How to Choose a Filmmaker for Your Product Videos

How to Choose a Filmmaker for Your Product Videos

Product videos are a great way to amp up your online store and increase sales of your products across the board. They give customers a more intimate look at your offerings, and they allow them to take in details and learn information they just couldn’t from a static photo or image. Additionally, product videos are great for mobile users. They show up crisp and clean on that tiny smartphone screen, ensuring each and every customer gets the details they need to evaluate the product and make a purchase.

To reap the benefits of product videos, however, you have to first ensure your videos are high quality. DIYing your videos or hiring an amateur to do them won’t do the trick; it will just make you look unprofessional, and it will turn off customers in an instant. If you want to integrate product videos into your website, hiring a professional filmmaker is a definite must.

Not sure how to choose the right filmmaker for your videos? Follow these tips:

• Look for experience. First and foremost, you want to look for experience. Experience in video production and, more importantly, experience in product promotion. They should have extensive knowledge about how to present products in the best light, how to position and stage them, what angles to use and more, and they should have ample experience in shooting product photos as well as videos.
• Check out their samples. Always take a minute to look at a pro’s samples before hiring them. Check out any videos they have on their website, look through their product image portfolio, or email them and ask them for examples, if you can’t find any online. Chances are, if they’re worth their weight, they’ll be happy to show off the great-looking videos and images they’ve shot.
• Get a free consultation. Be sure to schedule a consultation with the filmmaker before moving forward. (Most will offer these for free.) This will allow you to get a feel for their style, their work ethic, and their ideas for your brand. You want to make sure the two of you will jive and be able to work together seamlessly to produce a great product.

Do you want to improve your online store and increase your product sales? Then consider implementing product videos on your site. Contact The Image Alive team today for a free consultation, and to learn more about how product videos can improve your brand.

Product Videos, Images and 360 Spins: The Benefits of Using a One-stop Shop

Product Videos, Images and 360 Spins: The Benefits of Using a One-stop Shop

Often, when you’re looking to promote your products, it’s not just one or two things you need; you want the whole kit and caboodle. You don’t just want images for your website or your catalog, a video for your homepage banner or a 360-degree shot of your most popular item. You want it all, and you want it done in the most professional, sales-inspiring way possible.

Fortunately, there are some studios (like Image Alive), that serve as a one-stop shop for all these services and more, so you can meet all your product promotional needs in one easy, seamless and affordable way.

While you might be tempted to go to different vendors for each individual need, the truth is, using a one-stop shop will benefit your company much better in the long run. Here’s how:

• It will deliver a consistent look across all materials – By using the same studio for your product videos, images and 360-degree shots, you’ll ensure that each one looks consistent, professional and a part of the same whole. This will contribute to your overall brand image, and it will help give you reliable look and feel throughout all your collateral.
• It will allow you to bundle pricing and achieve a more affordable cost – If you go to three separate vendors, you’re going to have three different price tags to contend with. When you use one studio for all your needs, you can create a customized package that includes all the services and images you need, at a price you can afford.
• It will make for an easier, faster process – Going to three separate studios for your product videos, 360 spins and product images can make for a pretty lengthy process. When you include travel time, set up, shooting and editing for each, you’re looking at a couple months – at least. When you use a one-stop shop instead, you can do it all at once, shaving weeks off the whole process and ensuring you get your materials as fast as possible.
• It will start a long-term relationship with the studio – Chances are this isn’t the last time you’re going to need a product image or video. By choosing a studio to handle all your needs now, you’re setting yourself up for success in the future, too. When you have new products come in, you have a new promotion, or you simply want to update your images, all you have to do is call up your studio, and they can  pick up right where they left off.

Are you in need of product videos, images or 360 spins at your company? Then contact a one-stop shop like Image Alive today. We can help with all your needs and more. Plus, we’ll even offer you a free spin to start!

The Problems with Using an Amateur Fort Worth Photographer

The Problems with Using an Amateur Fort Worth Photographer

Instead of hiring a professional Fort Worth photographer to handle their headshots, product images, website photos and other visuals, many business owners opt to cut corners, and choose an amateur photographer instead. They might have someone on their staff do it, they might seek out a friend who enjoys photography, or they’ll find anyone else that has an iota of experience and will do the job for cheap.

Unfortunately, while the up-front price tag may be lower, using an amateur rather than a professional Fort Worth photographer can cost you significantly more in the end. It can hurt your sales, it can affect your brand image and reputation, and it can even cut down on your customer satisfaction if you’re not careful.

Are you considering using an amateur photographer for your company’s photo needs? Here are just a few of the problems you may experience if you do:

• It will make you look unprofessional – Sure, using an amateur will save money, but do you really want your business to have an “amateur” look? Do you really want less-than-perfect product photos? Do you want banner images that aren’t as powerful and crisp as they should be? Few consumers want to do business with an amateur company. They want to buy from someone who knows what they’re doing, someone who delivers high-quality products , and someone who is an absolute expert in their field. Amateur photos just won’t do the trick.
• It will hurt your sales – Images play a large part in online product sales. It’s how customers evaluate whether a product meets their needs and if it’s worth the price tag you’re asking. Without good photos, they simply don’t have enough information to evaluate it, and they’ll start looking elsewhere to find the product they want.
• It will take longer – With a professional Fort Worth photographer, you get to work with someone who has a set system and process for each and every step of the way. This allows them to be extremely efficient, staging, shooting and editing your photos in just a few days’ time. An amateur, one who’s not as well-versed in the industry, will take much longer. That means it’s longer ‘til you can get your site up, it’s longer ‘til you can start taking online sales, and it’s longer ‘til you can make money.
• It will hurt customer satisfaction and increase return rates – Poor photos just don’t allow customers to evaluate a product the way they need to. Because of this, many times, when the product arrives at the door, it doesn’t meet their needs or just isn’t what they were expecting. That means a higher return rate and an unhappy customer – neither of which are good for business.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the adverse effects you’ll see if you choose an amateur photographer for your company’s photos. Want to avoid them? Then call Image Alive, and hire a professional Fort Worth photographer with experience. We’ll even give you a free consultation to start! imagealivestudios.com/contact

3 Tips for Better Food Product Photography

3 Tips for Better Food Product Photography

In the past, we’ve talked a lot about product photography: why clothing retailers need it, how it can improve sales of electronics and tools, and even some tips for working more seamlessly with your photographer. What we haven’t yet grazed is one of the biggest areas of product photography around: food photography.

Food photography is on a completely different plane than other types of product photography. Instead of merely trying to get the viewer interested in buying the product you’re shooting, with food photography, you have to take that one step further, and actually try to capture a taste, a smell and a feel that will make them crave it. It’s a pretty hard feat to achieve.

Fortunately, over the years, we’ve discovered a few little tricks that can help improve food product photography in an instant. Here they are:

1. Be aware of your surroundings. You want all the attention to be on the food, so clear away any clutter and make sure you’re in a clean, open space. White or solid black backgrounds are often the best choice, as they allow the food to really pop and be the focal point of the image. Mainly, you want to avoid having people in the background, busy photos or patterns, and anything else that could distract from your food.
2. Pick a great plate. The plate you choose is extremely important in how your food is perceived. Whereas a plain white, paper plate would denote a low-quality, cheap food, a brightly colored, fiesta-ware plate would convey a more vibrant, exciting food that viewers would be itching to try. You want to choose something that’s high-quality, eye-catching, and that allows your food to truly shine.
3. Stage the food first. Put some serious effort into staging the food items before you shoot it. Don’t just pile it on a plate, and start snapping photos. You want to arrange the food in a beautiful and inviting way, and add any accessories that could amp up the image or enhance its quality in anyway. If you’re shooting cookies, for example, instead of just shooting a stack of cookies on a plate, consider putting them in a decorative box or tying them together with a pretty ribbon. This will not only make the photo more interesting, but it will show that care and quality went into the entire venture.

Are you looking to improve the product photography for your food establishment, restaurant, store or blog? Then contact Image Alive Studios today. Our professional photographers can help.

6 Signs You Should Invest in a Fort Worth Photographer

6 Signs You Should Invest in a Fort Worth Photographer

Many small businesses and ecommerce companies try to take on too much. They try to design their own website, they attempt to handle their own PR, and they even resort to taking their own product photos, headshots and other imagery. In the end, the quality of all these ventures ends of suffering, simply because those handling them just aren’t experienced or knowledgeable enough. The truth is, it’s almost always more beneficial to defer to a professional in these arenas, as they’ll be able to deliver a higher quality, more polished product that will impress customers and improve sales.

This is especially true when it comes to photography. Hiring a professional Fort Worth photographer is absolutely preferable to handling it on your own or letting an amateur staff member take the reins. Why? Because that photography is the face of your company. A professional can ensure it looks great, it instills confidence in your customers and it inspires sales.

Not sure if you need to invest in a Fort Worth photographer at your business just yet? Here are 6 signs you definitely do:

1. You’re taking your own product photos. This is number 1. If you’re taking your own product photos or having an amateur staff member handle them, then it’s definitely time to hire a pro. The quality of your images is suffering, and it’s likely impacting your customer leads, sales and revenues.
2. Your online store isn’t performing as well as it should. Online shopping is hugely successful nowadays. If your site isn’t following suit, you can bet there’s something wrong with your product photos. They’re either not portraying your products in the right light, they’re not high-quality enough, or customers can’t gather enough info from them. Either way, you need to make a change – and a Fort Worth photographer can help.
3. Your products are highly detailed. If your products have a lot of detail, buttons, accessories or other add-ons, then you need photography that’s going to ensure customers can see all that – otherwise they won’t feel comfortable buying it. While there’s not much you can do on your own, a professional photographer, on the other hand, can offer you 360 photography for your products. This can allow customers to interact with your products and get up-close-and-personal with each and every detail. Ultimately, it can increase your sales and leads, and reduce your return rates.
4. You’re creating a product catalog or brochure. Catalogs and brochures need to look as professional and polished as possible. They’ll be handed out to potential customers and business partners, and they’ll be the comprehensive guide to you brand and products. If you want it to look its absolute best, then it’s imperative you enlist a professional Fort Worth photographer to handle the imagery. Amateur  photos in your catalog will only make your brand look low-quality, and they’ll turn off customers and potential sales in an instant.
5. You have a number of photography needs. Taking one or two photos on your own, or having a staff member do a few headshots is one thing, but putting them in charge of multiple photography projects is a huge mistake. If you know your company has ample photography needs – like product shots, headshots for your website, lifestyle shots for advertising, etc. – then you definitely need to invest in a pro. They’ll be able to ensure consistency throughout all images, and they’ll be able to make your brand look its absolute best every time.
6. You’re on a tight deadline. If you need quick turnaround on your photos, then using an amateur is never a smart move. They won’t have an efficient system down, they won’t be able to shoot, edit and produce your photos in a timely manner, and you’ll end up behind deadline in the end. By hiring a pro, on the other hand, you can rest assured your photos will get done on time and in a professional, high-quality way. They’ll have an organized system down for setting up, shooting and editing your photos, and they’ll be able to meet your deadlines easily and seamlessly.

Are you ready to invest in a Fort Worth photographer at your company? Then contact the team at Image Alive today. We’d be glad to help with your product photos, lifestyle shots, headshots or any other photography needs you may have.

Product Imagery: 4 Reasons to Always Hire a Professional Photographer

Product Imagery: 4 Reasons to Always Hire a Professional Photographer

When it comes to product imagery, DIYing it should never be an option. Sure it’ll save you a few dollars, but what will it cost you in the end? Think about how much rides on that photography: your sales, your customer leads, your website performance. Are you sure you have the skills, equipment and know-how necessary to make those all those a success? In truth, unless you’ve got tons of product photography experience under your belt, it’s likely you don’t. If you don’t want to jeopardize your sales – and your business as a whole – there’s only one option for your product images, and that’s to hire a professional photographer.

Not sure about hiring a professional photographer for your product imagery needs? Here are four reasons you should:

1. They’ll know how to best capture your products and portray them in the best light. Thanks to years of experience, a professional photographer will know just how to shoot your products. They’ll know what angles work best, what lighting to use and how to show off your products in a way that makes them look great and, most importantly, makes them sellable.
2. They’ll have all the necessary equipment. Product photography isn’t as simple as clicking a button on a camera. There’s also lighting equipment, tripods, flashes, lenses, editing software and tons of other accessories involved in making a product look great on film. Chances are, you don’t have all this equipment on hand, and to buy it, you’d have to cough up a pretty penny first – much more than it’d cost to hire a pro.  Plus, when you hire a professional photographer, you can rest assured they have all the equipment necessary to make your products look great.
3. They’ll be able to streamline the process and get you your images faster. A pro will have an organized, efficient system in place that will ensure your product images get shot, edited and delivered to you in no time at all. If you’re handling it on your own – especially for the first time – it could take weeks or even months to troubleshoot and get a system down. That will hold up your sales and affect your revenues in a major way.
4. They’ll be able to ensure consistency in new and future product lines. Make sure you think about the future. If you DIY your product images now, what will happen down the line when you get more? Will you be able to recreate the same look and feel with each new product you shoot? Or will you be left with disparate images that look like they don’t belong? One of the biggest benefits of using a pro is that they can ensure consistency each and every time they shoot. They’ll keep your background and props on hand, and they’ll be able to configure the lights, angles and lenses the same, so that your images look cohesive today, tomorrow and in the future.

Are you in need of great product imagery? Then leave it to a professional photographer. Contact the Image Alive team today to get started.