Why You Need a Brand Photoshoot

A brand photoshoot is a critical component in your brand development journey. The result is a collection of professional and unique (i.e. not stock) photos that illustrate what your brand is. Along with copy about your products and services, aesthetic qualities like colors and typography, and important links to social media and shopping, brand photography helps to tell your brand story more holistically.

Your brand photography will be used in a host of different ways—on your website, via social media, in email marketing, on product packaging, in press releases, on business cards, in advertising, on thank-you cards, and more.

Here are six reasons you need a brand photoshoot:

1. Put a face to the name

Your own face certainly doesn’t have to be your brand logo, but adding curated photography (of your people, products, or services in action) enables your audience to make a connection between your brand and its (literal) vision. Faceless or anonymous brands—even if their products and services are incredible—feel less relatable.

1. Establish a memorable first impression

It takes less than a second to make a first impression and your photos are obviously a reflection of your brand. It’s important that your headshots or other images exude the tone of your brand’s overall aesthetic: professional and poised, casual and friendly, sophisticated and sultry, or goofy and relatable. Your photography should look exactly how you want to be perceived. We always recommend high quality, professional images that show off your brand’s personality.

1. Enhance storytelling

65% of marketing executives agree that visual content is the key to communicating a brand’s story. Your brand photos can show the evolution or behind-the-scenes construction of your product. They can also demonstrate a typical service experience for a prospective customer. In either case, you’re bringing the audience in. They’re not just customers; they become part of your brand story.

1. Humanize your brand

Yes, computers play a big role in our lives. But humans are the driving forces behind brilliant brands. Your “About” page on your website (and maybe a pinned post on your Instagram feed) is a great place to share a headshot, personal photo, or team picture to remind audiences of the hardworking humans behind the business.

1. Convey emotion

Photography captures and conveys emotion. Colors, lighting, perspective, and nuance all come together to elicit feelings in the person viewing the image. What emotion does your brand want to convey? And, does that emotion align with your overall vision, your presence on social media, and your brand voice and aesthetic?

1. Develop trust

When you make the face-to-name connection, you automatically build a sense of trust between you and the other person. When you communicate and are personable with your customers and clients, those experiences establish care and confidence in your brand. And where faceless/anonymous brands can come across as promoting an aura of unattainable perfection, humanizing your business through photography also helps your brand become more relatable and likable.

Now that you’ve read our reasoning, head over to “How to Plan Your Brand Photoshoot” to get the ball rolling!