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If you don't have a big budget to get a professional photographer to create some magic for you these hacks might prove useful.
First up, invest in a top-quality digital camera. Choose a smartphone that has a good camera.
Digital cameras in smartphones have advanced A LOT in recent years.
Experience with different settings to see what works for you.
You can also get extra apps nowadays, such as Lightroom, which can enhance your images.
Second, running a live-action gaming business is great for PR opportunities. So when a photojournalist comes to take a photo of an event you are running or doing a story on your battlefield, then here is a tip for getting great photos.
Whether it be from the local rag or the London Times, photojournalists have very good skills regarding how to set up a good picture. They often bring lights; know where to stand to get a good perspective; what to place behind the subject to ensure good composition, etc.
Regarding copyright ownership of photos, if that photojournalist takes the photo they own it.
This is the way it is, even if the photo is of you. And some news services charge a LOT of money for copyright release, i.e. to give your permission for you to use that image on your website or in your brochures. But now here is the kicker, get one of your staff to also have a camera or phone handy and take some photos (take lots of photos, they are digital you can always delete the bad ones!!) and take your images from just over their shoulder.
In other words, stand just behind where the professional photographer is standing, and you should get a good photo.
This way you can generate an image that you own because this photo was taken by one of your staff, with your phone or camera. Of course, just to be polite, you might want to ask the photojournalist before you start hovering behind/around him/her if it is ok that you take a couple of snapshots. (HINT: Use the word snapshots or similar because it sounds casual.) Also, you might like to take a photo of yourself with the photojournalist, the journalist, or the celebrity shaking hands with you.
This is a good habit to get into, so you will end up with, eventually, lots of photos of you with important people to put on your boardroom wall.
Ensure that you include in your employment contract with your staff any photos/videos that they capture during their duties that you (or your company) will own the copyright of this audio-visual.
Likewise, I also recommend including a clause in your employment contract that your staff is expected to act as talent i.e. actors or extras for photo or film shoots as a normal part of their duties, they will not receive any royalties for such contributions.
So you have loads of digital photos at your fingertips. Great! Before you hit the "delete" button on your device transfer them to your laptop or desktop so you can go through each one.
The bigger screen will help you make a verdict on whether or not the image is worth showcasing your battlefield business.
Not only are you looking for an image that is in focus and has good composition and it tells the story you want to be told. But always check what is the background of the image.
You'll be surprised how many times it can happen when you get something in the background that you don't want.
Having great photos for your website and social media channels is super important.
So, try out these four photo hacks and see if they can work for you.
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