Website Photography Guidelines

Help us make your website as compelling as possible!

Important notes

Photographs are the building blocks upon which a website is designed. The single most common delay in getting a new website launched is not receiving enough good-quality photos in a timely fashion. The sooner we have the photos we need, the sooner we can start designing a great new website for your business.

We can't make your website (and therefore your business) look great without lots of good quality photos to choose from, so please review the tips below carefully.
If available, a professional photographer is very helpful, but a non-professional can do an acceptable job if they have a good eye and a fairly late-model camera or phone.
Please send original files, not screenshots or social media downloads. Full-resolution photos are too large for most email, so we'll send you an upload link. Complete details below.
The better the photo quality, and the more we have, the better we can make your new website look. At least 50 to 100 photos is a good target, but there's no such thing as too many. We'll cull through and select the best shots, so providing as many as possible helps us feature only your finest images.
Photos pulled from the web are almost always copyrighted, and can't be used.

Even a professional will likely benefit from some of the following tips for taking great business photos.

Basic tips for making your business look its best

Shoot only landscape (horizontal) photos. A few vertical shots are okay if the subject warrants it.
Use the widest-angle lens setting for every shot. We can crop in, but we can't make the shot wider.
For exteriors, shoot on sunny or mostly sunny days (scattered clouds are fine). Fully overcast days make a storefront, building or job site look flat and colorless. Don't face the sun directly; having the sun behind you or off to either side is fine. Early morning and late afternoon light is often the most flattering.
Photograph happy, smiling, willing people whenever possible: your team at work, your owner or founder, and (with their permission) satisfied customers. You'd be amazed how many people will pose happily when asked.
Turn off the date and time stamp. We can't remove it, and it looks unprofessional.
Keep the camera level to the ground as reasonably possible, but not aimed too high. Photos that are half sky aren't great.
If possible, shoot good subjects at least twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, to take advantage of different lighting.
Really nice subjects, such as your best finished projects or products, warrant several shots from different angles and distances.
Move unsightly items out of the shot if you can, or stand in a different spot. Clear away clutter, trash cans, cords, tools and personal items.
Don't shoot through a car window (mirrors, reflections and window frames don't look good). Walking around your location is the best way to get lots of good shots.
Look around the camera's entire viewfinder to see what will be in the whole shot, not just your main subject, which doesn't always have to be centered. A great truck, display or finished project may be spoiled by a pile of debris next to it. Standing just a few feet left, right, forward or back can hide things that don't flatter your business.
Show your best and most recent work. Photos of finished projects, polished products and a clean, organized workspace are always better than dated or run-down examples. Skip anything that looks worn out and take twice as many of your best instead.
When shooting interiors, stand far back in each corner of the room to make the space look as large and open as possible. Hold the camera level, and avoid too much ceiling. The most common mistake, especially indoors, is aiming straight ahead so that a third or more of the photo is ceiling. Angling the camera down just a bit, so only a small amount of ceiling is visible, usually works best.
If you work on job sites or outdoors over a large area, aerial or drone photos can be a great addition, provided they are taken by a licensed pilot and the property owner is comfortable with it.
Last but not least, digital is free, so click away! There's no such thing as too many photos. The more bright, colorful photos we have to choose from, the better your website will look.

Send us your photos, logo and other images

Gather your original photo files in one place, such as a folder on your desktop or a flash drive. Include your logo and any other images you want considered.
Send us a message through our contact page with your business name. We'll reply with an upload link.
If you'd like, attach a few photos to that first email so we can take a first look.
Original high-resolution files can be very large, so use Wi-Fi if you're uploading directly from your phone.
Upload all of your photos at once if you can. If you want to send another batch later, just ask and we'll send the link again.

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions, and happy shooting!