Capturing and Posting Before and After Photos on Social Media

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Showing off your patients’ results on social media is essential, and the more the better. To do this effectively, you have to capture high-quality before and after photos, which can easily be done in your office whether you have professional equipment with a standalone photo room or just want to use a smartphone.

Capturing Quality Before / After Photos

Set up the office.

Objective: A simple set up that remains consistent every day.

1. Keep a consistent backdrop; charcoal grey is recommended.
2. Capture photos using a tripod. Pro tip: Mark the height settings with tape so it is always set to the same height.
3. Use manual camera settings to keep consistency; do not use auto white balance.
4. Utilize a remote trigger button or self-timer to ensure the camera and tripod will be still for the photo.
5. Provide a stool for patients to sit on.
6. Place tape on the floor to mark tripod and chair locations for consistency.
7. Add dots on the wall at 45 and 90 degrees for patients to turn to, enabling you to capture all angles of the body. Pro tip: take extras just in case!
8. Ensure good lighting behind the camera; a 2- or 3-point portrait lighting system is best, but at the least invest in a single remote flash with photo umbrella.

Take the photos.

Objective: Consistent and comparable before / after photos that highlight the patient’s results.

1. Review before photo prior to taking the after photo and attempt to mirror appearance, expression and overall look.
2. Pull back hair and bangs. Pro tip: Offer patients a disposable headband.
3. Keep hair (and makeup if applicable) consistent.
4. Remove distracting jewelry and glasses.
5. Remove extra clothing, especially around the neck (e.g., scarf, turtleneck or jacket)
6. If treatment area is the face, tell patient to think happy with chin up. Pro tip: don’t smile.
7. Capture at least five photos at 90, 45, 0, -45 and -90 degrees.

Note: If you don’t have a professional / digital camera and are using a smartphone, follow these simple steps, in conjunction with the steps above, to ensure the photo is high quality:

1. Take photo in a well-lit room against a neutral background (not patterned or brightly color).
2. Turn off the phone’s flash.
3. Prior to taking the photo, tap the treatment area on your screen (e.g., lips, forehead, neck, arms, hands, etc.) to focus the camera; this will help to ensure the part you want to highlight is not blurry.
4. Review all photos to make sure they are clear, focused and that you can visibly see the treatment area.

Talk with patients.

Objective: Make patients feel comfortable and enjoy the experience.

1. Help them relax by talking through the photo process.
2. Express your genuine enthusiasm for their anticipated or actual treatment results.
3. Assure them no photo will ever be made public unless written permission is given. Pro tip: Give options on the consent form, such as, “may use only if eyes are blurred” or “keep patient name anonymous.”

Should You Watermark Every Before / After Photo?

There are pros and cons to both sides.

PROS

• Adding an icon or your logo to each photo is great for brand consistency and reach.
• Watermarked photos are less likely to be stolen – and help protect your asset ownership.

CONS

• Adds another step / more time involved before the photos can be used in marketing or social media.
• Photos can still be stolen; if the watermark is on the edge, it can easily be cropped out. If they are placed directly on top of the treatment area, it may be more difficult to see the result, and although removing it is more difficult, it can be done by an experienced graphic designer.

How Much Detail Should You Share?

The best before / after photos, especially those posted on social media, have a detailed explanation about the patient and procedure. The more information the better! Consider including patient’s age, initial concern, treatment plan, pain level and downtime, as well as the duration between treatment and the after photo and how long will results last. A successful post will also specify details of the procedure and/or technique, device or product used. Separating each piece of information makes it easy for your followers to digest the information and ensures you will explain all of the details in each post. A popular method is to give each item its own line with a corresponding emoji. If posting directly to the Instagram app, create a line break by using the return key (iPhone users tap shift / arrow up) without any spaces between the words.

Ultimately sharing before / after photos on social media is extremely important, and you should make capturing them in your office a priority. Regardless if you decide to watermark or not, remember consistency is key to successful before / after posts!