What is Brand Photography? This is Why Successful Businesses use it

Close-up of a display of designer frames at The Eye Cube Opticians. West Hampstead, London

I'm a brand photographer working in London, and in this post I want to give you the lowdown on brand photography - what it is, why it matters, and how it can benefit your business.

As a creative based right here in London, I work with all sorts of companies, from startups to corporates, who are looking to uplevel their visuals and attract more customers through powerful brand imagery.

At its core, brand photography is all about capturing photos that bring your brand's story and personality to life in an authentic, compelling way. It goes far beyond just basic product shots or headshots.

The images I create for my clients aim to make an emotional connection with the viewer and give them a glimpse into the bigger brand story and values behind the business.

Why Brand Photography Beats Generic Stock Photos

We've all seen those cheesy, posed stock photos that look painfully fake and generic.

You know the ones - an overly smiley team giving awkward thumbs up in an office setting. Or worse, those weird metaphorical conceptual shots that have zero relevance.

As a business owner or marketer, those kinds of stock visuals just won't cut it if you're serious about making an impact. Your audience can sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away in our social media saturated age.

With custom brand photography, however, you get images that feel distinctly "you" and resonate with your ideal customers on a gut level. The visuals instantly communicate what your brand's all about in a way that generic stock simply can't match.

And the good news? Getting high-quality brand photography for your London business is both accessible and affordable when you work with an experienced local branding photographer like myself.

The Brand Story Advantage

Okay, you get that authentic visuals trump stock any day. But why is telling a cohesive "brand story" through those images so crucial?

Well, humans are hardwired to crave and respond to great storytelling. Brand stories help customers go from just being passively aware of your product or service, to becoming emotionally invested in your company's mission and values.

As a brand photographer in London, my role is to carefully craft visuals that weave together an overarching narrative around your brand - its origins, philosophy, the transformation you provide for customers, and the lifestyle you represent.

These visuals combine to create an aspirational world that your ideal buyers want to be a part of. It builds desire, differentiation and brand loyalty in ways that basic product photos can't achieve alone.

The Personal Brand Edge

Brand photography can benefit not only product-based businesses. I work with consultants, coaches, freelancers, and all sorts of service providers in London who want to leverage the power of personal branding.

Your personal brand and how you visually represent yourself online could be the difference between someone choosing to work with you over a competitor. Having high-quality, candid photos that capture your personality and expertise helps build incredible know, like and trust factor.

As an experienced photographer, I aim to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera so we can get images that feel authentic to who you are. No more awkward headshots!

The Content Multiplier Effect

Need a constant stream of fresh, on-brand content for your website, socials and marketing? Working with a brand photographer gives you an extensive library of visuals to pull from.

During a branding photography session, we'll capture a diverse variety of images that can be repurposed across all your channels for months and years to come. This includes:

• Product/service shots and behind-the-scenes looks

• Portraits and team shots

• Workplace environment and culture shots

• Conceptual/lifestyle images relating to your brand themes

Having this content bank makes your life easier and ensures a cohesive, on-brand experience no matter where your customers intersect with you online.

The Reasons You Need Branding Photography

Hopefully by this point you're sold on the "why" behind investing in brand photography to elevate your business's visuals. But let's dig into some of the specific benefits:

1. Increase sales and revenue:
   Compelling brand visuals create more emotional desire and differentiation for your offerings, increasing perceived value and making customers want to buy.

2. Attract higher-value clients:
   The right brand imagery instantly qualifies your business as a premium choice and draws in more of your ideal, big-ticket customers.

3. Boost brand credibility and trust:

4. Professional photos lend credibility whereas DIY, amateur-looking visuals come across as unprofessional. This determines whether leads see you as an authority or not.

5. Get more engagement on content/ads:
   Eye-catching brand photos encourage more clicks, comments, shares - critical for getting your business noticed online today.

6. Stand out from competitors:
   With a cohesive, ownable brand aesthetic through photography, you ensure your brand isn't lost among countless generic-looking businesses in the same space.

7. Access fresh, high-quality content:
   Having a library of on-brand photos solves the constant struggle of creating new social, web, and marketing content that engages.

8. Clarify brand positioning:
   The visuals we create together will reinforce your brand's unique vision, values and the transformation you provide for customers.

9. Highlight product benefits/features:
   Beyond beauty shots alone, styled brand photos allow you to demonstrate key product highlights in an emotive, narrative way.

10. Build an iconic brand legacy:
    With an intentional, evolving brand story told through visuals, you transcend "just another business" to become an iconic brand that stands the test of time.

Now let's address how brand photography ties into those core motivations around things like saving money, saving time, increasing profits, and reducing stress.

Money Maker

As a small London business myself, I get that you need to be incredibly mindful of costs and ensure investments give a solid return. With brand photography though, the sales and customer lifetime value increases mean you'll quickly make that investment back and then some.

Money Saver

No more wasting cash on random stock photo subscriptions or piecing together mismatched visuals. A one-time brand photography package gives you a library of cohesive, ownable visuals to work with.

Time Saver

How many hours have you lost just endlessly scrolling for decent stock photos that still look meh? With branded photos ready to go, you'll save a ridiculous amount of time and stress.

Effort Eliminator

Running a successful business is hard enough without having to worry about bootstrapping visuals yourself. Brand photography eliminates the effort and headache of DIY photos and design.

Comfort Increaser

Building a respected brand is the ultimate comfort for a business owner. Brand photography gives you the confidence of nailing those key first impressions and putting your best professional foot forward.

Attracts New Business

Irresistible brand visuals are a magnet for your ideal customers. They'll be drawn towards the experience, lifestyle and transformation you represent.

So there you have it!

Brand photography is one of the most powerful weapons to amplify your business through authentic, emotive visuals that tell a cohesive brand story. Working with an experienced brand photographer in London like myself can be a total game-changer.

If you're based in London or the surrounding areas and want to elevate your brand's visuals to the next level, I'd love to hear more about your business and goals.

Drop me a message for a free no-obligation discovery call, or subscribe to my newsletter in the box below, and let's start bringing your brand story to life!

FAQs - Brand Photography

• What exactly is included in a brand photography package?

  A brand photography package with me typically includes a pre-shoot discovery consultation to plan out the vision and must-have shot list, the photoshoot itself, and edited final image galleries. Packages can also include things like behind-the-scenes video, and even social media content templates.

• I'm not very photogenic, how do you deal with that?

  Don't worry, it's my job as an experienced brand photographer in London to make you feel at ease in front of the camera! Through directing and styling, I'll coach you into natural-looking poses and authentic expressions that showcase your brand's personality. Most clients are surprised at how quickly the awkwardness fades.

• How far in advance should I book brand photography?

  Typically I recommend booking your brand photography session around 2-6 weeks out from when you need the final images. This allows enough time for the prep consultation, location scouting and booking f needed, scheduling hair & make-up artists if required, and then the editing & delivery process.

• What's the difference between brand photography and regular product photography?

  Brand photography has a much broader, narrative scope beyond just traditional product or model shots. The aim is to capture authentic workplace scenes, behind-the-scenes glimpses, conceptual/lifestyle visuals, and photography that hints at your company's core values and mission—basically bringing your entire brand story to life!

• How do you ensure the images remain on-brand?

  Ahead of our photo session, I'll have you fill out a detailed brand questionnaire about your company's history, vision, target customer, colour palettes, styling guidelines and more. Using that info as our North Star - our guide - allows me to really nail your brand's signature aesthetic and vibe with the photos.