High Street Retail Store Photography
High street retail store photography that grabs attention in the press and social media is essential for a number of reasons. This blog explains why and how engaging an experienced commercial photographer with experience in this sector, benefits you.
Why do it professionally?
So much competition from online retailers
The modern era of online shopping and ecommerce has well and truly arrived. This gives traditional high street retailers an additional challenge. So, with opening a new store on the high street or in a shopping mall, come risks. This also represents a massive commitment and investment from all the stakeholders involved, so it's vital to maximise public awareness and sales as soon as possible.
Maximising media coverage
Therefore, having high quality images to positively promote your store and engage with potential customers is a 'must have'. Whether you're already a recognised name on the high street or a start up with a single outlet, you need great images that grab attention to use in various press, trade journals and the all important social media channels. Google Plus, or Google + is also becoming an essential part of this mix.
What you want is to maximise your exposure and generate as much positive publicity as possible and at a price that fits with your budget.
Using a specialist
I'm often commissioned to shoot high street retail store photography. It may be to publicise new store openings, refits, rebrands or in-store promotions. I do this for clients that include John Lewis, Superdry, Subway, Virgin Media, Lakeland, Las Iguanas and Brown's. So, typically, traditional retailers, restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes.
Insurances
To help put your mind at ease, yes, of course I carry full Public Liability Insurance among others.
How to do it best
Finalising the brief and agreeing permissions
I work closely with my clients and agree in advance which are the key shots required from any given shoot. Where required, I'll phone ahead and ensure that any required permissions are granted ahead of a store visit.
We also need to be careful with permissions from in-store staff and members of the general public. This especially with the new GDPR legislation now in place. Where appropriate, I'll ensure your consent forms are signed, which I'm happy to have with me on the day of the shoot.
The right timing is key
Part of the planning ahead of a shoot is to understand when are the busiest times in the day for business and the patterns of footfall. The weather has a huge influence, too, so we need to keep an eye on the forecast. Last but by no means least is knowing when to press the shutter release button, especially to capture key interactions between the in-store staff and shoppers.
Managing mixed lighting conditions
I always use white balance cards on a shoot, especially for indoor shopping malls where there's invariably a mix of natural and artificial lighting producing different colour casts.
This allows me to make the appropriate colour corrections to your shortlist of images in post production, afterwards.
Style, look and feel
From experience, I know which angles work the best and how to get the most out of the available lighting. I may use a little flash lighting here and there. I provide both formal architectural and contemporary styles including reportage using the camera on and off the tripod.
By judiciously altering the aperture and shutter speeds, I can add emphasis to certain details including branding and various products and interactions as well as carefully blurring shoppers passing by. This is a useful technique and negates the need for permissions from the individuals in the shots as they're rendered unrecognisable.
Fast turnaround and prompt delivery
You can view your shots at low resolution on the day and make your shortlisted selection when you're ready. I use an ftp service such as Wetransfer for this.
The images will then be adjusted for colour correction and levels in post production along with any retouching you request. You'll then receive your final selection at high and low resolution, again via ftp.
To find out more about how I can add value to your high street retail store photography, get in touch by email or give me call.
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