When it comes to creating content for your business it’s easy to resort to a “do it yourself” attitude.
Sometimes it’s just simply quicker than trying to grapple with third party contractors who just don’t get your business. Or, maybe you just don’t have the budget for the luxury of getting help.
Whatever reason you’re doing it yourself, thanks to a fantastic Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District) by marketer Darren Diven, Founder of NI Explorer here are some quick and easy tips to help you supercharge your video and photo content.
Darren began documenting his passion for all things Northern Ireland and adventure as a hobby, using his mobile phone to capture amazing images and video. His hobby soon turned into a business, and he now works freelance with like-minded individuals, local businesses, and brands.
Photos and videos are crucial to success with digital marketing, In Darren’s Lunchtime Learning Workshop he shared his top tips and tools for shooting brilliant content for your business with your smartphone:
- Start with the end in mind
Darren said: “When taking photos for your business, tie the imagery to your objectives and consider the purpose of the image – is it for a blog post, your website, or social media? What’s the message that you want this image to covey?”
- The rule of 3rds
The full video explains this concept really well, but the key take-away is when taking a photo think of what you want the viewer’s eyes to focus on first, and where you want their attention to go next.
“Image composition is really important – consider the environment and the perspective. Put the viewer in the photo and make them feel like they’re there” explained Darren.
- Get creative
Play around with props, light, and colour in your photos to really bring them to life, and keep them on-brand for your business.
“The best way to take great photos for your business is to practice a lot – be proactive and start taking more photos of your hobbies, friends, and family” said Darren.
- Play with settings
Today’s smartphones can do so much more than we tend to use them for. According to Darren the camera app on your mobile alone has more settings than you can probably imagine: “The HDR setting takes an over and under exposed image and blends the two together, tapping the screen when taking a photo adjusts the focus and light settings automatically, and you can easily change the size settings to take images at a higher resolution. Don’t be afraid to play with the settings on your phone’s camera to take the best possible pictures.”
- Get some gadgets
When you’re just starting out, you’re not likely to need many extra add-ons, but as you get more comfortable with using your smartphone, and if you want it to do more, Darren recommends some extra bits of kit to take your photo skills to the next level:
Darren said: “A tripod or stabiliser can make a massive difference to the overall quality of your images and video, and you can even get a different lens for the camera on your smartphone to take shots with a wider angle. Ring lights are really popular with makeup artists, but they can also be used for product shots, and you can pick up a white box for a really reasonable cost online.”
- The practical basics
Darren shares his top lessons learned from getting out there and taking his own photos and videos:
“Always keep your camera lens clean – it makes such a difference” said Darren, adding: “Spare chargers are a must as taking lots of photos and videos can really drain your battery. You can get microphones that attach to your phone for shooting video with sound you want to capture. And I always recommend bringing an umbrella with you if you’re taking photos or video outdoors – it keeps the water off the lens and you can brighten up any shots you take by editing it afterwards.”
For loads more photo and video tips, as well as Darren’s recommended editing apps, check out the full recording of the workshop on the Cathedral Quarter website >> https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-shooting-great-video-and-photos-on-your-phone/
To find out what Lunchtime Learning sessions are coming up go to https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning