You’re ready to make a very important investment in your business – it’s time to select a brand photographer! But how do you know what to look for; and who can help you achieve your goals?
Personal brand photography is a very specialized field of photography, different than wedding or family photography. You’ll also see headshot photographers that call their work brand photography, but I consider them to be very different.
First of all, you want to select a brand photographer that is experienced in photographing entrepreneurs. You need your brand photography library to include images that showcase the various aspects of you as a business owner so your photographer should specialize in that. Just because someone is good with a camera doesn’t mean they understand the nuances of personal branding photography!
Another important aspect of brand photography is strategy. One of my secret powers is that I’m extremely strategic as it relates to planning a personal branding shoot. 😉 You and I will shoot based on storylines that relate to you and your business. Personal brand photography is more than just photos of you working on your laptop! You need STRATEGIC images for your website, a product launch, and/or social media. When I work with my clients, we talk about all the important places where you’ll need photographs. Will this image that we’re shooting be a vertical or horizontal? What props will be in the image to convey what you want? What mood to we need to capture?
Find a photographer that notices the little details. Like a hair out of place, or a pole looking like it’s coming out of your head. She should make sure everything is in the image that should be, but nothing that shouldn’t. Look at the images on her website. Do the images look clean of non-essential items? Ask the photographer about her philosophy about this. If she talks about stopping to make sure your collar lays right, that is a good sign! I notice the little details. That’s why my shooting style is more deliberate than others that “click click click click click” and hope they get something.
Finally, look at the photographer’s site and social media. Does the branding photographer have branded images of herself on her site and social media? I’m so surprised by how many sites I look at where there is one image of the photographer AT MOST. Hire a brand photographer that practices what she preaches.
Choosing a branding photographer is an important decision to make! Ask lots of questions and see if she’s a good fit for you and your business. You can ask to chat with his or her past clients if that’s helpful. Go to her Google Business Profile and read the reviews of her services.
One last thing. Do not select the inexpensive photographer that “also” does branding. You want this business investment to help you connect with your potential clients. It’s important NOT to base your decision just on price. I believe that you get what you pay for when it comes to brand photography!
Want to read more? Check out this post about unexpected ways to use your branding images!
