How to Take Catalog Quality Pictures

Before we get into this, I just want to reinforce that you don’t need special equipment.  I prefer an iPhone.  It takes awesome pictures plus it’s super easy to text or email the photo to whoever might need it. 

Taking a good picture can have a surprising effect on your revenue.  Customers often base their purchasing decisions on what the plant looks like in your picture.  The goal is to represent the quality that the customer is most likely to receive as accurately as possible.  If the picture isn’t good, it might cost you the sale.  If it looks too good or above grade, you risk issuing a credit when they are disappointed when what you ship doesn’t match the photo.   

Here are some of my tips and strategies for taking a great picture. 

1.       Chose the average plant in the crop.  You can’t control exactly how the order is pulled and replacing plants on the dock is costly.  By choosing the average quality/size plant, your customer is basing their purchasing decision on the quality they are most likely to receive.

2.       Frame it with the background.  To show the shape and definition, you’ve got to make sure that the background is free of plants of the same color.  The easiest way is to take it into the roadway and shoot the photo down the roadway. 

3.       Make it level.  Even on a roadway, it’s common to be on uneven ground where you’re taking pictures.  An unlevel pot can give the appearance that the plant is crooked in the pot.  The easiest way to adjust for uneven ground is to shim up the pot with a couple rocks to make it level.

4.       Keep the phone level and at the right height. 

a.       Don’t tilt the phone side to side.  It should be even to the horizon if possible because people can tell and it gives an unpleasant effect to the picture. 

b.       The height of the camera needs to be centered on the plant.  Some try to get artistic with it by getting too low or are lazy and don’t get low enough.  Both mistakes make it hard to convey the actual height and spec of the plant. 

c.       Be cognizant of the forward/backward tilt as well.  iPhone cameras are amazing but the autofocus creates a funhouse mirror effect that can mess up the picture.    

5.       Angle for good lighting but watch shadows.  The ideal lighting is with the sun behind you.  At certain angles are okay, it doesn’t have to be full on.  Just avoid shooting into the sun as it will mess up the picture, plant coloring, background, etc.  Try not to get your shadow in the picture (or iPhone shadow).

6.       Tidy the plant.  Remove any grass, weeds, moss, dead leaves, and trimmings out of the branches and pot. 

7.       Clean background and foreground.  You don’t have to be obsessive about this but should avoid having dead plants, weeds, or puddles in the background.  Make sure your car isn’t in the picture as well.

8.       Choose a clean pot.  Again, don’t get obsessive but just try to pick a nicer pot when you have the opportunity.  I would not wash pots or switch out a clean pot for the photo.  It’s just unnecessary effort.  I’ve never lost a sale because of a dirty pot. 

9.       Rotate the plant.

a.       Rotate the plant to show how balanced, full, etc. it is.  Even a wonderful plant can look odd if you do this wrong. 

b.       When possible, show the logo.  If you’re advertising a branded pot like First Editions or Proven Winners, try to show the logo up front.  These companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing so take advantage of it!

10.  Using a grading stick. 

a.       A good grading stick should make it very easy to see the scale of the plant. Marking each foot is essential (and inches are even more helpful!)

b.       If it’s for an actual catalog or online marketplace listing, I prefer to just show the plant in its entirety without grading sticks or people in the picture so the purpose of the photo is important.

c.       If it’s for a customer or an availability mailing, it’s a great idea to have a grading stick in the picture to show scale. If it’s a spreading juniper or something graded by width, my strategy is typically to lay the grading stick on the ground directly in front of the plant and center it up to show scale.  I’ve tried a few ways and this presents the best. For upright shrubs, arbs, trees, etc. set the grading stick on top of the soil and prop it up in the foliage.

d.       If it’s a larger plant, tree, whatever, it’s a great idea to have someone photograph you holding the grading stick in the picture.  It shows scale and also helps build your brand.  Just remember to smile for the photo! Grumpy salespeople have skinny kids.

11.  Time of day for photos. I try to avoid sunsets and sunrises because the bright colors can make the plants look off color.  Otherwise, I will take pictures in any weather at any time of day.  iPhones are wonderful things.  Rain, snow- none of it seems to make much of a difference. 

12.  Never edit anything.  Do not adjust the coloring or tint of your photographs.  Do not brighten it.  Do not photoshop anything.  Just show the picture as earnestly as possible. 

13.  Choose the right aspect ratio and keep it uniform.  For me, I like to just use the default iPhone ratio.  It works well for most plants, and you need a uniform size/ratio for any catalogs and availability mailings.  Plus, people will likely be looking at your photos on their phones.  The only one that is a little challenging to shoot that way are spreading junipers.  My strategy there is just to center it up as well as possible and I don’t mind cutting off a little bit of the branch tips if it’s a little overgrown as long as it portrays the plant honestly. 

In Closing

These are just a few of the strategies that I use to take catalog quality pictures and wanted to share.  Ultimately, the goal of a good photo is to give your customer a good idea of what they're buying so they're super happy when the plants reach their dock. This increases sales, reduces credit risks, and builds customer satisfaction!

At Standard Nursery, we LOVE supporting our Growers. That’s why we created an exclusive Sales Support program to help their Brokers and Outside Sales Reps sell more plants with confidence. By providing instant access to fresh, organized photos of current material, we make it easy to showcase quality and drive orders. More visibility, less guesswork, stronger sales.

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