Why 10 photos are enough
You can start a website without a professional shoot. Which 10 photos you need, and three rules for shooting on your phone.
We often hear "I can't build it yet because I don't have photos." But the first version of a website needs fewer photos than you think, and most of them can be taken on a phone. Launching with 10 photos and swapping them later is far better than waiting months for photos.
The 10 photos you need
- 1 of the outside: in daylight, with the sign visible
- 2 of the entrance and interior: from the direction a customer sees when walking in
- 4 of your main menu items or work: focus on your best sellers
- 1 of you working or serving customers: seeing people builds trust
- 1 detail shot: a close-up of ingredients, tools or hands
- 1 of you or your team: if showing your face feels awkward, your back or hands are fine
Three rules for shooting on your phone
First, shoot in daylight by a window. Night photos under fluorescent lights look dull. Second, shoot horizontally. The first screen of a website is wide, so vertical photos get cropped. Third, step back and don't crop when you shoot. You need empty space to place text on.
A photo's job is proof
Website photos are not there to look pretty. They are there to show that your shop is real. That is why a real photo beats a stock image, even if it is a little rough. Search engines also read a description (alt text) for each photo, so if you write one line about what each photo shows, it can appear in image search too.
Launch with 10 photos first, and once you get more customers, add the "AI image creation" option or book a separate shoot. Do it the other way around and your launch gets delayed.