Unique branding photography helps you STAND OUT. 

Branding photography sessions are a MUST for small businesses who want to stand out. Even if you’re a photographer, you’re going to need a brand session! If you’re a product seller, a brand session can make the difference between making SOME sales on the platform you sell on… and standing out as the obvious choice among your competition.

But everyone and their brother knows that, right? Having a branding session is the way to stand out. Professional photos make the difference. It’s been recommended by every single platform from Linkedin for professionals looking for a new position, to Etsy recommendations about how to stand out from the crowd.

So how do you do the thing everyone is doing, in a way that’s DIFFERENT from how everyone is doing it? Well… part of it, is going to come down to choosing the right photographer, who can curate a unique package for you, and really SEE the vision behind your brand.

Finding a Photographer Who Will Work WITH You

And I don’t mean like… “choose a photographer”

So, when I say that the first step is finding a photographer who will work with you, I don’t mean like “choose a photographer”. That would be WAY too obvious. (It’s unprofessional to say “lol” in a blog post, but I’ve gotta “lol” for a second.) What I actually mean when I say “find a photographer who will work with you” is find one who is open to uniquely and creatively addressing YOUR needs. Because your business is unique! Which means it’s not fair to you to end up with a photo package that looks like everyone else’s.

Your photos should OOZE personality.

Specifically, YOUR personality, that you bring to your business. Take my brand photos on this site, for example. I went to get doughnuts. Why did I go to get doughnuts? Because they’re COOL. And so am I. I’m fun, and quirky, and I wanted that to be 100% clear. You already know I’m a photographer, so I didn’t really feel the need to plaster that all over my website. Because doughnuts are cooler.

That’s not necessarily going to be the plan YOU need. Because like I said, every business is different. But if you want to end up with a unique package, when you’re looking at photographers’ portfolios, look for DIVERSITY. Not just among their clients, but in the types of images they can capture and the tones they can create. Because it’s one thing to be able to look at a photographer’s portfolio and say “I know this photographer will be able to do what I need, because their whole portfolio is exactly that” and another thing entirely to look at it and say “because this photographer has done such cool things in the past, I know they’ll be able to do an even cooler, 100% unique thing for me.” You need them to work WITH you.

What Props will You Provide?

Once you’ve found a photographer who’s definitely ready to work magic with you (me? imagine that sideways eyeball emoji here), it’s time to think about props! Now, you don’t have to get super extra with the props you bring to your session, especially if it’s going to be done in your space. If you have an office or a studio and we’re going to do your session there, you’re naturally going to be surrounded by all the things related to what you do!

But not all branding sessions are going to take place in your space. Some of them will happen in my studio! And in that case, it might be a good idea to collect some things to bring with you. Some of the things you can bring are pretty obvious – like if you have an online business, have your phone and your laptop. If you’ve written a book, or have books that have seriously impacted your work… bring those! But really allow yourself to think outside the box here. If you’ve got branded things like mugs or shirts or other swag, those can also come with you.

However… that’s not all. Remember, you can have FUN with this! Talk it through with me beforehand, and we can figure out whether there are things to add to that list that will really help your package stand out. Remember me and the doughnuts? Sometimes the props are for the VIBE.

Talk To Your Photographer About The Vibe!

Speaking of which… Once you’ve had a little time to think about the props you might bring with you, and the photographer you want to work with, it’s time to reach out to them and talk through the vibe. Do you have a vision for the session? Are there images from the photographer’s portfolio that really speak to you? Or that you think would speak to your ideal clients?

Now is the time to talk about that! And you don’t have to talk about it from the perspective of “let’s recreate this session you did” – because like I said, that’s not really going to bring uniqueness to the table. Talk about the tone. Talk about what that session COMMUNICATED that you want to recreate. This is all about getting down to the core messaging.

Do you want to communicate femininity? Professionalism? Fun? A combination of a variety of feelings? Talk those through. If you’ve already done extensive brand work, and figured out what to consistetly focus on, you might even have a document that goes through the emotions to lean into for your brand as a whole, and that can really come in handy here. But the biggest thing I want to get across, is when you’re aiming to have content that will stand out from the crowd… you can’t use an existing session as an example. Because… well, it already exists. So you’re going to have to be willing to talk to your photographer, and create something that leans into the emotions you want your clients to have when they encounter your content in the wild.

Let’s Talk About Unique Branding Photos!

Creating a unique package of branding photos involves a lot. It means looking for a photographer who is willing to think outside the box. It means possibly getting a little bit out of your comfort zone. You’re going to need to think about how the imagery communicates – and realistically most of that can be left up to your photographer. But the FEELINGS… those are going to have to come from your side. Then your photographer will bring those into the session itself!

If it’s time for you to bring new feelings to your business’s online presence, and you’re ready for a unique session unlike anyone else’s… then it’s time for us to talk. Because your business deserves to stand out from the crowd!!