Branding is essential in any business, including your own photography services. Today’s photography cheat sheet is handy if you’re figuring out how to shoot your own branding photos.
Working your way to being a pro photographer? As mentioned in a previous photography cheat sheet we shared, part of establishing your own photography business is marketing your services. This is where effective branding comes in. If you have no idea where to begin, today’s cheat sheet will give you some ideas for your personal brand photoshoot.
Photographers are hired for brand photoshoots for both small and big businesses, but it’s more important for them to have their own brand photos. If you’re just beginning to piece together your professional portfolio, it’s a good idea to include some personal brand photos. Kansas City-based Becca Blake, a personal brand and product photographer, has a bunch of suggestions to try should you want to do your own photo shoot for this purpose.
Becca has listed several ideas that cover locations, stories, outfits, props, and people to include for compelling personal brand photos. The main goal of these photos is to introduce yourself as a creator, and detail what you do, who you work with, and a little about you as a person so existing and potential customers can connect with you better. In her blog post for these ideas, Becca also stressed that connecting with the audience is paramount to every business. Customers who feel emotionally connected to you are more inclined to treat you as a trusted resource, respect your rates, and spread the word about you and your work.
If you have a studio, you may want to first share a peek of your space or some behind the scenes footage of your projects. You may want to include snippets of your team or some collaborations you’ve done to show you’re open to partnerships. You can also be creative with props and styling that are cohesive to your brand and resonate with your clients.
By taking charge of your own personal brand photos, you exercise full creative control over the look and mood of your shots. This will ensure the photos and the message will be unique to you, and will stay consistent with your brand.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our photography cheat sheets so far for more useful tips and tricks!