GoBC Newsletter

Newsletter February 2011

Thursday Feb 24, 2011

First Impressions Count
Have a look how the "Inn of the Sea Resort" replaced their existing pictures with photos taken by a professional photographer. What a difference! View the before-and-after comparison, which illustrates the importance of promoting your business with professional photography.

Finding a Photographer
What to look for when you choose a photographer and where to start looking.



First Impressions Count
Online and in print, an image speaks louder than words. You may have taken great pains to describe your accommodations, tours or activities, but do the accompanying photos give your customers confidence that they are making the right choice?

Ask yourself how much your product contributes to the success of someone’s vacation. Accommodations, for example, may well be the single biggest expense your customer incurs. Do your photos convey to customers that you care about their needs and offer pleasant surroundings? Trips and tours are excursions into the unknown that are meant to create lasting memories - worry-free. Do your photos create excitement as well as communicate professionalism and instill trust?

If you are not sure of the value of professional pictures, take a look at this comparison between amateur and professional images:
Click here for before image
Click here for after image

We recommend that you put your best foot forward with professional photography. Your customers deserve it and your business will benefit.

Finding a Photographer
Before engaging a photographer, you will want to compare services, price and experience. Most photographers will have a website which can give you a good idea about their work. You may also ask for samples in print or electronically. Many professionals offer references or at least testimonials from customers.

Make sure you will receive the photos in a format that you can work with. You may want high resolution photos to be used for print products. Depending on your computer's capabilities, these may need to be delivered to you on CD. Lower resolution versions can be used in electronic format online, such as in your GoBC listing. The photographer can provide those, too, in case you don't have a program that allows you to work with large image files.

As well as looking in the yellow pages or asking other businesses for referrals, check out GoBC's listings! Many photographers who have listings on GoBC are both, artists and commercial photographers. You might just find one near you. Follow this link to look for photographers on GoBC: http://www.gobc.ca/british-columbia/photography/