Committing Professional Suicide with a Camera

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until the horror stops (Aren't I melodramatic today!) 

It is professional suicide to use bad images on your printed materials and online. By "bad" I mean doing what I've seen many artists and business owners do (really truly):  They stand in front of the image they want to capure with a cell phone (or other) camera, snap a picture, and use it on their websites and printed materials.  Ack!!! 

Totally okay if your art is to take photos with a cell phone. But that's

not what I'm talking about. By "bad" I also mean dragging the thing out into the living room, shining a light on it, and then cropping the skewed image in Photoshop to make it look square. Double ack!!

You're running a business, it's all about presenting yourself and your business the best way possible. Why oh why would you want to use images that is less than absolutely fabulous? Think of it this way: Would you want your images displayed at a gallery with no lighting, where they hang your work far below or far above eye level, where they make everyone stand to the side, and view the work from behind dirty tinted glass? Well, that's what you're making them do when you use poor images of your work in your printed materials and online.

Visually promoting your business starts with great images. Everything. Professional, quality images and scans.

I'm not saying spend a fortune, just spend enough to get a great image. You can do it yourself IF you know what you're doing (you have the skills of a professional photographer), or save the time and angst and have a photographer or an artwork scanning service do it. Remember about the opportunity cost. It costs something to save a few bucks (like your time in the studio, time with your family, missed opportunities.) If you're not in this to become a professional photographer, maybe it's better left to the pros, ya know.
 

All my best to you and yours,

~Robin