Feedback on Kit Photo Composition and Style

[adam]

For those who've been here for a while, you'll know that we've been constantly playing around with the composition and style of the photos we use to show off our kits.

I don't mind admitting they were pretty awful when I started doing the photos, but, with a few pointers from some Pros, they improved dramatically.

I've now asked my Brother, Mark, who is a professional photographer, to re-shoot every kit (around 104 at current count). Obviously this will be a big job, so you will see new photos being added all the time.

Anyhoo, we really want to know what style and composition of the kits you think best shows them off to a potential customer. Bear in mind that a lot of customers are be seeing these pics on their phone or tablet.

This is the "Flat" style that we used when we first began. It's also a pretty common approach from other kit companies, including the Chinese.

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We then went to a dark blue background and shot from the front:

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The most recent photos are from the front, but with a white background (and with much improved lighting)

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Personally, I feel the white works best with our site, which is predominantly white. It looks the cleanest and most professional.

So, here's Mark's first test shot from today, with the same composition as above, just much, much better. You'll see that these new photos show everything that is included in the kit, which we hope will put a stop to the many emails we get asking if the kits come with pots/caps/output jack/etc...

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So, please, tell us what you think. Maybe you've seen something on another site that you really like, or you have your own ideas. We'd really appreciate your feedback.

P.S. for anyone into great photography, please check out Mark's photographs on his site: http://www.markboyle.com.au/

[DrNomis_44]

For me, the new kit photos seem to be a bit more easier on the eye than previous photos, they look sharper with better contrast especially when you click on them to get a magnified view.


As a side note, are you planning on making more demo videos for more PBG kits, like the ones for the Strat, SV and Tele kits?

[tonyw]

I used to work as a photographer for Newcastle Photogaphics in another life, and we did alot of catolog shoots, and the way your brother laid out the guitar and used the white background is the best way to do it, gives it a 3D effect, nice work.

[andrewdosborne]

Agree, prefer the new shot. It has some dimension to it and clear layout of the kit components.

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

[stan]

new style looks great, he does a nice job

[wokkaboy]

Hi Ads,
yes I agree with the others run with the new photo with the white background.
Might pay to put the less important parts that you need close up detail like the lead, wiring and strings towards the back and the parts bag (screws, pots, caps etc) toward the front then the buyer will get more idea what is in the parts bag and hopefully less emails to you asking what's included in the kit as you mention.
I'd say most buyers are most interested in viewing the bridge, tuners and pickups, and the body and neck are clearly viewed as they are

[zeromick]

Yeah, cant beat a seamless background and a nice bright fill flash for product shots.
Im saying that as a fan of the silk sheets and satin throw pillow shots as well

[adam]

Thanks for the comments guys, very helpful. Good to see we have some pro photographers amongst the membership.

White background it is.

Good point about placement of the important parts Wokka, we will do that. We will still have all of the individual component shots in the "Gallery" section, but I guess not everyone views all of those, especially on their phone.

Zeromick, please, tell us more about your silk sheets and sating throw pillow obsession... sounds intriguing. Is that called "Manchester-porn"?

[Tweaky]

The white background works well with the Rick style kit, as the different colour of the body stands out, it's clean and easy to discern what you are getting in the kit.

The layout design looks great, can't fault it, and the beauty is it's a lot better than every other kit supplier, and therefore it makes Pitbull Guitars look like a much more professional company to deal with.

Having a uniform design layout for all the kits is great, and it makes it easy to compare them.

But, in saying that, I don't think white background shows up exactly what you are getting with the lighter maple capped bodies though, the figuring on the tops isn't immediately visible.
When you say most people will most likely be viewing these photos via a phone, you want to make sure people know these bodies have figured tops ASAP, otherwise they will think Pitbull kits are the same as everybody else's, and just skip through the photos.

Unless they are especially eagle eyed, they are going to need to enlarge the photo to see this, and even then, the figuring in the top isn't that obvious.

So maybe a slight change in the modelling layout, or lighting / background to emphasis better this fact might be the way to go on kits that have this element to them, or I suppose you could leave the background white and do some selective burning and dodging in Lightroom or Photoshop of the guitar tops so the figuring is more pronounced....but IMHO even then it would still get lost in the background to a large extent, or change the bodies colour so much people might think the guitars have been pre stained.

Just my 2c

[wokkaboy]

Tweaky if you read the description on each guitar kit it usually describes what the body is made of and if there is a veneer of some sort. Some kits have a finished photo at the bottom as well so any figuring should be more obvious on the stained finished axe

[Tweaky]

Have you watched people shop on the internet via a phone ?
Most take a 'Hit & Run' approach....find a site, quick look, if they 'think' they SEE what they want, then they stop and read the details, otherwise they are off elsewhere within seconds.

I live very close to the Sydney CBD [within 2km ], I see this sort of thing happening on a packed bus twice every day.
Plus I have to hear every possible connotation of new marketing strategies at invited dinner parties my other half drags me to....thank God I have the ability to turn off

Your dealing with a generation with incredibly short attention spans, you need to grab their attention and keep it till they find out why you are better than somebody else....there is a lot of competition that will if Pitbull doesn't

Hence my suggestions

[zeromick]

Zeromick, please, tell us more about your silk sheets and sating throw pillow obsession... sounds intriguing. Is that called "Manchester-porn"?

haha, I can assure you as a member of the AIPP, everything I shoot is above board!

I might have to use some next time I finish a guitar build hehe

[dingobass]

Too funny, Zero :)

Back to the subject of the pics, A big well done to Mark.
Having taken the time to look at Marks web site I have to say his photography is right up there with some of the best.
When I was at Art School, I had the privilege of studying under one of the Yellow Houses protégés, Jon Lewis.
Marks photos are in the same league.

And when you consider that the average age of our customer base is the over 40's, all the relevent info is there.
So with the adjustments that our Woks suggested, I feel that the nail has been well and truly hit right on the head.

[zeromick]

Too funny, Zero :)
When I was at Art School, I had the privilege of studying under one of the Yellow Houses protégés, Jon Lewis.


wait... Jon Lewis, black and white master/ founder of GP aus Jon Lewis?

[Tweaky]

haha, I can assure you as a member of the AIPP, everything I shoot is above board!

I might have to use some next time I finish a guitar build hehe

Was this one of your shots ?
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[dingobass]

wait... Jon Lewis, black and white master/ founder of GP aus Jon Lewis?

Thats the one.
Jons approach to photography is surreal, he is one of those naturally gifted photographers who can take shots without even looking down the view finder.
I was so fortunate to study under him when he was at Goulbourn TAFE in the '90s.
He gave so freely and was one of the most encouraging teachers I ever knew.
http://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2002.21/jon-lewis

[tonyw]

Its not what you see in the lense its what you capture in your head

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[dingobass]

Jonny used to say something similar.

[adam]

But, in saying that, I don't think white background shows up exactly what you are getting with the lighter maple capped bodies though, the figuring on the tops isn't immediately visible.
When you say most people will most likely be viewing these photos via a phone, you want to make sure people know these bodies have figured tops ASAP, otherwise they will think Pitbull kits are the same as everybody else's, and just skip through the photos.


Hey Tweaky, couldn't agree more. That was my instruction to Mark, "you have to show the grain on the body".

I couldn't do it, because I'm not a skilled photographer. But Mark will be able to do this and maintain a consistent white background across all the kits.

I'll ask Mark to do the LP-1/LP-1M next so we can see how that looks. This one is very difficult, as it's not until you "pop" the flame maple that you can really see it.

FYI, he will use a Black square to photograph anything that is pure white, like our white pickguards and the Quick Start Guide and Welcome Letter that comes with the kits.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Maddogm]

And when you consider that the average age of our customer base is the over 40's, all the relevent info is there.

That makes me one of the youngsters. Bonus.

[GeneralKaos]

Yeah, but I help skew the average toward the higher end of the scale......

[Tweaky]

Hey Tweaky, couldn't agree more. That was my instruction to Mark, "you have to show the grain on the body".

I couldn't do it, because I'm not a skilled photographer. But Mark will be able to do this and maintain a consistent white background across all the kits.

I'll ask Mark to do the LP-1/LP-1M next so we can see how that looks. This one is very difficult, as it's not until you "pop" the flame maple that you can really see it.

FYI, he will use a Black square to photograph anything that is pure white, like our white pickguards and the Quick Start Guide and Welcome Letter that comes with the kits.

Thanks for the feedback.

All he has to do is spray a little water on the top to make it pop for the photo, no harm done to guitar....get the shot

[keloooe]

That makes me one of the youngsters. Bonus.

With me being like 3 months from 18.... Do I even qualify as youngster of the forum?

[wokkaboy]

hell yeah Pest, when you turn 18 you can vote, drink and are officially an adult

until then I can't pour you a beer at the NW bar till you are 18 bro !

[dingobass]

Still a puppy, Pestybitz :)

[keloooe]

Still a puppy, Pestybitz :)

And I always will be :D

[tonyw]

17yo oh yeh i remember

[wazkelly]

17yo oh yeh i remember
Me too, but that was last century.

[DrNomis_44]

I remember when I was 18, my mum bought me a Sterling Silver Signet ring, I'm 46 now and turning 47 in August this year, my god, where oh where did my youth go?

[dingobass]

As I approach the big five oh, I ask the same question Doc...

I now understand why my 96 year old Grandfather says "Youth is wasted on the young"........

[tonyw]

I got a little bit of age on you DB but i still remain very active.

[dave.king1]

17yo oh yeh i remember

I don't it was over half a century ago :(

[adam]

The new photos are going up. Looks like we'll average about 5 per week, it's a time consuming process. At over 100 kits this may take 6 months.

I'm really happy with the results so far (except of course that my Brother is showing me up!)

Here's the ES-1G... check out how good the "gold" hardware looks at the front.

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The new pics will have our logo in the top right corner.

Mark doesn't like the logo in the shot, but I think that may be coming from the Photographer's perspective (ruining the great shot and all that). What do you think? Keep it? Lose it?

From a business perspective, it will show up in searches and reinforce our "brand" as visitors browse our site. From an aesthetic POV I can see Mark's point.

What do you think?

[Dedman]

I'd keep it because if people save the pic and share it , it becomes a business card. You could always give it some perspective in Photoshop

[Dedman]

I don't it was over half a century ago :(


Ditto :D Did way too ...oh never mind

[Dedman]

Adam,
All I did here was keep the top in line with the top of the frame and pulled the right hand end down so it followed the line of the neck a bit more.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/Dedman/ES-1G-001-modded_zps8w0bxgsm.jpg

[adam]

Thanks Deadman, interesting perspective (get it, "perspective"? hello?? *crickets* nevermind)

[Dedman]

*tish boom*

[Fuzzbeard]

I'm with dedman the logo needs to stay, so if someone searches google images for guitar kits they will get a well presented image with the pitbull logo on it, and upon further searching they will end up here.

[Sundragon]

As a Photographer with a business brain, I strongly believe the logo needs to stay.
Make sure that the images are tagged with the correct SEO info so they show up on google and image searches and you have a very good brand building strategy.