How to take better photos for your website

You don't need a professional studio to have good website photos. You need a plan, decent light and a little patience. Real photos of your people and your work almost always build more trust than generic stock images, and a modern phone is good enough to take them.

Start with what visitors want to see

Before you pick up a camera, think about the questions a new customer has: Who are these people? What's it like to work with them? Where are they? What do they actually do?

Your photos should answer those questions.

A simple shot list

• Your team, looking like themselves. Candid beats stiff.
• Your work in action: hands, tools, screens or customers being helped.
• Your space or location, inside and outside, so people know what to expect when they arrive.
• Your product or service in real use, not just on a white background.
• A few details: textures, equipment, the small things that show care.

Seven tips that make the biggest difference

1. Use natural light. Stand near a window and let the light fall on your subject. Avoid overhead lights and the phone's flash.
2. Clear the background. Tidy the space and remove clutter. A simple background makes the subject stand out.
3. Take horizontal and vertical versions. Websites need wide images for banners and tall ones for phones.
4. Leave empty space. If text will sit over the photo, keep part of the frame calm and uncluttered.
5. Get close and be steady. Fill the frame, hold your phone with two hands, and tap the screen to focus on your subject.
6. Stay consistent. Photos taken at the same time of day, in a similar style, feel like they belong together.
7. Take more than you need. Choose the best few and delete the rest.

Getting the files website-ready

• Shoot big. Take photos at your phone's normal quality. A hero image should be at least about 2000 pixels wide, so don't crop it down first.
• Name files clearly, for example team-planning-session.jpg, not IMG_4821.jpg.
• Don't put important text inside the image. Text in a picture can't be read by search engines or screen readers, and it blurs on small screens.
• Write alt text that describes the photo in a sentence, for people who can't see it. Skip it only for purely decorative images.

Respect the people in your photos

Always ask permission before using a photo of a person on your website, especially customers and children. Get a clear yes, ideally in writing, and be ready to remove a photo if someone changes their mind.

When to hire a photographer

A professional is worth it for a main hero image, product photography, or when you need a consistent set of images for a big launch. For everything else, a thoughtful phone photo taken in good light is a great start.

Planning a new site and want to know what photos it'll need? Let's have a coffee and we'll make you a short list.