When Should I Hire a Branding Photographer?

There is a lot that goes into building your brand. A logo, brand colors, messaging, your values and ideal client persona. A new website, social media, marketing… and the list goes on. Oh and then images to fit all that. That isn’t your job. So you may ask, when should I hire a branding photographer to get those professional photos?

Having worked with a variety of clients in various stages of their business journey. Hiring a photographer is sometimes a tough decision, but totally worth it. There is only so much you can do with your cell phone.

Throughout the journey of building your brand and business, there are some key times that you may need to have professional photographs taken of you and your business. But first, there needs to be some hard work that needs to be done so you have somewhat of a vision for your brand.

Do you know your brand’s core values and personality? How about what you are selling and to whom you sell to? Get a handle on that first so you can relay that information and vision to your photographer so your images are completely aligned.

Here is a free worksheet to help you get started if you are a little lost. More info about when you should bring in a branding photographer below.

These are the times where clients and I have had the best success with creating images that were a perfect fit.

Website Content

Your website is as important as your business card. It’s your first impression. Make it a good one. Show your brand and your personality without having to be the photographer as well. Allowing you to be more present as you would for your clients and then capture that with your amazing photographer.

Collaborating with a designer and photographer can help with the creation of images and giving you a better final product. It’s like when a puzzle piece fits perfectly. Trying to force images you have into a design may not work and could make the process longer for those working on it.

Some things you and your photographer can discuss with your website designer, or with you if you are designing it yourself, are:

• Header/hero images for the tops of pages or blocks throughout the site.
• Where portraits and headshots are going to be used.
• Will text be placed over the images and if so where would it be placed.
• Other images used on pages like blog posts or a product page.

Social Media Content

Many personal brands are growing their audience and customer base through social media channels. Having content that is both authentic and directly from you as well as polished and professional images of you and your work is a great way to show your brand.

When you hire a branding photographer for a shoot you can work through some ideas for social media content that will match your website and provide your customers a cohesive look. You can always do separate shoots just for those types of images whenever you want.

Other articles linked in this post

5 Reasons to Hire a Branding Photographer

How to Use your Personal Brand Images on your Website