Brand photography is photography with a marketing approach. This is not to be confused with the more traditional commercial or advertising photography many of us are used to. A brand photographer is not solely focused on the final product or service a business/brand provides. As Adobe defines commercial photography as a “genre that encompasses any photos used for a business or publication”. Although the goal may be similar, the approach is very different. As a photographer who has worked with businesses and brands for 12 years I have seen the shift from concentrating on the end result to a full spectrum brand story approach. In today’s marketplace a consumer wants to know more about who they are buying from and social media this has forced businesses to take a new approach to how they sell. Here is where brand photography shines.
What is Brand Photography?
Brand photography is photography that showcases who is behind a business and how a business creates products or provides services. The collection of images captured during a session are to highlight the people, process and offerings so their authentic story shines through. This humanizes a business compared to pre social media age when a business had a very transactional relationship with their customers. It is with the sharing of such content that their social media community will engage and become invested in their brand. A way of building a businesses’ Know, Like and Trust factor. Forbes reported that 78% of consumers say companies’ social media posts impact their purchases. (Forbes)
A Major Difference Between A Brand Photographer vs Other Photographers
The major difference is in the photo shoot process. Brand photographers conduct strategy meetings well before any photo shoot date is booked to discuss the business photography needs in greater detail. Understanding how the business got started, where they are currently and where they would like to go in the future. The photo shoot list created has intention behind it. Each image serves a purpose and is a key piece to the entire brand story of the business. I often capture images that fall into three categories: environmental portraits, action/process and product/service. It is the strategy meeting that is unique to a brand photography session, without it you are just receiving some nice photos and no idea on why they were captured in the first place.
Why you need Brand Images for your business
The 4 Goals of Brand Photo Session
As a brand photographer I want your images to work for your business. Your brand images should be hitting all four of these goals at the same time.
- A bank of images to save you time
- A business owner’s time is valuable. Many are wearing all the hats in their business or balancing a few. No matter what stage, from startup to an established business, getting time back is critical.
- Provide a professional and consistent look to your business and brand
- The authentic showcase of your brand and how you would like to present your business to the world
- Build your brand awareness
- Creating engaging content and building on that Know, Like and Trust factor brings more people into your community.
- Generate more business
- When all of these goals come together an invested community member becomes a paying customer of the business.
Brand Photography is for every business
This type of photography is not exclusive to big ad agencies and businesses with big marketing teams and budgets. Solopreneurs and small businesses are jumping on this by finding local photographers who provide this amazing service. Check out the video below to learn more about how to hire a brand photographer in your area and see a behind the scene look at what a brand session could look like. They know by having fresh brand content they have an edge against their competitors. They are standing out in their industry. Are you standing out in your industry?
Other brand photography posts that might interest you:
3 Things A Creative Business Owner Can Do To Prepare For A Brand Photo Shoot.
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