7 tips for your professional practice photo shoot
Show your practice in a favorable light
How do most patients find out about your practice? These days, usually through the internet. And that’s where you have to give them the opportunity to get to know your practice and your team. You should leave this task in the hands of a photographer experienced in practice photography.
Professional photos form the basis for good marketing media. People take notice of pictures much faster than texts. In the overall practice communication – from the website to the practice brochure – good photos decide whether or not patients take a close look at your performance spectrum. Individual pictures of your team and your facilities convey an authentic feeling of what patients can expect in your practice.
1. Put your trust in a professional
- Many years of experience in practice photography.
- In-depth knowledge of legal matters.
- A unique feel for what your patients want to see – such as atmosphere, professional expertise, high quality, customer and team satisfaction.
- A feel for the atmosphere in which you and your team feel relaxed – you and your team will look happy and authentic.
- Optimal adaptability to the circumstances and to what’s unique about your practice.
2. Which motifs do you need
- If possible, you should take a tour of the practice rooms with the photographer before the photo shoot and discuss the right settings. This will allow the photographer to plan the right lighting and perspectives.
Which rooms show your practice in the best light? The reception area, the waiting room? - Decide in advance whether you want your staff to be in the pictures or whether you prefer architectural shots. You should bear in mind that people will make the practice appear warmer and more lively.
- A portrait should be taken of each staff member and doctor.
- 1 to 2 additional team photos.
- Doctor – patient consultation (without equipment).
- Service situation between staff member and patient (for example while explaining something or handing over practice material).
- A few atmospheric shots that show prominent or distinctive areas of your practice.
3. Which motifs do you NOT need?
“The bait must attract the fish, not the fisherman”. Think about what your patients want to see and not what you want to show them.
- Do not show treatment situation; most patients don’t like thinking about the treatment.
- Avoid showing equipment that may look threatening to your patients.
- No photos of doctors wearing surgical gowns or face masks.
- No photos of the treatment room with an empty chair
4. What is often forgotten
Your photos will be used for a few years and, of course, you don’t want to run into legal problems with the images. Before the photo shoot, you should therefore check a few things in your practice.
- Calendars with dates should not appear in the picture.
- Remove third-party advertising, e.g. packaging, products, logos, brochures and posters.
- The background should not be too busy – too many pictures on the walls, untidy shelves, broken lights, colorful objects etc.
- Do not take pictures of works of art, paintings, photographs or sculptures that are protected by copyright.
- Obtain the rights to use the photos from everyone. We have included a sample document at the end of this article.
5. Proper preparation
Oops, the photographer is here. To make sure that this doesn’t happen, you should prepare yourself and your team for the photo shoot. Let people know about the date and discuss it with them. It is difficult to do a photo shoot while everyone is working. If possible, arrange for the photo shoot to take place outside office hours, so that no strangers are in the photos and neither the staff nor the photo shoot is disrupted.
CLOTHING
- The team should wear work clothing – simple and friendly, same style and light colors – with practice logo where applicable.
- Patients should wear discreet colors and no extravagant patterns, i.e. chic-casual, authentic and neat.
- All clothing should be clean and ironed before the shoot.
FITTINGS AND DECORATION
The practice rooms and furnishings should be friendly, clean and tidy and match the corporate design of the practice. Decorations should be simple and discreet and emphasize a friendly practice ambiance. Remember, less is more.
- Get fresh flowers and understated vases that match the corporate design, preferably white china or white frosted glass.
- Get other decorations that match the corporate design of the practice, e.g. display frames, pictures, magazines, notepads, pens and certificates.
- Make sure that interior and decoration match and that the rooms are clean and tidy (if necessary, buy cleaning products prior to the photo shoot).
WELL-BEING
To make sure that everyone involved feels happy and comfortable on the day of the photo shoot, have some refreshments and snacks ready. Depending on the size of your practice, a photo shoot can take a whole day.
6. Where will you use the photos?
You want the photos look good on your website or in your brochure, so make sure that the graphic artist and the photographer talk about where the images will be used before they are taken. This will allow the photographer to make sure that the pictures are suitable for the layout, e.g. portrait or landscape images?
7. Invest in a make-up artist
Even if you don’t usually wear make-up, a little bit of make-up or face powder can be very helpful. It also boosts people’s confidence when a professional prepares the shoot.
Now you are very well prepared for your photo shoot. Just say “cheese” and click…
DOWNLOAD our sample documents here:
