Understanding Brand Photography: What It Is and How It Can Help

It feels like there are so many confusing terms in the world of marketing; brand identity, brand messaging, visual identity, personal branding. So let me help to break down exactly what brand photography is and how it can help you!

What is Brand Photography?

My definition of brand photography is the consistent way a business shows up in the world through photos, whether that’s on their website, social media or marketing materials.

Rather than photos of products with a few headshots thrown in, I’m talking about purposeful images that really further your brand messaging and vibe. When we start getting into personal brand photography, that means including yourself as the business owner in those photos so you’re able to start connecting with potential customers from the very beginning.

Branding Photography is Different than Headshots.

Traditionally, when you want to include yourself in your business, you’d go to a studio photographer for ‘headshots’. Professional headshots are simply a good bio picture. While those were fine back in the day, we are in a much more visual society now and need more photos than just a headshot.

In contrast, brand photos are about giving you a library of images to pull from that serve your brand identity. So instead of just static photos of you, we’ll include candids, shots of you behind the scenes, detail shots of your tools, working with clients, etc. In essence, a branding session is more like creating an editorial story than just an about me photo.

Professional Brand Photos Create Trust.

Cohesive and consistent marketing goes a long way in helping potential clients to trust you. Think of a time when you’ve checked out someone’s Instagram or Facebook, and all their photos are just quick phone shots edited in so many different ways. Even if that person is good at what they do and has been in business for years, you would probably assume that they’re new to business or that their work is just a side hustle. 

When a potential client sees that you have invested in professional images of yourself and your services, that immediately gives you trust points because they can tell that you take yourself and your work seriously.

Personal Brand Photography is Purposeful.

I get emails all the time from people saying ‘I just need one good headshot’. And while yes, you do need a good headshot, getting ready and booking a session for just headshots is a missed opportunity. What if you spent some time planning with your brand photographer ahead of time to make sure that your photos will fit with your business goals for the next few months. 

If you have a new product launching in the fall, maybe you find a way to create images that you can use to market that. Or maybe you’re having a new website designed and you really need horizontal images that will work well with text over them. A big need that I see is images that busy businesses can just plug and play into their social media without having to create new content every time.

Branding Photos Save You Time.

Small business owners are juggling so many different roles that spending their valuable time and money on brand photography services can feel like the last thing they want to do. Before I lose you to the overwhelm, let me tell you that a well planned branding photography session will actually make your life EASIER.

If you find a professional brand photographer that will create a session that lines up with the goals of your business, then the images will be like having your own custom stock photos. With branding photographs like that, anytime you need to post on social media or design a new sales page for your website, you can just open your folder and plug them right in. Easy access to photos that visually represent your own business well are PRICELESS.

Personal Branding Photography Jumpstarts Client Connection.

We live in such a busy culture that the more you can connect quickly through your brand’s visuals, the better. And I don’t know about you, but I’m a skimmer so headings and photos always get through to me first. For example, as a personal branding photographer, people know that when they hire me they’re going to be spending a lot of time working WITH me. I want them to immediately see images of me alongside my work. They should be able to see right away if my vibe and personality (yes, it can show in photos.) is a good fit for them and makes them excited to work with me on their branding photo shoot.

The whole point of personal brand photos isn’t for vanity or trying to impress anyone. By showing our faces and a little glimpse of who we are, we help our businesses become safe places for people to feel cared for and served. If we want our clients to connect with us and feel excited to buy from us, then we need to show them who we are first. 👍