Having standout plant shots is important in today’s image-saturated world. The marketing experts at PfE share top tips on photography to help florists and garden retailers flourish by using the power of visual marketing to sell more plants this spring.
Anna Marie Hillebro Neilsen is a plant photography expert based in Denmark. She’s responsible for PfE’s annual photoshoots, producing top quality images that grace the pages of thousands of magazines across Europe each year, working together with Stéphanie Bauer, a German PR expert who also handles creative direction. Stephanie designs moodboards based on the latest trends to successfully attract different target audiences. Together they share their expert advice on how to plan and take plant images that will capture your customers’ and the media’s attention just in time for your peak sales period.
Top tips in brief
Picking props that appeal to your customers’ tastes will help sell your plants, but always remember to keep the plant itself the focus of your images.
“In a world shaped by the power of imagery and the dominance of social media, it is indeed a challenge to create an image that is interesting for the media,” admits Stéphanie. “You have to focus not only on the aesthetics and professionalism of the image, but also on originality, a kind of ‘never seen before’ effect.
In practice this means, always being on the lookout for inspiration that will spark your creativity. “Get inspired by ideas from all over the world, look for common trends,” says Stéphanie. “See what the buying trends are and anticipate how they will develop at the time you’ll use the photos (at PfE we always shoot a year in advance).”
“Start with an exact colour palette that should fit a general theme,” she says. “Then develop your ‘storyline’. What do you want to say with these colours? What feelings should be evoked when you see the final picture? In which location will the storyline be best ‘felt’? How do you best place the plant to obtain those feelings in the reader or viewer?” Whatever the theme, you want to inspire your customers to buy plants from you by the way you photograph and style them.
Anna Marie agrees, “Think about what you want to say to people about the plant,” she advises. “Create stories that ‘tell’ people something about what’s in the photo. With a picture you can tell a story and build interest and a desire to buy.”
“Plants and flowers often offer endless possibilities to be creative,” says Stéphanie. “The point is to create a beautiful decorative story around the plant. Buying is often an emotional act. And nothing is better than flowers and plants at be able to create sentimental emotions around them.”
You can find your story in the plant itself too.
“Show the features of the plant in the photo,” says Anna Marie. “If it’s scented, take a picture of a nose or face smelling it. If it’s edible, show it on a plate or as part of a meal.”
Edible flowers are on-trend right now. If you stock organically grown scented geraniums, available in flavours such as lemon, rose, and peppermint, why not create great lifestyle shots of their flowers sprinkled on enticing desserts, or in cool glasses of lemonade? Always check packaging to make sure plants are safe to eat before promoting this.
Showing the range of plants you stock is important too and simple to do, says Anna Marie. “If you’ve bought the same plant in different colours, put one of each shade close together and take a shot of just the flower heads. This tells you about the many colour variants.”
Pelargoniums are perfect for this type of photography; they range from deep reds, through purples, lilacs, oranges, salmon, coral and pinks, up to purest white. Their shapes are just as varied too, with the classic upright look of regal and zonal varieties, as well as trailing ivy geraniums and the delicate foliage of scented and hardy types.
Your stories can ‘sell’ your business too. Plants fresh in-store make a great example. “Take photos of a plant being carried into the shop by smiling staff,” says Anna Marie. “Remember, it’s always best to do photography as soon new plants arrive in-store when they’re fresh. The sooner you tell people about them, the sooner they’re sold.”
Detail shots of interesting plants also make strong images. “Make sure there’s a close-up image of a special flower or leaf,” says Anna Marie. “Having it held gently by a hand makes sure you can get the perfect angle.”
Geranium flowers are ideal for this as their blooms range from tiny, delicate varieties, to the bold heads of zonal geraniums. Their leaves are worthy of your lens too with dramatic rings of colour, pretty ruffles or dynamic palmate shapes.
Stéphanie and Anna Marie come up with new campaign ideas year in, year out. They look far and wide, as well as close to home, to be inspired. “Don’t only look for your inspiration in nature,” says Stéphanie, “but in magazines and on social media that focus on image aesthetics, like Pinterest or Instagram. Look through diverse magazines and last but not least, go out into the world, into shops, into beautifully and naturally decorated locations.
“Notice how an object from everyday life (clothes hangers, old pots or garden accessories) or a material (copper, wood, felt, straw) is very current and decide on a decoration idea that puts it in the limelight, “ she says. “Many people are grateful when you show them how old things they thought were no longer any good can be upcycled. Objects tell a story.
“For DIY ideas, why complicate it when you can do it easily? Ideally, readers and viewers want to be inspired without thinking, ‘I’ll never be able to do that’ or ‘it’s way too expensive’.”
Once you’ve chosen your theme and colours, it’s time to pick your location. In a busy retail environment it can be hard to find the perfect spot, but ‘perfect’ isn’t necessarily what you should be looking for, according to Stéphanie. “The location shouldn’t be underestimated. It must have ‘lived’; you have to feel the ‘real life’ in it – without it being too chaotic.”
Anna Marie says planning a shoot is the perfect opportunity to build a display area, which also serves as a place for photography. If your shop has an unused but boring space, bring it to life as a room set, with stylish wallpaper, tables and chairs where you can take plants to be photographed. “It could be wallpaper on one wall and a complementary colour on the other,” she suggests. “Having several of the same table and chairs but in different colours, gives you the opportunity to take different seasonal images all year round.”
If space is tight, find a spot with natural daylight where you can easily place a few props, so you can drop a plant in place for a quick photoshoot. A folding table means you’ll always be ready for a photo against the right background, even outside, weather permitting.
Now it’s time to pick the star of your show. “Always choose a good quality plant to photograph,” says Anna Marie. “Remove withered or damaged leaves or flowers. Turn the plant around to find the best angle, as many have a natural front and back. Take shots of flowering plants from above to show the full bloom. When photographing a single plant get up close, making sure there’s not too much ‘air’ around it.”
Create life in your image with props that match the style of the plant and reflect your target audience’s likes. “Generally, we’ll go for a more colourful world with younger readers and for a more discreet, romantic atmosphere with an older female target group,” says Stéphanie.
“If you choose to place the plant in a pot, make sure it’s the right size so the plant doesn’t look too large or too small,” cautions Anna Marie. “The same applies to colour choices and pot design; choose something that works with the foliage or flowers. You’re telling your story with the on-trend colour choices you make or the way you style the plants – your botanical direction.
“If it’s nature lovers you’re appealing to,” says Anna Marie, “backdrops printed with trees and natural-toned pots, like terracotta, look great in photos. If it’s a trend-led style direction, pick props in on-trend colours or use as a backdrop a roll of wallpaper that reflects your chosen style.”
1980s pastel tones and bold, geometric shapes are in vogue right now and pelargoniums lend themselves well to these trends. The defined pompom heads of zonal geraniums create graphic shapes, while their fresh apricot, salmon, pink and lilac tones fit any pale colour scheme. And, as easy-care plants that happily flower for months on end indoors as well as out, they’re perfect for the ever-popular urban jungle look too.
Place your props close to the plant or in the background, ensuring they appear cropped in the final image. “You can also create mood with branches in the foreground or background but it’s important the plant is still in focus,” says Anna Marie.
Stéphanie echoes this, saying some of PfE’s most successful images are ones where the geraniums are always centre stage but the lifestyle element is there too. “This picture (left) sums up everything you would want: time for yourself, cosyness, being offline, nature, timelessness.
“This other image (below) of an extra-large floral room divider of colourful geraniums was super successful. I think because it’s simple: a room divider you can easily find in somewhere like IKEA, add flowerpots and done! And a wow effect achieved. Above all, a feeling of security and privacy, combined with closeness to nature springs from this image.”
Once you’ve taken your shot always review it. What else appears in it? If there are people, data protection laws may mean you need their permission to publish the photo. What about the background? “Remember, only ‘arranged mess’ looks good in pictures,” warns Anna Marie. “Be careful with a background where too much is happening, as the focus might be shifted away from the plant.
“The challenge with photographing living plants is that, you have to create something with the look and lines the plant naturally has, as well as the flowers and colour. But I see it as a gift. Plants are photogenic and there are so many different kinds, each with its own story, function or look.”
Stéphanie adds that, whatever look, colours and themes you go for, “the overall theme for all types of images should ultimately be: joie de vivre!”