marketing material feedback

[ShencoSmoke]

Hi all, first time post over here. Just getting my vending/catering business up and running and wanted get some Brethren feedback. I'm official (LLC, insurance, taxes, etc). This first image is my new facebook cover photo, also going to use it for other marketing material. What do you think?
fb2_lo resjpg.jpg
This second pic is an example of the stlye of photo I am going to use for facebook, webpage, etc. The question is: should I embed some type of logo in the corner of the image to avoid people stealing my photos from the web-based marketing material? Or would that take away from the images?
fb1_lo resjpg.jpg
Thanks in advance!

[cpw]

Your logo would make for a very good watermark, so I would include it in the photos. With that being said, if people want to steal your images they'll just crop it out.

[bizznessman]

I agree with cpw. I would add the logo for marketing purposes and don't worry to much about image theft. With Photoshop and IMP I can remove ANYTHING from a digital image and you would never know that anything was ever removed.

Nice photography work!!! My mouth is waterin already!!!

[CyberdineX]

The meat shot looks great, logo or not both will be good.
Thiefs will steel, not much you can do unless you plaster the image and that would ruin it.
Add you logo but tastfully.

Regarding the first pic I really like the logo (right side), but the food on the left needs some work. Getting the color right is nutoriosly hard with food, especailly vegies etc.

Besides the vegies aren't food, just what food eats...

good luck with your new endevor...
Cheers,

PS, jsut noticed the black letters under the work Barbeque.
may just be my screen, but black on red is hard to read, just not enough contrast.
If you were going for subtle, well OK, but you might want to consider something that will stand out a little more.

It is a great sentement..."Old School Methods New School Flavor"
just hard to read.

[ShencoSmoke]

I hear you about the text at the bottom of the logo. I think in the higher res image it reads better but it does need some work. As far as the food needing work, I fiddled with it as much as I could. That photo was taken on another material, so I had to crop it out and place it on the logo.

[Papa Cat]

I love the Logo and Tag line! I agree with other folks that the black is hard to read. I wouldn't worry too much about people stealing photos, I personally prefer clean images with out any distraction.

Instead of a photo of food, what if you had an image or at least a silhouette representing your "old school methods". I think some people get turned off by food images for all kinds of reasons: it looks messy, I don't like my food touching each other, etc.

BEST OF LUCK!

[TailGateJoecom]

Originally Posted by ShencoSmoke

Hi all, first time post over here. Just getting my vending/catering business up and running and wanted get some Brethren feedback. I'm official (LLC, insurance, taxes, etc). This first image is my new facebook cover photo, also going to use it for other marketing material. What do you think?
Attachment 97565
This second pic is an example of the stlye of photo I am going to use for facebook, webpage, etc. The question is: should I embed some type of logo in the corner of the image to avoid people stealing my photos from the web-based marketing material? Or would that take away from the images?
Attachment 97566
Thanks in advance!

As far as the first pic, the idea is cool but the food on the left needs a little work. Maybe a closer photo with some better lighting, and then add it in to the other side in post?

As for the second photo, I think there is a little too much bokeh. Not crazy about the blur in the front and back and just focusing on the middle of the brisket either.

As far as watermarking, it depends on what the image is used for. If it is a compositional piece of the site I would not use a watermark, but if it is a pic from a gallery then I would consider a tasteful understated watermark using the logo and playing with transparency, opacity, etc.

These are all of course just my opinion.

[TailGateJoecom]

Originally Posted by ShencoSmoke

I hear you about the text at the bottom of the logo. I think in the higher res image it reads better but it does need some work. As far as the food needing work, I fiddled with it as much as I could. That photo was taken on another material, so I had to crop it out and place it on the logo.

Maybe if you were to use a scanner for the logo image instead of taking a pic to get a cleaner logo graphic? Of course you could also use the original graphic of the logo and play with it in photoshop to make it look weathered but would still give you a higher quality image.

[landarc]

How I watermarked for Phat Matt's...





I did this, because they already have a market presence, and use a cartoon character, which does not relate well to photo use, as a corporate image. I felt this was a more subtle way to show off the food on-line only.

I feel that in print, your initial image will read better, but, believe you will be better off getting those sheets printed out and shooting the food directly on the sheet. The format is so wide, it will not readily fit into any standard print format. Something to consider if you intend to do print marketing.

Also, it has been my experience that things such as cole slaw and potato salad photograph horribly against light backgrounds. It is nearly impossible to make them look good.

[Zenchefal]

I love your pics. I definitely would embed your logo. Sure it can be cropped out , but it also is a branding opportunity. Best of success with your business. Luck has nothing to do with the restaurant business.

[ShencoSmoke]

Thanks bob, the long image was primarily designed to be the cover photo for my Facebook page and possibly my website (not up yet). Here it is on FB
https://www.facebook.com/1752Barbecue

[landarc]

It's perfect for that