Images Can Change Your Business

Caveat: The Right Images

Well over two decades ago, I was out rousting up some business for my website design studio and I heard the noise of a wood saw and walked into a factory unit. In there was one guy sawing up this timber. He saw me come in and he stopped the saw, walked over and said, “What can I help you with?”

I said, “Well, I might be able to help you.” He said, “What are you selling?” I said, “A website.” He said, “What can a website do for me?”

That moment was the hook. Glenn didn’t see how something as intangible as a website could help his hands-on, physical business. That’s where the tension began.

I then asked him what he did. At that time, he provided lattice fencing for screening off areas for privacy. He said, “This is what I do.” I said, “How do you go about getting business?” He said, “Well, when they ring up, I make an appointment to go and see them and I take over this photo album.” He walked me over to his desk and pulled out this photo album full of really nice pictures of the different examples of his finished work.

I said, “What if you could show them those pictures while you were still on the phone without having to make an appointment and going to see them?” He said, “Yeah, that might be useful. How would we do that?” And that started a business relationship and a friendship which has lasted nearly two-and-a-half decades.

The resolution came as his new website transformed his sales process. Glenn successfully used his website for all that time and got plenty of work out of it, turning his business into a very successful one-man operation providing decks, pergolas, and privacy screens.

He got it. He knew how to use images, and he kept on taking pictures of every job he did. And he became really good at it because he knew it paid off.

Here’s what you can learn from Glenn’s success using images:

1. He only showed pictures of finished work. No one wants to see bits and pieces of wood everywhere; they want to see the outcome.
2. He never took pictures of his vehicles or his premises because he knew they weren’t relevant to what the customer wanted.
3. He knew his customers wanted to see the quality and scope of his work.
   

Glenn always made sure taking quality pictures of his work was included in his workflow on every job because he knew his pictures helped him sell his service. He also understood his customers and what they wanted to see. But every business is different.

Important Things to Understand When Using Images

Imagine two builders: one shows pictures of their trucks, equipment, and staff lined up in front of their warehouse. The other shows a smiling homeowner standing proudly on a freshly built deck. Which business would you call?

The difference is emotional connection. Customers buy outcomes and confidence, not logistics or vehicles.

• Make sure images are relevant to your message — from your customer’s point of view, not your own.
• Even though you’re proud of your premises, your vehicles, or your fleet, to be honest, your customer doesn’t care. In fact, they might get the idea you’re too expensive.
• Rather than a picture of your premises or your vehicles, you’re better off with a group picture of your staff (zoomed in from the waist up) showing smiling faces. People deal with people, not cars or buildings — unless you’re selling those.
• Notice I said smiling faces. I’ve seen so many pictures of really cranky dudes, and it’s not a green light for a customer.
• Show people that you’re personable and approachable.
  

Images Can Make or Break a Business

I’ve seen so many examples of work, mainly from tradies, showing their work in progress. Here’s a quick story to illustrate the problem with that.

A mate of mine couldn’t sell his house. It had been on the market for six months. When a new real estate agent came over to meet him, she looked around and said, “Oh, you’re building a deck?” He said, “Yeah.” She said, “That’s good — finish it, because a new buyer doesn’t want to take on your unfinished problem.”

After following her advice and tidying up the presentation, the house sold within two weeks.

The lesson? People want to see the outcome of your work, not the process. They want to imagine the finished dream, not the unfinished mess.

They want to see:

• The smiling face of your happy client.
• The new house.
• The new driveway.
• The new veranda or deck.
• People having fun.
• Not a construction site or cranky people.
  

Show the transformation — not the transition. Finished projects spark desire; unfinished ones trigger resistance.

Original Images Rock

Why are original images so valuable? Firstly, everyone can see they are original and not stock images. Secondly, because these images show your work or service — not somebody else’s — they’re relevant, interesting, and useful.

Take one landscaping client as an example: when they replaced all their stock photos with actual images of their completed jobs, they noticed something amazing. Website visitors spent longer on their portfolio page, and calls for quotes increased by 35%. Authenticity builds trust.

So, when you’re planning your visuals:

• If your work has an aesthetic aspect, take a picture of every job — and take the best picture you can possibly take at the highest resolution because you may use it in videos and printed flyers.
• Take images of the finished job, not a job under construction.
• When taking pictures of people, make sure they’re smiling and zoom in so people can see that smiling faces. No one remembers their feet or legs; they remember faces.
• Spend some time improving your images. No professional photographer passes on an unedited photo. They adjust contrast, brightness, and colour and crop out anything distracting.
• Take images and video at the best quality possible. So if you can shoot a video in 4K, do it, because you can always lower the quality, but you can’t easily increase the quality.

Your images tell the story of your brand — make it a story worth remembering. Use natural light, especially around sunset, when the tones are warm and flattering.

Tips When Engaging a Professional Photographer

A good photographer can help you tell your brand’s story — but only if you plan ahead.

If you’re getting a professional photo shoot done of your services or products, make sure you get both landscape and portrait shots for each important shot.

• Landscape shots don’t work well on social media, but they do work well on websites.
• Portrait shots look great on social media and mobile versions of your website.
• Get some wide shots showing more in each image.
• Get some close-in shots on people and equipment.
• Get pictures done of the finished product or showing your service in use.
  

Before booking, make sure you have a shot checklist ready:

1. Location — bright, clean, and relevant.
2. Lighting — plan for natural light where possible.
3. People — smiling, approachable, representative of your brand.
4. Purpose — know whether each shot is for web, social, or print.
   

One café owner I worked with once hired a photographer without discussing the layout needs of their website. The result? Dozens of beautiful horizontal images that didn’t fit mobile or Instagram posts. The second shoot, planned with intent, produced the perfect mix of formats and immediately boosted their online engagement.

Helpful Ways to Frame and Think About Your Photography

Think in Terms of Lifestyle, Aspirational & Contextual Imagery in Marketing

Lifestyle Photography

What it is:

Natural-looking images of people doing everyday things, often with the product or service subtly included.

Style:

• Feels candid or documentary-like.
• Uses real locations, not just studios.
• Subjects look relaxed and authentic.
  

Purpose:

• Builds trust by showing “real life.”
• Helps the audience picture themselves using the product or service.
• Common in health, fitness, food, tech, and hospitality marketing.
  

Example:

A photo of someone sipping coffee on a balcony, with the café’s brand visible on the cup.

Aspirational Imagery

What it is:

A more polished, “idealised” lifestyle look showing how life could be if the audience used the product or service.

Style:

• Highly curated and styled.
• Perfect lighting, attractive models, carefully chosen locations.
• Often leans into luxury or emotional aspiration.
  

Purpose:

• Evokes desire — “I want to live like that.”
• Works best for brands that sell transformation, confidence, or status.
  

Example:

A glossy magazine shot of friends on a luxury boat, wearing designer sunglasses.

Contextual Product Shots

What it is:

The product shown in use — placed in a natural or relevant context.

Style:

• Focuses more on the product than people.
• Simple, often used in e-commerce or product-driven campaigns.
• May feature hands or partial figures rather than full lifestyle scenes.
  

Purpose:

• Demonstrates functionality.
• Helps customers understand how and where the product fits in.
  

Example:

A close-up of a hand holding a smartphone while checking messages at a café.

Quick Takeaway

• Lifestyle photography = authenticity.
• Aspirational imagery = desire.
• Contextual shots = practicality.
  

Glenn’s images were contextual — they showed the finished product in real homes, creating authenticity and trust. His consistency over time built recognition, trust, and word-of-mouth referrals.

The final takeaway: Whether you’re a tradie, café owner, or service provider, your images aren’t just decoration. They’re proof, personality, and persuasion — all rolled into one.