5 TYPES OF BRANDING PHOTOS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR BUSINESS
If you've never hired a professional branding photographer before, you may not know how to prepare for your first session. Maybe you don't have a clue about what type of photos you even need or how they could be used to elevate your brand.
That's why I put together this list of what I consider to be the essential types of branding photos you need to have in your business. I’ve also included samples which have all be taken by me during my various client session.
1. Headshots
First and foremost, the most essential type of photos you need is professional headshots. These can be used for any profile pictures, such as Facebook or LinkedIn.
Unfortunately, a selfie taken with your phone camera just doesn't cut it if your goal is to appear like a professional. Think of your potential customer, would they hire you if they didn’t think you looked professional?
A typical headshot is taken from the shoulders up, but it doesn’t have to be boring! Nowadays, it’s perfectly fine to get creative with your headshot. Here are some samples of fun headshots:
2. Lifestyle
Beyond the headshots, there are lifestyle branding photos. And these are essentially environmental style portraits. In other words, it’s visual storytelling of yourself and/or your business/brand. The best way I can explain this is in pictures, so have a look at the samples here:
3. Behind the scenes
One of the best ways to develop a personal connection with your potential customer is by letting them in behind the scenes through photos on your site, social media or blog. So whatever your profession is, try to showcase a bit of what goes on behind the scenes in your business, so your audience can get a feel for how your product or service is being created.
These could be as simple as a snap of your workspace, a photo of yourself creating art or just you sitting at your desk behind your laptop. See samples below.
4. Products or Tools of the Trade
If your business has products, it’s necessary to have great photos of them because they will sell your products a lot more than bad photos. You must create an exceptional client experience so they can envision having your product as clearly as possible. Aside from having standard white background images, it’s good to include some lifestyle shots as well.
If you don’t sell products, you can still include shots of your tools of the trade, such as laptops, paintbrushes, musical instruments, etc.
5. Favourite things
This one is useful if you don’t have any products or tools of the trade that you care to showcase.
For example, if you’re a coach, you may not have any particular tools that are relevant other than your laptop. In this case, you could compile some fun props to enhance your photoshoot. These could be some of your favourite things that say something about you or where you get your inspiration from. Examples include books, candles, mugs, notebooks, accessories, etc.
I hope this post inspired you to plan your own personal branding photoshoot. If you’re thinking about booking a session for yourself, check out my offerings. Perhaps we’re a good match :)
