This is part 4 of the Creating a More Recognizable Brand series. You might have guessed this already, but this week we are talking about photography (Part 1: Colors & Fonts, Part 2: Mission, Vision & Voice, Part 3: Tying these elements into your video content). I know, of course I am going to tell you that photography is important, because I am a photographer. But hear me out.
Think about this for a second. When you look at other small businesses and you see them using stock photos on their websites, how do you feel? When you see them use Artificial intelligence to market their business, how do you feel? If you have been here long enough, you know that I am not a fan of Artificial intelligence, especially when it comes to photography, and here's why.
When you use an image created by artificial intelligence, it feels fake and inauthentic. It obviously doesn't show what it looks like to work with you, the business owner, and that's where a lot of businesses are failing in their visual marketing. People want to work with people, not a robot or someone who looks too polished in an A.I. image to be real.
With brand photography, we capture more than just a quick headshot. We capture what the environment you work in feels like. We capture the way that you take care of your clients. We capture how you look when you are in the zone, serving your client. We capture the tools you use to get the job done. Notice here that every one of these types of photos includes shots of you.
Some entrepreneurs may feel uncomfortable with that. And that's okay. Because when we have a session together, there is tons of pre-planning. We have a whole strategy session to discuss the shots you need and the shots I think you would benefit from; we talk about how the day should go, confirm the locations we are using, and I answer any last minute questions you have. After that strategy session, I give you an organized and detailed document (literally it's 9 pages), that outlines everything we talked about in our strategy session, so that way we have all the details we need in writing, in case we need to reference back to it.
On the day of the session, I don't immediately get started shooting. I make sure that when we arrive, we spend some time getting props ready, making sure you feel comfortable in your hair, makeup, and outfit. I walk around with you in the location we are shooting, and we catch up. You tell me about your business and your personal life (as much or as little as you want to). You can tell me about a recent win or struggle in your business (I love being able to brainstorm and try to offer solutions to issues other entrepreneurs have). And then slowly, we start to set up the scene we need to shoot. I check with you, asking for your feedback while still applying what I know about creative lighting and composition.
Then, only after I can see that you are feeling comfortable and in your zone state of mind, do I pick up a camera. Brand photography isn't about a quick session to capture a few “quick photos” of your business. Brand photography is an experience where you, as the business owner, can carefully and craftily show your business in action, without the stress of actually serving a client.
Your brand becomes more recognizable the moment you decide that you are willing to invest in the actual images that show you as a person, not just another business, another logo, or another anonymous face behind a screen. While your brand colors, fonts, logos, voice, and messaging are all super important, all those elements need to be combined with strategic brand photos in order to fully drive home the point you are trying to make to your audience, whatever that may be.
With that being said, if you are ready to take the next step and get your Brand photo experience in the books, let's pick a date together! Let's capture what it's like to work with you, as the amazing business owner you are!
To help you get started implementing the things from this series into your brand, we created our Visual Brand Audit. It's a quick workbook-style guide that walks you through some simple questions to ask yourself when evaluating each of these aspects from our Create a More Recognizable Brand Series. Check it out Digital Storefront here!
Brand photography is about more than getting a few updated headshots. It gives your audience an authentic look at you, your business, your process, and the experience of working with you. In this post, we’re talking about how strategic brand photography works alongside your colors, fonts, logo, messaging, and brand voice to create a more recognizable and genuine brand. Learn what goes into a Fortis Media brand photography experience, from strategy and planning to creating images that truly reflect your business.
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