My #1 Tip for Photographing a Website Banner

I’ve had several clients lament to me recently that figuring out their website banner photo has been super tricky. They said any photo that they would try looked too busy with text over it, or wasn’t wide enough, or was too zoomed in on the product that it didn’t really convey what they needed it to, etc. Often times they said they couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but it just wasn’t right.

These are legitimate concerns and if you aren’t used to shooting web banners I can see how it would be hard to figure out what works without taking a photo and turning around to plug it into the website over and over until one fits correctly.

I’m glad they brought this frustration to me because I want to help take the guessing out of it and give you a big tip that will give you clarity on how to shoot a web banner that works!

Ready? Here’s my tip: SIMPLIFY. Yep, it’s as simple as that. 😉See what I did there? 😂

Here’s a little more depth on what I mean and a couple of ways to put this tip into practical use.

Website banners are partly there to entice you to keep scrolling through the website, partly to set a mood for your brand, partly to announce what you are all about and what that specific page contains.

They are typically somewhere between a 1:4 to a 1:2 ratio which means that they are at least twice as wide as they are tall if not four times wider than they are tall (basically think wide, and then add more 😆)

Website banner shot for my own brand

In addition, they oftentimes have text or a logo imposed on top of them so if the image is too busy, the text gets lost or is just too hard to read.

One way to make your text stand out is to simplify the subject, but you can also simplify the color.

When you are setting up your banner shot, think about what color of text will go over the photo and the placement of it (center, right, or left). Then arrange the photo so that the main colors in it will contrast with the text and arrange the product in such a way to even leave blank space where the text will appear.

Website banner shot for Only Oatmeal Cookie Creations

For instance, let’s say you plan to have your text on the left margin and you want it to be black. Use a white (or light-colored) background for your photo and arrange some product on the right side of the shot, but leave the left side blank.

This brings me to mention that one of the easiest ways to control exactly where you put the product in the image and what color your backdrop is, is by shooting a flat lay image for your web banner.

You can keep things interesting by standing some product up and laying some on its side but don’t overdo it with too many props or products. Remember, KEEP IT SIMPLE!

…And when in doubt, hire a professional brand photographer 😉

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