Smart Photography Tips for Social Media Success

(Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash)

In today’s digital-first world, compelling visuals are the backbone of effective social media marketing. Whether you’re promoting a product, showcasing a service or highlighting your team culture, the right photo can make all the difference in engagement and brand perception. But taking social media photos isn’t just about snapping a quick shot. It requires planning, attention to detail and compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Below are practical tips for business owners and marketing leaders to ensure your social media photos are both visually appealing and professionally responsible.

Understand the Power of Lighting

Lighting can make or break a photo. Natural light is often your best friend, but it needs to be managed carefully.

• Avoid Harsh Backlighting: If sunlight is behind your subject, it can create silhouettes and wash out details. Position subjects so the light falls on their face or front side without causing the individuals to squint.
• Golden Hour Advantage: Early morning or late afternoon provides soft, flattering light that enhances colors and reduces harsh shadows. Despite what many think, a slightly cloudy day that still has some sun is actually a great outdoor environment for photos. Those blue sky, sunny days aren’t ideal for photoshoots.
• Indoor Lighting: If shooting indoors, use diffused light sources and avoid overhead fluorescent lights that can cast unflattering shadows.

Pro Tip: Always check how the photo looks on a smartphone screen before posting—what looks good on a digital camera might appear too dark or bright on mobile devices. If you’re taking photos on a smartphone, you can also play with the filters to see which looks best on your selected images.

Secure Permission Before Posting

Using photos without proper consent can lead to legal issues and damage trust. Here’s what you need to consider:

• Customer Permission: If your photo includes customers, obtain written consent before posting. A simple photo release form works well when you first engage with the customer. They may even wish to be tagged in the photos. Ask what the customer is most comfortable with.
• Event Photography: For large events, include a photo release clause in registration forms and display signage stating that photography taken at the event may be used in social media and other promotional uses.
• Employee Photos: Get employees’ approval in writing to use photos featuring them, especially if employees are featured prominently. Some may prefer not to appear on public platforms. Securing employee permission upfront also allows you to continuing to use their photos, after they retire or move on to other opportunities. 

Special Considerations for Minors

Children under 18 require extra caution.

• Parental Consent: Always obtain written permission from a parent or guardian before posting any photo featuring a minor.
• Avoid Sensitive Contexts: Do not post photos that could compromise a child’s privacy or safety, such as school locations or personal identifiers.
• Group Shots: Even in group settings, ensure every child’s parent has signed a release form.

Professional Photographer Images

If you hire a professional photographer, clarify usage rights upfront:

• Include a Usage Clause: Your contract should specify whether you have full rights to use the images on social media, your website and marketing materials.
• Duration and Scope: Define whether rights are perpetual or time-limited, and whether they include paid ads or third-party platforms.
• Credit Requirements: Some photographers require attribution. Confirm if and how the credit should appear in photo captions

Composition and Branding

Your photos should reflect your brand identity:

• Consistent Style: Use similar color tones, filters and framing to maintain a cohesive look across platforms.
• Background Matters: Avoid cluttered or distracting backgrounds. A clean, branded backdrop works best.
• Show Authenticity: Candid shots often perform better than overly staged photos. Capture real moments that align with your brand story.

Optimize for Each Platform

Different platforms have different image requirements:

• Aspect Ratios: Instagram favors square or vertical images, while LinkedIn prefers horizontal.
• Resolution: Use good resolution images to avoid pixelation, but compress files for faster loading. However, you do not need print-quality resolution on social media (or websites). Too high of resolution causes the photos to load to slow for most people’s patience.

Here’s a little more on resolution that I’ve shared over the years with clients. Why resolution do you need: 72 dots per inch (dpi), 150 dpi or 300 dpi? Dots per inch (dpi) is used for print, while pixels per inch is used for the web and lines per inch is used for video. When printing, you really need files to be 300 dpi so that the files will print crisply and clearly. You likely have seen a print out where the image looks fuzzy or “grainy”. That’s likely because the image was only 72 dpi. That said, for web and social media purposes, 72-150 dpi images are just fine, if they look crisp on your smartphone and desktop.

• Text Overlays: If adding text, ensure it’s legible on mobile and doesn’t obscure key visual elements. A minimum of 12 point font is typically cited for good legibility.