Choose The Right Photographer for Your Brand – Tips from an Industry Pro

It’s been weeks in the making. You invested time, money and hours pouring over every last detail of what your brand photos should look like. The big ‘photoshoot’ day arrived with no stone unturned. But then, when you receive the final images, disappoint sinks in. The photos fail to properly convey your brand story.

You ask yourself, “where did I go wrong?”

Professional photographer, Katherine Woroniecka, owner of AlbmPhotography, says it all begins with choosing the right photographer for your brand. “Photography is not often thought of as an intimate business. But to capture and communicate your brand’s vibe, you need to feel at ease with your photographer. And you need to know he or she is the right one for the job.”

Here is Katherine’s five-step plan for a worry-free photoshoot experience:

1. Be a ‘know-it-all’ – Not in an arrogant, obnoxious way, of course but rather, know everything you need to know about your vision for the brand before engaging photographers. It is the best way to ensure the visuals will compliment the vision. Three tools you can use to gain clarity:
   1. Brainstorm. Make it a team exercise. The more people pitching in, the more information and ideas you will have on the table. Then, you can narrow it down.
   2. Develop a photo brief. In it provide, as much detail about the shoot as possible. Models, inspiration photos, clothing, props, etc. The more detailed it is the better.
   3. Create a vision board. Fill it with colours, images and sayings that represent your brand. In it, include logos, team photos, fonts and other visuals that solidify your vision.
2. Photographers are specialists – Knowing this ahead of time will shave off hours of unnecessary research and disappointment in the long run. Katherine says, “Whether your brand is conservative or wacky, there’s a photographer for that too!” Check out her list of photography niches below and see if your brand falls into one of these (there are plenty more too, she adds):
   1. Food
   2. Lifestyle
   3. Baby/family
   4. Fashion
   5. Wedding
3. Research, research, research! – Did we mention research? We often rely on recommendations, and that’s not a bad place to start. But Katherine recommends you interview several potential photographers, review and compare their portfolios and ask to speak with references before making your final decision. “It’s like a courtship of sorts. Use your intuition but also learn more about their experience before jumping in.”
4. Social Media photography should be treated as a stand-alone category – If your brand’s goal is to be part of the ‘social media big-leagues,’ Katherine recommends that you view the role that photography plays in social media as an important one. “Some clients may not put a lot of weight on social media and therefore they don’t focus on producing unique, high quality images for their feed. That’s okay. But if you are planning to use social media to communicate with your followers and customers, creating a photobank with professional images will go a long way in building your social channels and communicating your brand identity.”
5. Know the power of photography – Remember, we are visual creatures. We see, before we hear. Visual stimulation is all around us. And if you are looking to attract customers who are interested in your brand, what better way to capture their imagination and attention, than with high-quality, professional photographs. Katherine concludes, “It’s the best way to capture a real ‘snapshot’ of you, your brand and the clients or products you represent.”

Interested in learning more about how photography can help you communicate and grow your business? Check out our post on how to create a photo bank.