Wanted: Your photos for featured pages

 

We need “hero” images like the one above

 

Notice the very tight crop above, Below is the original image, as photographed at Hanson House in Grayling using an iPad.

 

Dining room at Hanson House. Some staging was done: items moved out of the way or closer. Cranberry juice in the glasses could be a nice detail.

 

How to get your photos and your inn featured on laketolake

Depicting a B&B experience is the Number 1 goal for the top-of-Home-page photo. A secondary goal is to depict a Pure Michigan experience. If your photo is used, your inn’s name and a photo credit, if needed, will appear in the bottom right corner. We change the so-called “hero” image frequently.

Other prominent pages that use hero images are the Experience pages — 17 of them, or more.  For the Foodie page, for example, it could be a yummy closeup of your breakfast entree. Or what about cocoa and cookies on a table in front of a fireplace?  For the Autumn page, pumpkins and mums on your front porch. For the Romance page, a photo of a loving couple taking a selfie on your deck.

A fancy camera isn’t needed. Smartphones and tablets can do the job. Turn it sideways to get a horizontal image. Compose the photo to accommodate the extreme crop. Submit full-resolution, un-cropped photos.

Other tips:

  • If possible, move what you’re photographing into the best possible natural light. Don’t use flash.
  • Simplify the background. Avoid mundane or distracting details, such as an electrical outlet.
  • Smooth the tablecloth, fluff the pillows, light the candles. Take a sample photo, then critique, adjust the scene, re-shoot.
  • It’s not only okay to include people in the photo, but it also can be quite desirable to depict your target customers. If they’re guests, get their written permission. An email exchange will do. Better yet, enlist a handsome couple you know. You can coordinate what they’re wearing and send them off with a plate of brownies.
  • If people are in your photo, remember that you’re not really photographing them as people. You’re photographing people enjoying an experience
Home page screenshot
Photos for the Home page and other pages using “hero” images, including Offers, must be horizontal and high-resolution. At least 2,000 pixels wide. The original image is seen below. Notice it gets cropped top and bottom. The crop is automatic.

 

 

Breakfast photo from Bellaire Bed + Breakfast
This photo by Holly Wilson of Bellaire Bed + Breakfast was chosen for the Home page to illustrate room-delivered breakfasts.