💡 Ever seen an image and instantly known which brand it belonged to?  That, my dears, is the power of flow and consistency! 

💡 When your visuals have this unified look and feel, you’re helping your audience identify your brand at a glance, whatever the platform.  It could be social media, your website or even printed materials.

💡 This quick recognition saves your audience time and effort, making them more likely to engage with your content… #winner

✅ Consistent imagery invites your viewers to linger longer (that hang time is great for IG too).  It creates a sense of calm & flow rather than a jarring experience that makes them want to scroll on by.

✅ When each image feels like a piece of a puzzle, your audience is more likely to follow along, engage and even start anticipating your next post.

✅ A clear visual story keeps your brand feeling accessible, professional and approachable – key ingreditents for nuturing a loyal community.

🪪 Think of brand photography as your visual signature.  It’s more than just nices photos – it’s a representation of what your brand stands for.  

🪪 Quality imagery showcases your products, services, and story in a way that is memorable.  This helps set you apart in a crowded market.  

🪪 A well-curated visual flow ties in all aspects of your business together, strengthening your brand in the eyes of your audience.

November has its own unique atmosphere that can beautifully enhance the tone and style of your brand imagery. Think misty mornings, earth-toned landscapes, and that rich, cosy feeling that autumn brings. The natural backdrop is full of warm, muted colours that feel comforting and nostalgic, with a perfect balance of moody greys, deep greens, and earthy browns. It’s an aesthetic that suits so many brands, particularly those with a rural, rustic, or nature-inspired ethos.

For wellness, artisan, or heritage brands, the tones and textures of late autumn can be the perfect visual representation of what you’re about. From the crunchy leaves underfoot to the bare branches and frosty ground, November’s scenery naturally lends itself to a more grounded, authentic feel. This seasonal palette can add a unique richness to your brand photos that’s hard to replicate at other times of the year.

Another huge advantage of a November shoot is the peace and quiet. As autumn progresses, outdoor locations tend to be less busy. There’s a calmness in the air, with fewer people around and a more relaxed pace, allowing us to make the most of each location without interruptions or distractions. This not only creates a more focused environment for the shoot but also allows your brand’s personality to truly shine.

We can capture serene, natural moments without the hustle and bustle that can sometimes come with a busy season. Whether you’re looking to shoot in a countryside location or an urban setting, the quieter atmosphere of November allows us to use spaces in a more mindful, creative way. It’s an opportunity to let your brand’s voice come through without anything pulling focus from what we’re trying to achieve.

If people are going to feature in your photos, make sure all those involved are well prepped in advance so they know what your aims are for the session.  

The key is to be honest with them – don’t say it’s 20 minutes if the session is 90 minutes….

Always good to have them available in advance of the session starting time and if will give you chance to go back over any briefs so all are comfortable.  If you have specific clothing you need them to wear, check in advance with size preferences etc.

It’s always a good idea to at least have some water on hand for those featuring, keeping hydrated is good, even with the shorter sessions.  

Providing additional refreshments is a great bribe (!)  and kids always seem to appreciate having snacks on hand too.  

Bring things that reflect you on your working day.  That might be general business items like your phone, laptop, tablet, diary etc.   Mugs, pens, notebooks are great options too and if any of these are branded or in brand colours then even better.   Also, if you use tools of your trade, have them set up and ready.  For example.
If you are a dressmaker, have the sewing machine/thread/pins/patterns to hand.
If you are a yoga/pilates instructor, then have matts, blocks, straps to hand.

Think also about the storyboard you created during planning.  What props would make those scenes look authentic? Do you need food, plates, picnic blankets.  Maybe its a brolly and wellies, or do you need a kitchen full of baking trays, flour and sugars.  Imagine what you would be doing if you were in those situations directly and plan your props accordingly.

It’s really important to check that the photographer edit in a style that aligns with your preferences or complements your brand’s visual identity?

For instance, does a light and airy editing style suit your brand, or would a darker, moodier edit be more suitable? This decision hinges on your brand’s aesthetic and the desire for a cohesive appearance.  These are just 2 examples of styles.

It’s aways a good plan to share a Pinterest Mood Board with your photographer that visually identifies the style you like.  Some photographers will only edit in their own style, but others (like myself)  are able to edit specifically to a clients needs. 

An important question is whether the photographer handle diverse projects and adapt to varying conditions, or do they specialise in certain areas, for example  products, wedding, food, or newborns? It’s important to ask since some photographers are versatile while others focus exclusively on specific types of sessions.  

We love a personal recommendation, but make sure they cover the area (genre) of photography you need support.  While in theory a good photographer will take a good photograph, having great working knowledge of a particular sector will give one photographer an edge over the one that doesn’t work in that area. 

And so last, but not least – the nitty gritty bits that.  This is definitely an area you should be asking about in advance of booking!  But before you groan too much, remember that this is a cost of business that your accountant can work with from a tax perspective, as it’s tax deductable.

Things to be investigating with your prospective photographer – and this isn’t an exhaustive list.

How much is a brand shoot, how long is the shoot?
Where does it take place?
How many images do you get in your brand shoot?
How & when will I receive my images.
Do I pay in full upfront, or are there the option to pay in stages.
Where can I use the images – can I put them on my website, my socials and can I use them to create printed leaflets or similar?
Are there any limitations on usage?

Using authentic images of your actual employees in action, rather than relying solely on stock photos, enhances trust and authenticity on your website. This approach provides clients and potential clients with a genuine glimpse into your company’s operations, creating stronger understanding of your services. 

Using shots of your team on social media tends to generate higher engagement compared to using stock images. These shots can be used to create employee spotlights, unleash specific or fun stories from within the brand and to build simple connections to your audience.  

It’s not just about the here-and-now shots.
Don’t think it’s just about the new products you created, or showing the new service you are offering.
It’s more than just about updating your branding images as they’ve changed.

There’s more to it than this, and a small amount of planning will offer you great savings in the long run….

You’ve heard me ramble on about Evergreen Content.  So you’ve got an understanding of the importance of those kinds of shots for your library.  But it’s good practice to create seasonal shots too. Shots that give you depth to your year of content. There’s nothing worse than talking about spring colours if all you have is shots from August or October.

Yes, you can fake some seasons (or create ‘hints’ of a season) by using props and set ups in a studio styled situation, but what about outside shots, that appear to be in right in the moment?

Having seasonal photos provides more flexibility, more relevance, and paints a more relatable and engaging opportunity for you.

Examples below.  Each one doesn’t feature a person (in this case also giving the content more longevity too) but each one features the product within each of the seasons.  

So how do you manage this, especially when funds are tight or businesses are new and there are many things on your To Do list?

Seasonal subscription options from brand photographers like me are a good place to start. Look out for options that give you multiple shoots in a year as they give you a great opportunity to plan, either for seasonal campaigns or just year-round relevant photos.  Work with your photographer and take that time to plan a years needs.

By the way, I offer payment plans to help spread the financial load, making it even easier than before to get involved with your marketing plans.

Consistent and high-quality brand photography helps establish and reinforce your brand identity. It visually communicates your brand’s values, personality, and unique selling points. Customers can better connect with your brand when they see a consistent visual message.

High-quality images convey professionalism and attention to detail. They can help your business appear more credible and trustworthy, which is particularly important for gaining the trust of potential customers in today’s world when few brands ‘trade’ on a face-to-face basis.

Unique brand photography sets you apart from competitors who may rely on stock photos or generic visuals. There’s nothing more unique than YOU, even if you have a similar service or product to others, they don’t have YOU.  Because of this bespoke images allow you to showcase your products, services, and team in a way that no one else can replicate.

Whether it’s for your website, social media, advertising campaigns, or printed materials, high-quality visuals can significantly enhance the impact of your marketing efforts.

People are naturally drawn to images, and striking photos can capture their attention and convey your message effectively.

Brand photography provides a consistent source of content for your marketing efforts.

You can use images for blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, and more, helping you maintain an active online presence.

Social media platforms rely heavily on visuals.

High-quality, engaging photos can help you stand out in users’ feeds, increase engagement (likes, shares, comments), and drive more traffic to your website or physical location.

Branded images, and by this I mean, photos that have been specifically commissioned and created for YOUR business and not run-of-the-mill stock photos that anyone can take or buy from internet stock sites, are very much a part of establishing and strengthening your visual identity. 

The key to strong digital marketing is planning your content in advance.  As a brand photographer, I’ll always ask what kind of photos you are looking for, and whether you have specific or generic requirements from the photos and from there we can plan better to create your library of on-brand photos.

In this blog, I’m showing you some great examples of digital marketing from one brand I’ve worked with.  A farm vet practice.  The initial brief was to have a wide range of livestock photos and some specific photos of processes or procedures.  They listed the specifics, for example handling sheep, checking feet, checking calves, injecting livestock, scanning livestock and more.  

The net result of good planning from everyone involved with the brand shoots, from office staff, vets, farmers and support teams, was a wide range of relevant, on-brand photos that gave Synergy scope to create digital marketing that was relevant to their target audience. 

From the above examples you can see a real consistency and clarity in their marketing.  With on-brand photography on hand, they are better placed to create and distribute valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience. 

As soon as they arrive, create a new folder and name it in such a way that makes it really quick and easy to identify what they are.

Maybe:
2023 Woodland Shoot
2023 Q3 Launch
2023 Christmas Campaign

Then you have then at your finger tips for social media, website, printed media and more.

Start changing your Profile Picture on social media sites and keep them all identical, again a simple step that builds brand recognition and helps to develop a real relationship with your ideal clients.

It’s amazing how a simple refresh like this can lift the interest/engagement to your platforms.

By adding them to your Canvas account (or other similar Apps) it instantly gives you the buzz to start planning their use.  If you aren’t using this really great tool, then sign up for the free option – it’s the perfect place for creating graphics that establish brand recognition and cohesiveness for your audience.  You seriously don’t need to be a graphics designer to use it, with so many templates you can adapt.

You now have some bespoke images so it’s the perfect time to plan how to keep using your brand photos in a consistent way. There are many ways to convert followers into clients, such as making Reels, carousel posts, Stories, Pinterest Pins, email marketing, blog posts, etc.

Log into your favourite scheduling tool (I love Metricool) and begin to make best use of what you have.

For many of you this was probably a driver to have the brandshoot in the first place.  Either because your existing shots were old and products/services shown have changed, or you were using many stock images from an internet site.

Time to update the Home page, About Me page, Contact page and, of course, products and services where appropriate.