Episode 58 is our final show in a series on Starting Your WordPress Online Store, sponsored by Bluehost. In this show, we had the opportunity to talk with Marc Benzakein, who is not only very active in the WordPress community and owner of ServerPress.com, but a long-time photographer with tons of experience. Having worked in the field for many years and been involved with photographing products for his own online store in the past, he brings this wealth of knowledge to today’s episode and shares some fantastic tips on both hiring a photographer and being a better do-it-yourselfer.

We chatted about:

* What Marc finds as the biggest mistake retailers make with their product shots

* The top 2 or 3 tips for the do-it-yourselfer photographer

* What to look for when hiring a photographer to do your product shots

* Creating your own images or using vendor-supplied photos

* How to make sure your images are optimized for both the web and your online store

* Marc’s thoughts on the benefits you have with today’s technology and the workflow when working with digital images

Thanks to Our Podcast Sponsor: Bluehost

Transcript

You can also download the transcript of this show: WordPress eCommerce Show Episode 58 March 13 2017

Bob Dunn: Hey, everyone, and welcome back to the WP eCommerce Show. Bob Dunn here, also known as BobWP on the web. Today is the fourth and last show of the series, Starting Your WordPress Online Store. So far we’ve talked about choosing an eCommerce WordPress plugin, about essentials beyond just the tech things you need to get started, and then about moving from brick and mortar to online. To round off the series nicely, we are touching on a subject that is  critical to your online store success. And that is product shots. I couldn’t think of anyone better than Marc Benzakein to help us through the murky waters of images. Marc is WordPress savvy and very active in the WordPress community. He has a WordPress business and years of professional photography experience behind him. Welcome to the show, Marc.

Marc Benzakein: Thanks, Bob.

Meet Marc Benzakein from ServerPress

Bob Dunn: So Marc, I know you have a long history of both WordPress and photography. Can you tell us about that in a nutshell?

Marc Benzakein: Oh, let’s see. My photography experience goes back to high school years. I sold all my computer equipment that I owned back then, a Commodore 64, in order to buy some film equipment because I was going on a trip to Europe. I got the bug and ended up in the darkroom for the next several years of my life. Then I stepped away for a bit, and then got back into photography once I had kids. Before I got into WordPress, I ran an eBay business where I liquidated Harley Davidson motorcycle parts and had to shoot all of my own product photos. That led me back into photography, I guess at somewhat of a professional level. That is it in a nutshell.

Bob Dunn: And you do run a little WordPress business right now?

Marc Benzakein: We have a company called ServerPress,