They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In today's business world, with smartphones, it is easy to take photos that can be shared and so communicate better than words alone.

Here are some of the key ways I leverage my smartphone camera in business for visual communication:

Examples of communicating visually today

• Often we attach photos to emails when describing an issue or product to provide visual context.
• Use the camera to quickly photograph signed contracts or other documents to send digitally.
• Showing the product we are selling.
• A visual catalogue for our e-commerce site
• Pictures of the shop to showcase our business for social media
• Photograph equipment, buildings, products, etc., to report issues that need addressing.

Tips for Taking Good Business Photos with Your Smartphone

• Activate gridlines in your camera app to help frame and level your shots.
• Take multiple photos and move around to get different angles and perspectives. You can delete the bad ones later!
• Shine lighting on it before photographing products or other objects.
• Turn off the flash to avoid overexposure and glare - use natural lighting when possible.
• Don't strive for perfection - smartphone photos don't need to be works of art to serve your business needs!

While smartphone cameras have limitations, they can produce more than good enough visuals for everyday business needs. Following a few basic best practices goes a long way.

Don't let the quest for perfect photos stop you from visually communicating to improve your operations and marketing. It is said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” Henri Cartier-Bresson