So I have been scrolling through the stock photography websites looking for stock photos in relation to pressure washing. Gutter Brightening, roof cleaning, etc… there is nothing out there…except the occasional image of a turbo nozzle on a deck…
As some of you know I also own a commercial photography business. It has been a slow start for me, but once I start getting some more jobs I am going to try and get some good high quality images that could be used on websites, facebook ads, etc… would any of you be interested in using them? I am not talking about charging or anything, I will just simply make a gallery on my website or something where they can be downloaded. I am just seeing if there is even any interest in that. I will photograph them in a way that any one could use them (No faces, company logo, etc…)
Exactly! Obviously no one from the industry is advising on these stock photos, which is annoying but doesn’t surprise me! I would ensure everything was done the correct way.
I think that’d be a good resource for you to provide, perhaps you could use the category page in this forum to take a few photos of each particular category
Obviously don’t make them straight up before/after photos because the user would be lying by saying that’s what they did, but photos of stuff being sprayed or rinsed might work, so as to “explain” the process or title
Yes exactly, I plan to show our processes through photos, the correct way. Hopefully it will be something that can grow over time and help people in their marketing efforts.
I understand the need for photos of work on your website, but shouldn’t it be photos of YOUR work? When you display the work of others on your website you’re implying that you did the job whether you intend that inference or not.
BAD MOJO. Get out there and take pictures of your OWN work, and be careful of using stock photos. It lacks authenticity. I don’t intend to step on your toes, GTX, but in this business and on this forum we teach and learn. SO, learn the techniques here that will give you stunning before and after pictures to populate your OWN website with your OWN work.
I’d have to agree. It’s pretty easy to accumulate a lot of pictures of your work once you get going. As tempting as it was to use someone else’s photos when I first started my first pictures were pictures of my own house & driveway until I was able to lineup real jobs
People have good points but I don’t think they get what your trying to accomplish @daltonaiken
Professional photos with amazing clarity, lighting and correct size for websites. Something you could use as a banner on your website, buttons, ect… to give a very professional look.
I’d have to agree. Photos of your work is what a gallery on your site is for. I prefer home page banners and slides to look more professional than what I can do with my phone camera.
I completely agree that you should use photos of your own work in a gallery, I’m just simply talking about high quality stock photos for banners, buttons, etc…Not everyone has a professional full-frame camera. So when you are scrolling through a website, and you see some categories what looks more professional? A professional, hi-resolution image, or a before and after shot with an iPhone? Once you click on a category I agree that it should showcase your work. The stock photos are simply to get the customer’s attention and give off a polished professional work. Once you have them on your site, Facebook page, etc… then wow them with before and after images of your work. That’s just my two cents. I was just trying to give back a little to the community that has helped me so much.
Going off of what @MrSparkleVA said though, if you don’t want to use stock photos at all. Invest in quality camera equipment and learn how to take amazing photos. If any one has any questions at all about the shooting process or editing feel free to message me.
I’ve never done this, but it seems like it might be easier/better for most pressure washers to hire a professional photographer to come take pics. Or perhaps find someone who’s taking a photography class and needs project credits.
One more thing to consider too. If I were to offer a free collection of photos of things being done the correct way, it would prevent some new people in the industry from just going on Shutterstock and getting images of people using turbo nozzles on decks or high pressure on roofs, etc…those images just give our industry a bad name and give customers wrong impressions.
I am all for hiring a photographer. The only issue that I would consider, is having the photographer there for before and afters could be tricky. They may be standing around (making the bill go up) while you wash.
It’s prrtty amazing how far camera gear has come. You can get some really good quality images without breaking the bank.
What’s your recommendation for a starter camera, one that’s good enough for web use and maybe prints 8x10 or smaller?
My personal (uneducated) opinion is the iphone camera has been sufficient for outdoor photography of most stills and some low speed motion for several years now. That is, if you know a tiny bit about cameras and composition. I have a gorgeous 5”x15” panorama hanging on my wall that was taken with the iphone 3g back in 2011. It’s composed of probably 15 pics that I stitched together with Microsoft ICE (this was prior to the on-board pano feature). There’s enough resolution in the image that I could safely get it printed at 8x24 or larger and still look great.
