Branded photography can help set the tone for your company and make a lasting first impression. Photos build trust by showing potential customers what they can expect when they work with you.
Stock Photography
The words “stock photography” might bring to mind images of cheesy couples walking along the beach with a glass of wine in hand. But trust, stock photography has come a long way. With a discerning eye you can find imagery that feels genuine to your business.
In the brand platforms we create for our clients we always start with stock photography. We have a few secrets to making it look a little more custom, including creative cropping and color adjustments. These subtle shifts not only make stock from different sources look consistent to each other, but it brings cohesion to the whole brand. That said, we always recommend a custom branded photoshoot to use in tandem with or in place of stock.
AI Generated Imagery
We don’t recommend using AI generated imagery for your brand. First off, the usage of AI can come with legal ramifications from original creators or models. Second, AI looks fake and your customers can tell. This unsettling not-quite-real quality can, even if subconsciously, erode trust with your customer and have them questioning your credibility and legitimacy. While AI can democratize creative output we think it’ll cost you in the long run. The over usage of AI in marketing is already creating a backlash of consumers who would rather see something imperfect and made by humans. We say save the AI for behind the scenes tasks and grunt work.
Brand Photography for Organizations
Professional photography will elevate your brand to the next level. It will show your customers that you are a legitimate business with real people. You want your photos to capture your company culture, personality, expertise, offerings, and outcomes.
A Photography Shot List
Here is a baseline shot list we always recommend for our clients when they’re hiring us to art direct their photoshoots:
Headshots: If you are a service-based business or organization we recommend including images of leadership staff and even customer-facing frontline staff on your website. We suggest a mix of traditional headshots alongside more candid snaps to capture your personality. Seeing a human face behind the business is always reassuring!
Working and behind-the-scenes shots: Working images of staff interacting with each other and with customers will give authenticity in your brand imagery.
Lifestyle vignettes: if you have an office space capture little vignettes of day-to-day details. This might include a plant on your desk, a company logo on your coffee mug, or even snaps of your signage or logo as it appears in real life.
Deliverables and product: For a service-based business you will want to find ways to make the outcome of your offerings tangible. For our credit union clients this might look like a happy member driving a new car, walking into their new home, or using their mobile wallet at a local coffee shop.
Successful Photoshoot Tips
Here are the steps we take when it comes to creating a successful library of branded photography:
- Hire a professional photographer. An experienced photographer will capture technically sound photos. They also have experience making their subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera which always makes for better photos.
- Hire a makeup artist. An on-set makeup artist helps to keep everyone looking fresh and groomed for camera.
- Buy wardrobe for the photoshoot. Clothing that is consistent with the brand colors and tone will look seamless in your marketing campaigns.
- On-set styling. We always dress our sets with props like lamps, plants, office supplies, furniture, and accessories.
- Create a mood board. We will peruse Pinterest to create a mood board that captures the look and feel we’re aiming for. We share this vision with our client and photographer to make sure we’re all on the same page before we get started.
- Create a shot list of must-haves. There’s nothing worse than ending a photoshoot and realizing you didn’t capture an essential shot you need to really show how your process or product works. We stay organized with a clipboard, printed shot list, and asset requirements so we don’t miss a thing.
- Expect 1-2 “hero” images per hour of photoshoot. Our photographer typically hands off hundreds of photos after a day or two of shooting. We typically pick around 1-2 really great images per hour of shooting that we use across tactics.
- Think about photo orientation. Try to capture a mix of close up, medium, and wide shots that will work horizontal, vertical and square – this way you can populate all the places your brand shows up with the appropriate snap.
- Use your images! The photos you captured aren’t any good if you don’t use them. Post them to your website. Use them in your marketing campaigns. Update your social media with them. Pro-tip: create a collage overview of your photos to keep as a reference so you can remember what’s available to you through the year.
Most businesses and organizations should budget for a custom photoshoot at least once a year to keep their tactics current.
Here is a PDF download of a shot list template to get you started. It also includes a to-do list leading up to your next photoshoot.
DOWNLOAD THE BRAND PHOTOSHOOT CHECKLIST – NO EMAIL REQUIRED!
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