Using photography for your business is so important to create a look and feel of your brand. Headshots help people connect with you and your business and show off your personality. Headshots are also a must if you intend on working with others, whether that’s a blog post, podcast episode or being featured in the media etc.
Photographs allow you to tell stories and a good photo will help you sell your product and services.
A common mistake that I have seen business owners make is taking photos from Google that they don’t have permission to use for their social media, website or blog. By lifting photos from Google, it can put you and your business at risk by the possibility of being sued for £100s or £1000s by the owner of the photo. It’s a big no, no.
For headshots, business branding and products I recommend working with a professional photographer. The cost of hiring a professional photographer will be extremely varied and should be seen as an investment for your business. I recommend using a photographer that has either been recommended to you or by looking at local photographers websites and choosing one whose style you like. It’s also important to hire a photographer that you can work well with and who understands the brief you have given them.
Kirsty Northover, a professional branding photographer, explains some important facts to consider when working with a photographer.
“Under U.K. law, your photographer retains the copyright to every image they create unless you have specifically purchased the copyright.
Purchasing a copyright is understandably a serious financial outlay and is usually reserved for large commercial projects or when you want another business to also use the images within their own business. Most small businesses only need a license to use the images created for their own use
Speak to your photographer before booking to discuss your needs and whether your usage rights (license) encompass what you need. It could be an expensive and time consuming mistake to discover that it will not.
Consider how you plan to use your images. Almost without exception, usage on your own website, social media and print campaigns should be included. It is less likely that you will have permission to gift or sell your images to another business for their use as this is outside of your original contract. The same would be true for permission to enter them in publication or competitions for commercial gain. This starts stepping into commercial licensing territory which is much more expensive.”
There are stock photo websites that have royalty feee images which allow you to use for business use. But please read the website terms and conditions before using the photos on social media, on your blog or website. Here are some stock photo websites that I personally have found useful:
Once you have your royalty free images or own professional photos, I recommend using Canva to make your own branded graphics.
The latest document summarising U.K. copyright law is available here and is a suggested read for anyone planning to use others’ images within their own business, be that re-sharing content on social media, using stock images or hiring a professional to create your own.
I would love to know if you have used a photographer for your business or if you use stock photo websites?
Did you find this blog helpful? Please leave a comment below if you did.
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