Moving Pictures
posted on 27th of april, 2007
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| An industry that involves big trucks, banks and emotional trauma needs images to illustrate its goods and services. Americans change locations on average every five years. Standard business leases are often for five years or less. I am about to cart everything I own, two cats and 2,000 books from one side of the US to the other. Moving is on my mind. |
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| Images that symbolize starting a new life in a new home are used to illustrate concepts like "future", "security" and "caring." A business move can mean growth, progress and opportunity. The next time someone asks you to help him or her move, bring your camera. Those photos could be good ones. |
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| The first step in hiring a mover requires a meeting where the salesman convinces the movee that his services will make the experience as smooth as a walk across the room. Above I've shown an image that could be used to illustrate a couple happy with the materials that have been left behind by a salesperson. I could only find a few images on Dreamstime of a salesperson in a living room with a couple. This image has implication for use for a multitude of services and companies not just moving services. |
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| Trucks of all sizes without logos or company names, provide a canvas for messages or branding. Four wheelers speeding down the highway work as visuals for any kind of trucking industry. Or one can move the stuff by yourself as the enterprising fellow above has done. (Humorous images are often used to illustrate the opposite of what a company can provide.) |
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| On the scene shots of the actual move are used by more than moving firms. Banks want to show families moving into new homes or apartments as part of their financial services for mortgages and personal borrowing. Manufacturers of packing materials, boxes and tape sometimes use stock photos as the "hero" images for their webpages. |
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| Families who are happily settled into their new home or apartment are used extensively in the real estate world. I see similar images in brochures for moving companies and all the businesses related to the big move. |
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| New members of a community are deluged with brochures from furniture stores, decorating consultants and lawn services. Hardware stores and banks all want to welcome the new residents' purchases to the neighborhood. The copy almost always says, "Welcome Home." |
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| Traditionally these pieces carry images of totally put together homes designed to arrive in the new mailbox just about the time that the chaos of unpacking has reached its peak. Looking up from a brochure featuring a stylish room to see one's own furniture upended and the partially unpacked belongings scattered throughout could be just enough to cause anyone to run to the phone to hire a decorator. |
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| Tips: |
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Empty office space. Add some boxes or a solitary chair. Or a person with blueprints for a build-out. The feeling is of a company moving in or out. Locations are a bit problematic. But perhaps you can contact a commercial leasing company and ask if you can take photos for them in exchange for an hour or so in an empty space. Better yet contact a friend that is moving their business or is in the business of commercial space leasing |
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Images of a business move with lots of computers etc |
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Need salesperson in home speaking to a couple |
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Use people of all ages. Seniors downsize. Young families move into bigger spaces. |
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Take pictures of rooms in disarray as packing or unpacking takes place. Bring your camera when someone wants you to help him or her move. Document your own move. |
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Loading and unloading of the moving truck. Get model releases from those mover guys. |
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Moving isn't at all fun. Show the mess, the exhaustion and the disruption. |
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Tags: images move moving topic
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Comments (2)
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I'm moving to a new working place on this 1th may, guess i will be holding my camera and left the heavy things for my colleague ha ha... thanks for the new idea. - posted by
Mailthepic
on April 27, 2007 |
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my cousin just made the opposite move you will be making. she moved from california to tennessee. things were so crazy and i didn't even have my camera. what a shame, i could have filled up the library with images. great ideas though. i had not thought about it but my house "looks" like i am moving all the time so i may take advantage of that!! - posted by
Denisebeverly
on April 27, 2007 |
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This article has been read 4726 times.
Photo credits: Bartosz Ostrowski, Brian Mcentire, Theodor38, Mirela Schenk, Elena Elisseeva, Nouubon, Rmarmion, Edyta Pawlowska, Ron Chapple Studios, Graça Victoria, Yuri Arcurs, Galina Barskaya, Billyfoto, Linda & Colin Mckie, Hamed Elgendy, Dreamstime.com Agency. |
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Ellen Boughn, a veteran of the stock photography industry with over 30 years
of experience gives expertise tips on successful stock.
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Ellen Boughn
(Boughn)
Bainbridge Island, US
I am Dreamstime's Director of Content and Business Development. A long time stock industry professional, I have held executive positions at Corbis and Getty (Stone) as well as at several other large US agencies. Although I was given my first camera when I was six years old by my father, I gave up taking pictures when I became a photo editor. A lifetime of looking at the best work from some of the world's best photographers, made me realize my skills were in editing images, not taking them. My areas of expertise are content and business development.
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