Zahn Dental Sales - May/June 2017 - 47

with Lucas Lammott

There are two ways to increase your laboratory business-by increasing
share of wallet among existing customers or by adding new customers-
and your ability to achieve either is dependent on your ability to market
and sell your products and services. Capturing and sharing high-quality
photos of your work is a critical part of successfully marketing and
selling your business. Case photography is a great opportunity to grow
your business.
Figuring out where to start in your photography journey and which
equipment you should invest in can be a daunting task. Here is our
recommended equipment, instructions, and setup to get started on
your case photography today!
Tools to Get Started:
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T6i-DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens
Reflects. We work with this because it's the more affordable camera
in the Canon line.
Flash: MT-24EX Twin Flash-Twin flash is important for intraoral
photography and model photography.
Lens: Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS Lens-This is a fixed lens which means
it can't zoom.

Accessories for SetUp:
Black cloth: For the surface and backdrop.
1 piece of white printer paper: To diffuse the flash and get the overall
satiny finished look.
Tape
Photo Editing Software:*
We use editing software to adjust the exposure and contrast of
the photo.
Keynote: Mac users
Google Slides: PC users
*If you are going to use Photoshop, make sure you don't use the
clone or cut and paste functions.
Workspace Setup:
Have the two flashes facing and meeting in the middle of the model.
Use diffusers (white printer paper) on the flashes. With diffusers, the
highlights on the restorations are not harsh and you can see more
texture. We recommend not using diffusers when photographing
shade-taking.

Camera Settings:

Photo angles-patient right, patient left, and head on.

Manual Mode: This allows you to
control all aspects of the photo.

Equipment You Should NOT Use:

White balance: Flash-Look for
lightning bolt symbol.
Shutter speed: 1/125th of a second
Aperture: F22-Aperture is
measured in 'f-stops' and is the opening that lets light into your
camera. Rule of thumb is the bigger the opening, the smaller
the number and the smaller the opening, the larger the number.
Adjusting the aperture allows for the entire model to be in sharp
focus instead of parts of the photo being fuzzy.
ISO: 100-ISO is the measure of how sensitive the sensor of your
camera is and it's what controls and decreases the amount of noise
or "fuzziness" of the photo.
Flash Settings:
Manual 1/1 - 1/8: 1/1 is a stronger flash. If you want a darker look to
the photo, use 1/8.
Lens Settings:
Auto focus: If you're not using a tripod and can move freely around
the object, always use auto focus. If you want to use a tripod, use
manual focus.

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CASE PHOTOGRAPHY
CHECKLIST

Any zoom lens: If you use a zoom lens, you will have to be further
away from your subject to keep the photo in focus and the overall
clarity won't be as good.
Ring flash: A ring flash is a circular flash that will result in the loss of
contour, shape, and shadows of the restoration (e.g. big glares on the
teeth).
Smartphone: The resolution of smartphone cameras and their
sensors are just not enough to get the best quality and aspects of a
good photo like the translucency or texture of the restorations.
Here are some options to get your photos out to dentists in your area:
* Create a photo album on your business Facebook page, and send
the link out to your customer email list
* Include these photos on your website homepage in a rotating banner
* Place new photos in a separate gallery on your website
* Include your photos in printed postcards with offers and mail out
For more in-depth instructions and photography and editing best
practices, watch our Case Photography webinar with Lucas Lammott
at www.cap-us.com/webinars.

*Zahn/CAP cannot be held responsible for the purchase of equipment or results of photography. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. The
views, opinions, and product recommendations are not endorsed by Zahn and do not necessarily represent those of Zahn.

Zahn: 1.800.496.9500 * CAP: 1.877.977.7889 * CMC: 1.877.933.6455

http://cap-us.com/webinars

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Zahn Dental Sales - May/June 2017