2019

“I don’t need to hire a professional photographer, my iPhone is good at taking pictures”

by Zelda de Hollander

Sure, iPhone (all smartphone) cameras have come a long way in the past few years, but its is worth investing in professional images of your property ?
…. an image says a thousand words, just look for yourself

The photographs of your property most likely provide the very first impressions people have of your business. ?

Did you know that estate agent listings with professional photos sell for more money? Not only that, but they also sell faster! AND 92% of home-buyers use the Internet as part of their home search ? ?

We can help with home staging of your property and showcasing its features through composition and art direction.

 

 

#AskTheExpert Create your Own Photographic Content

by Zelda de Hollander

Just over a week ago I did something I’ve been scared to do for years. Stand up in front of a group of (utterly wonderful) people & give a workshop on Photography ? Imagery is such a vital part of creating engagement with your audience, an invaluable marketing tool that every business, no matter the size, needs.

As part of the #AskTheExpert series at GetSet East Dorset I delivered ‘Create your Own Photographic Content’ ?

My favourite part of the workshop was running around with everyone’s iPhones as part of the show & tell from the practical exercises we did ? ?‍♀️?

 

Neutral Backgrounds Still Rule Product Pages

by Zelda de Hollander

In the world of Amazon, product photography is king. You might have a great title or competitive price, but your Amazon product photography is the first thing everyone will see when they’re browsing items in your category.

Neutral Backgrounds Still Rule Product Pages ?
As you probably noticed, most of these approaches are for category pages and their equivalents. Once you get to an actual product page, product images have white, transparent, or neutral backgrounds.
Removing the background makes your images more consistent, removes distractions, and minimizes file size.
Plus, many marketplaces require white or neutral backgrounds for product images, and you really don’t want to reshoot for different channels ?

eCommerce Photography: White backgrounds rule the roost when it comes to eCommerce product photography. But why? It promotes consistency. Contributing to a uniform look and feel throughout the site. Just as it is important to ensure the brand identity of a seller is consistent, the same goes for photography. Emphasising the product with no distractions, shows the quality of the products finish and detail is the point of focus.

The numbers don’t lie: 75% of online shoppers rely on product photos when deciding on a potential purchase, let’s face it, it’s hard to describe some things & just easier to show it. People remember 10% what they hear, 20% what they read and 80% WHAT THEY SEE & DO ??

We offer a drop off service for product photography ? ideal for busy business owners in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole & surrounding Dorset and Hampshire areas

? Drop your products off to us
? See & approve the images
? Come pick up your products

 

We’re 10 years in business!!

by Zelda de Hollander

Bournemouth-based photography business, Studio Shotz is celebrating its 10th year in business.

In March 2009, Zelda de Hollander started business straight from university, trading as Studio Shotz, a high street based photographic studio in Southbourne.

Zelda de Hollander gained her degree in Commercial Photography at The Arts University in Bournemouth after attending Twynham High School in Christchurch.

The first half of Studio Shotz’s successful trading life was in Southbourne Grove, specialising in studio portraiture and family photo shoots. Zelda de Hollander, owner of Studio Shotz Photography, says: “I set up the high street photography studio at just 21 years old, straight after I’d graduated, and was lucky enough to stay trading on the high street for 5 years.” Research from Bloomberg, has shown that 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months and a full 80% of businesses fail in less than two years. These are staggering statistics.

In 2014 Studio Shotz moved to become home-based so that the focus of the business could shift more towards commercial work and this enabled the business to become much more flexible. Zelda says: “Being based at home, I can work the hours that people need me and am not being restricted to the usual 9 – 5 shop hours. I loved my time trading from the high street, but working from home makes more sense for progressing my business.”

“I’ve have had the privilege of working with some amazing local businesses and people over the last decade, including JP Morgan, Barclays Bank, The Telegraph, Dorset Chamber and Enterprise Nation. I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved in the past 10 years, and can’t wait to see what the next 10 have in store!”

Hoping to get published in the press? You’ll need great PR Photos

by Zelda de Hollander

The importance of photography in PR and newsworthy stories should not be underestimated. We all know the saying ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ and it’s true! Did you know that a recent study showed 90% of what we remember comes from visuals?

Pick up a newspaper or magazine near you and have a flick through — what catches your eye? I would guess that the images are getting your attention, right? Good images are essential when trying to achieve press coverage.

In some cases, the media won’t even publish the story unless there’s a decent image to go with it. In other cases, having a good photo or collection of images can make all the difference between a small, text-based story – which the reader could easily miss – and a longer feature, with lots of eye-catching images for maximum impact

“What a professional. Excellent pics turned around fast with no fuss.” – Darren Slade, Bournemouth Daily Echo

Whether you’re using images on your website, social media or sending them to press, if they are unprofessional or poor quality, it won’t reflect well on your business… Don’t get me wrong, the cameras on smartphones these days are pretty good and in the right light, you can take a half decent shot. ⛔️ BUT ⛔️ you should invest in at least some decent head shots and ‘business in action’ images.

It’s always a good idea to invest in a professional photo shoot. Never underestimate what a photographer can do for your brand visuals. Outside of the business of actually taking the photos, a good photographer can advise on the kind of images you need to show your business to its best advantage, provide lighting and professional backdrops and develop creative ideas to really make you stand out from the crowd