Brand Photography Ideas for Your Next Photoshoot
One of the questions I hear ALL the time as a brand photographer is, βOkay… but what the heck are we actually going to take photos OF?β
And honestly, fair. π
Most people can come up with a few obvious brand photography ideas pretty quickly: a headshot, working on your laptop, holding your phone, maybe a coffee cup if you’re feeling particularly adventurous… and then what?
If you’re investing in a brand photoshoot, we can do SO much more than create 47 different versions of you pretending to type on a laptop. The goal is to create a collection of photos that gives you variety, shows off your personality and, most importantly, gives you images you can actually use in your business.
Here are a few places I always start when planning brand photos.
Start With What You Actually Do
This sounds obvious, but think beyond simply sitting at your desk. What does working with you actually look like? Maybe you’re meeting with a client, preparing something, presenting, creating, packing an order, reviewing documents, speaking on stage or using specific tools in your business.
Think about your process, not just your job title.
If you’re a realtor, that could mean putting up a sold sign, walking through a home or meeting with clients. If you’re a designer, maybe you’re looking at samples, sketching ideas or visiting a project. If you’re a speaker, we probably need you with a microphone, presenting to a room or interacting with an audience.
These kinds of brand photos don’t just show what you look like. They help people understand what you do and what it might actually look and feel like to work with you.
Give Yourself More Than One Pose
One of the easiest ways to get more variety from your brand photoshoot is movement. Walk toward the camera or away from it. Adjust your jacket. Pick something up. Sit down, stand up, turn around, laugh or interact with something in the room.
We don’t need every image to be you perfectly posed and smiling directly at the camera.
In fact, some of my favourite brand photography ideas are ridiculously simple. A little movement can make a photo feel much more natural while giving you a completely different kind of image to use in your content.
Bring Some Actual Personality Into Your Brand Photos
Your brand photos are allowed to show things about you that have absolutely nothing to do with your job. PLEASE. π
Bring the dog. Wear the leopard print. Show off the ridiculous shoe collection. Include the Diet Coke that’s permanently attached to your hand. If there’s a hobby, style, place, routine or random little thing that people associate with you, it can absolutely belong in your brand photography.
Your personal brand isn’t supposed to be some professionally manufactured version of you. The whole point is that there’s an actual person in there.
This is something I talk about a lot when I’m helping clients with both their brand photography and their overall visual branding. Strategy matters, but it should help us bring more of YOU into your brand, not manufacture a personality for you.
Think Beyond Photos of Your Face
You don’t need to be looking at the camera in every single photo. Actually, you don’t even need to be completely in every photo.
Detail images can be incredibly useful. Think hands typing or writing, close-ups of the tools you use, over-the-shoulder photos, your workspace, details of your outfit, props related to your business, flat lays, products, packaging, books or other materials you use.
These images give you visual variety without requiring another smiling photo of your face. They’re especially useful when you’re creating content and need an image that supports what you’re saying rather than becoming the entire focus of the post.
Think About What You Need Your Brand Photos FOR
This is probably the biggest one. Instead of starting with βWhat photos should I take?β, try starting with βWhere am I going to need photos?β
Think about your website, Instagram, LinkedIn, blog posts, emails, launches, sales pages, speaking announcements, educational content, testimonials, promotions and seasonal content.
Once you start thinking about where the images will actually be used, coming up with brand photography ideas gets MUCH easier.
Maybe you need horizontal images with lots of negative space for your website. Maybe you need vertical images for Instagram Stories. Maybe you need a variety of expressions that can work with funny content, educational content AND more serious topics. Maybe you need images specifically related to one of your offers.
The goal isn’t just to leave your photoshoot with a bunch of pretty pictures. It’s to leave with a library of images you can actually USE.
Need More Brand Photography Ideas? I Have 197 of Them. π
And this is exactly why I made the 197 Brand Photo Ideas Guide.
I went through YEARS of my own brand photography and pulled together 197 real photo ideas from real photoshoots with real people. Inside you’ll find ideas for poses, expressions, props, laptop and phone photos, working shots, lifestyle images, seasonal content, different industries and a whole bunch of things you probably wouldn’t think of on your own.
Basically, I did the idea gathering for you.
So if you’re planning your next brand photoshoot and your current shot list consists of a headshot, a laptop, holding a coffee cup and a whole bunch of ??????, I GOT YOU. π
And yes, you’re absolutely allowed to bring the guide to your photographer and say, βI WANT THIS ONE.β I encourage it. π
Ready to Plan Your Own Brand Photoshoot?
If you’re in Edmonton and would rather have someone help you figure out what the heck to photograph, that’s a huge part of what I do. We plan your photos around your business, personality, marketing and the places you actually need to use them, so you’re not responsible for showing up with a list of 197 ideas yourself. π
Looking for an Edmonton brand photographer to help you turn all those brand photography ideas into an actual photoshoot? Let’s chat about your brand photos.
