Monthly Newsletter - Google Insider Tips, Inspiration, and Google News - Tommy Daspit Photographer by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

Today I launched the first in what will be a monthly newsletter. The goal is to provide some useful information on how to use Google more effectively for business, Google insider info, inspiration, and some behind the scenes action of Tommy Daspit Photographer. Tommy Daspit - Google My Business Tips Newsletter

In this month's letter I walk you through claiming your businesses Google + Local page. This helps with SEO and allows you to better connect with existing and potential customers!

This month's featured business is The Sonnet House!

Click here to read the newsletter online. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list just shoot me an email and I'll get you going!

 

Why Professional Restaurant and Food Photography? by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

In the not too distant past succeeding in the restaurant business required a great location, food, and reputation. Make a better soup and the world would beat a path to your door. Ambiance certainly played a role but you could still be successful with a top chef with inspired recipes. 

Today’s restaurants often turn to events and catering to fill in the gaps of their normal breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend rushes. Word of mouth has transformed into your reputation online. How has your restaurant been reviewed? What is your rating? 

To help with that online presence, a restaurant must now have a website. That website needs to be engaging and appealing to a restaurant customer making decisions in the blink of an eye. People will make a judgment about your business, whether or not to dine at your restaurant, within milliseconds of your homepage loading. 

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One way of capturing their attention, of holding them that extra second, of getting them to actually look more into what your restaurant is about, it to have amazing photography. In this Instagram generation photos are king. People love photos of food. They take pictures of their food. They share these photos with their friends. They comment on the photos their friends have taken of their food. It can seem a little silly at times but this is the way we communicate with each other now.

Because of the explosion of low quality cell phone pics of food, when a consumer sees a real, high quality, crafted photograph, it captures their attention. It will hold them a second longer. This is why quality professional photography of your restaurant and food is so important.  If you want to differentiate your establishment from the masses. If you want the perception of your entrees to be above the average, then you need better photos.

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Whether it is with me, or someone else, take the time and budget for a quality professional photographer. Your bottom line will thank you for it!

View more of my restaurant and food portfolio. Click the thumbnail to view larger image.

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Danberry at Inverness - Hoover, AL Assisted Living and Retirement Community by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

When I retire, Danberry at Inverness is the kind of place where I would want to be! Located in-between Valleydale Rd and Hwy 280 in Hoover, is the most amazing retirement community you will ever find in the Birmingham area. The facilities are modern and feel like a luxury resort. They have an art studio, exercise facility, a bar, library, screened in back porch, out door dining, nail and hair salons, massage, swimming, a conference room, medical facilities, private dining, a fire pit, and much more. From the very first time I walked in I was amazed at how nice the place is. I actually overheard on resident say that she’d “already died and gone to heaven” it was so nice at Danberry!

For me, this was an exciting photographic challenge. For the Google Maps Virtual tour, this would be the largest place I’d ever attempted to create a tour of. I knew it would be challenging but I was up for the task! One thing that made it so much easier was all of then cheerful help I got from Lori Krueger (Marketing/Sales Manager) and her team. They worked tirelessly to help make sure each shot and each panorama was perfect. It would have a much more difficult task without them assisting!

Speaking of Lori and her team, I was really impressed on how each staff member knew each residents name and called them by it. There was a real sense of caring and attention to the needs, both comfort and social, of everyone who calls Danberry home. I know that if I had to find a place for my parents to retire to, Danberry would be at the top of my list!

To learn more about Danberry at Inverness check out their website and Google My Business Page. See the conventional architectural commercial photography I created and the 360º virtual tour below!

click on thumbnail below to view image

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click and drag to take virtual tour below

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Sonnet House - Google Maps Business View Virtual Tour - Leeds Alabama by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

I’m thrilled to announce that the Google Maps Business View Virtual tour and conventional commercial still photography images of Sonnet House in Leeds is now live!

The Sonnet House is one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the greater Birmingham area. It was always one of my dreams to photograph a wedding there. Sadly, while I did photograph many beautiful weddings in many beautiful locations, I was never able to shoot one there. Now that I’m retired from wedding photography that opportunity has passed but I think this kind of makes up for it!

The Google 360º virtual tour of Sonnet House is one of the largest and most complex that I’ve done to date. I was excited, but also a little nervous about the challenge. I wanted to make sure that the true beauty of this venue came through in the final product. I wanted Jared and his team to take pride in showing it to potential clients. I think the results speak for themselves! I couldn’t be more proud of how it all came together and I look forward to showing it off to my clients as well.

Click below to see the conventional still images I created and view the virtual tour. You can learn more about the Sonnet House on their website and Google My Business Pages. If you are in need of a venue for a wedding or special event, make sure you check out the Sonnet House!

click the thumbnail below to view full size image

 

walkthrough the Sonnet House with the virtual tour below

1004 Highland Village Trail - Birmingham Alabama Professional Real Estate Photography by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

A couple of weeks ago I photographed a beautiful home in Birmingham at The Village at Highland Lakes. The homeowner contacted me after seeing my work online. She and her husband had moved out of state and were highly motivated to sell their home back in Alabama. She knew that with homes, as with most things you’re trying to sell, presentation is a key to successful marketing. While the photos the agent took were fine by most standards, she knew that the home wasn’t being displayed in the best possible manner. She wanted high quality, professional photography of the home. So after discussing with the home owner what they were looking for, and coordinating with the agent (Sarah Eddy), we went out to create some amazing real estate photos of the home. I will say that I appreciate Sarah very much. While on the market the home is being rented and the tenant, while not messy, isn’t the owner. Sarah and I worked for several hours to get everything set and in perfect shape for presentation. This really is the most important aspect of real estate photography. It doesn’t matter how great my technical skills are if the home is a mess and things are out of place. Even though people live there it must be treated like a showroom. After all you are selling the home. You want to present it in the best possible light.

So one bit of advice if you are selling your home or looking to photograph a home for sale, take a few minutes to really look around and see everything that’s visible. Are there any stray items left out, power cords, or personal items? Go through and straighten pictures on the walls, clean the glass, and put everything away. Look at home magazines and compare those rooms to the ones in the home. Try to make them look as close as possible. Not only will this make the photos look better, potential buyers will come away with a more positive impression when viewing the home in person.

Take a look at the photos I created by clicking on the thumbnails below. If you’re interested in more information on this home you can see the listing online here. Of course if you are looking to sell your home, or are a real estate agent with a luxury home property, please contact me today to discuss your needs and schedule the session!

click on thumbnail to view larger image