In a world of DIY, social media apps, and a phone on your camera many businesses are neglecting a key component of their marketing. Planning a proper brand photo session.

There are many reasons why you should consider this as a necessary part of your marketing plan. The first is that professional images make you stand out and give you a competitive edge. 

Create content to attract your ideal clients

Most small businesses aren’t influencers, they love what they do and want to focus on that. As a brand photographer, I help them to create the content they need to attract their ideal clients and make their marketing easier. A photographer is not just a button pusher. They are creative visual storytellers that can bring your ideas and message together in an image that you in turn will use to market your business.

Brand photography is about connecting

Brand photography is a relatively new niche as digital marketing becomes the norm. We’ve gone from a good headshot and a handful of images to needing a lot more images for social media and our websites. Brand photography is about connecting the personal and the business through lifestyle images that share who you are and what you do. It incorporates everything from killer headshots for your profiles, environmental action images, and your own stock images for your website and social media posts.

So how do you know if you’re hiring the right photographer for the job?

First, you want to make sure you see their portfolio, that you like their style and that it matches your vision.

Then you want to talk to the photographer. You can ask them how long they’ve been doing brand photography? What is their process to create the plan for your session? Remember you want someone who understands your business and can translate your vision into reality, brand photography is more than just a pretty picture.

What does the commercial license cover? This is important because as a business you don’t want to be second-guessing how you can use your photos or incurring penalties for misuse. Knowing how you’re going to use the images or some images ahead of time will save you a ton of time and money. Don’t worry if it seems expensive upfront, these images are designed to pay for themselves and then some. If you have a particular need beyond your website and social media like a book cover or billboard be sure to discuss this with your photographer in advance. It could impact how they decide to shoot and the size of images you might need.

Can you edit the photos? Many traditional photographers don’t want you to edit their artistic work. As a brand photographer, you may need to make changes to an image based on your marketing campaign, crop, add text or add or remove people or backgrounds. Be sure you are allowed to do this.

Do I need to credit the photographer? As a photographer, I love to get credit for my work but I also understand that as a business you need to be able to use these images without having to credit someone else. A brand photographer will not require you to give credit except for specific instances where it’s industry standard.

It is important to feel a connection with the photographer you choose to work with

At the end of the day, it’s important to feel a connection with the photographer you choose to work with. No matter how much you like someone’s work, if you aren’t comfortable with the person you won’t feel comfortable in front of the camera with them. Being in front of the camera is a vulnerable experience for most people and requires a high degree of trust to get comfortable.

About the guest blogger:

Jenn Grachow is a professional photographer with over 14 years of experience. She is a formally trained professional and truly believes that every business should have great images and you should be comfortable in front of the camera.

Jenn specializes in brand photography for entrepreneurs, artists, designers, online educators, speakers, etc… She helps you take your professional image and business to the next level!

Connect with Jenn: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Related Blog: Ways to use your branding photos

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