represent you to your family and associates. Each decade brings new joys and they are sure to be present in your expressions.

Ralph Smith Photography
5226 Elm St
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 839-0560

Tips for Taking Amazing Food Photos

An enticing image of food or beverages can incite an instant reaction, which is exactly its purpose. The reason for food photography is to get people to long for the item in the image and take action to get it. This applies to food blogs, restaurants, cookbooks, and more. Consider these tips for taking amazing food photos and discover the advantages of hiring aprofessional photographer to capture the best images for commercial purposes.

Getting Good Results

The glossy images in a cookbook or on a menu are sure to make you envy the skills of the photographer who took them. It takes years of training and experience to be able to take images like those. If you are a novice who can't afford to hire a food photographer, don't despair. You can still take decent images to help get your enterprise off the ground so you can eventually hire a pro to get the image you really want. A few basic tips can help you capture the essence of a variety of dishes so you can promote your company in the most tantalizing ways.

Examine the Background

Is the background of your photo distracting? Do you see people walking around or an array of messy ingredients used to make the dish? Consider blurring the background if it's too late to change the image. Otherwise, always look at the background before taking any food photos. Props can bring more character to your images. For example, laying a pair of chopsticks next to an Asian dish makes it real for people who view the photo. Framing the photo is another aspect to take into consideration. The image does not have to be perfectly framed and centered to be appealing. An off center shot or the corner of a bowl can actually make your image more interesting. Dare to be creative and make your images different from the competition.

Look At Foods Objectively

You are attached to your own enterprise and might think everything is perfect. A photographer must be objective. Does the food really look tasty? If it doesn't look fabulous in real life, it will not look better in a photo. Add garnish or a place mat that makes the food look more appealing. Contracting colors can also be helpful to make the image pop. Be aware of how the temperature impacts the food. Melted ice cream is not what people want. Avoid getting into a direct line of steam that can blur images of hot dishes. Capture that drip going down the side of a cold cocktail to make it look alluring. An objective eye can make any image look more pleasing.

Hiring a Professional

Once you get your business off the ground, it is a wise investment to hire a professional photographer to capture images of your food and beverages. Take up your marketing a few notches by using this photos in brochures, your website, and other marketing materials. It makes your company look sleeker and more successful when you have eye-catching images to represent its offerings.

Ralph Smith Photography
5226 Elm St
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 839-0560

About Ralph Smith Photography

While the name is simple, Ralph Smith Photography produces some of the most innovative images in the industry today. This experienced photographer take dynamic food, still life and motion photos. 

His eye-catching designs are enjoyed throughout the US. Prior to working in illustration and graphic design, Ralph Smith attended the University of Houston as an art student. 

He turned his passion for photography into a full-time career. Through what he describes as hard work and luck, Ralph Smith became one of the most recognized photographers in the nation. 

He continues to study the art of photography to create unique images that keep getting attention.

Ralph Smith Photography
5226 Elm St
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 839-0560