Let’s talk about brand photography (and why so much of it tends to look the same).

When you decide you need photos for your business, your first instinct is usually: “okay, I need a brand photographer.”

Which – yes. 100% yes. Great. Love this for you, for us and for them.

But here’s the thing: brand photography has become very trendy over the last few years. It gets blended with content photography and commercial photography. And a lot of photographers have pivoted into it, which I love the diversity and I truly think it’s great.

A lot of it also overlaps with commercial photography. We get this interchanged a lot, so what’s the difference, if any?

Commercial photography – think bigger campaigns, big brands, nike-level energy

Brand photography – usually geared toward small businesses, personal brands and service providers.

Ultimately though, IMO, they can be interchangeable. Just fancy new vocab to make commercial photography sound cooler and more approachable financially.

Here’s where things start to get kina meh, though.

The sea of sameness.

So much of brand photography looks. the. same.

You’ve seen it:

• Laptop on desk
• Working on phone
• Coffee mug moment (so cute!)
• Blazer + leaning pose
• Smiling at nothing in particular

And listen my friend, is this bad? No.

Is it strategic? Technically… sure.

But is it differentiating you?
…nope on a rope.

If the only thing that’s making your photos different is your face or your outfit, you’re still blending in.

#sorrynotsorry

And considering brand photography can be a pretty hefty investment…we’re not here to blend in. We’re here to make people go:

“OH. That’s SO them.”

We want your brand photos to portray your brand and create a space that invites your viewers into.

Let’s clear this up real quick on the difference of brand (commercial) photographer and a lifestyle photographer:

Lifestyle photographer:

• Focuses on natural, candid moments
• Less strategy, more “captured feeling”
• Great for authenticity, less focused on business goals

Brand photographer:

• (Should) include strategy
• (Should) ask about your business, audience, goals
• (Should) guide wardrobe, location, and usage

If you’re prepping for a shoot and want a deeper breakdown of what that actually looks like behind the scenes, I highly recommend checking out this post on preparing for your personal branding session – it gives a really solid look into the process.

But here’s the kicker – not all brand photographers provide creative direction. And that’s the gap most people don’t realize until after photos have been delivered.

What most people miss is the creative direction.

You can hire the best photographer in the world, but if you don’t have creative direction, you’re just gonna get some nice photos.

Not strategic ones.
Not memorable ones.
Not brand-defining ones.

Creative direction is the difference between “Here are some nice photos for content” vs. “These visuals are your brand”.

So what is creative direction?

It’s not just a shot list. Imma say that again:

A shot list is NOT creative direction.

Creative direction is:

• the mood
• the vibe
• the visual storytelling
• the “why” behind every single photo

It answers questions like:

• What are we trying to communicate
• Who are we talking to?
• What makes this visually different form everyone else?
• What’s the setting, energy, and tone?

How to make your brand photos stand out

If you want your photos to hit, here’s what you need:

1. Brand strategy (non-negotiable)
   You need to know:
   – Your audience
   – Your positioning
   – Your vibe
   – Your goals
   Otherwise, you’re just picking things cause they feel ‘cute’. If you’re still in the planning phase, this guide on 5 ways to plan your branding photo session is a really solid place to start.
   
2. Creative direction
   This is where things get fun. We’re talking:
   – Specific color usage
   – Intentional props
   – Set design (even DIY) – and you don’t have to break the bank for this, use what you (and your photographer) has.
   – Wardrobe that actually says something
   
   Not just “bring a laptop and your favorite mug”
   
3. Treat it like a creative project, not a task.
   Cause it is.
   A brand shoot should feel like:
   – A mini production
   – An art project
   – A strategy session
   
   not just a “okay, let’s get some content real quick” – that’s marketing, babe. Still good, but not necessarily a brand shoot.

Real example: making a summer campaign indoors

For one brand shoot, we needed a summer campaign, in spring, inside a studio with snow outside. So instead of forcing it, we got creative and we were able to control the visuals more:

• Turf grass for a summer feel
• Blue backdrop for that sky/pool vibe
• Lounge chairs that matched brand colors
• Selective props that aligned with the products and seasons

We didn’t blow thousands of dollars either, just a few hundred, max.

The difference is that it feels like a whole experience, not just photos.

You don’t need a huge budget, you need intention.

Same with my own brand shoots.

One concept was:
“spring clean your brand”

Did I just sit at a desk with a laptop? NO. I bought cheap spray bottles from the dollar store, designed custom labels for them that portrayed a visual metaphor for “cleaning your brand” in spring vibes in my brand colors and fonts.

Was it extra? Yeah. Do I regret it? Hell no! This is the kind of imagery that people remember and that I an use to STAND OUT.

Final thought: make your investment work for you.

If you’re going to invest in brand photography, make it strategic, intentional and visually distinct. So you’re not re-booking every 3 months because everything already feels stale.

Your photos should last loner, work harder and stand on their own. Even without your website, fonts, or branding wrapped around them.

And once you do have those photos? Don’t let them just sit there – here are 10 ways to actually use your brand photography so they’re working overtime for your business.

If you’re reading this and thinking: “okay wait… I want this but I don’t know how to actually execute these things.” Hi, hello, that’s my literal job over here. This is what Hey, Carl! does. You can reach out here and we can turn your brand shoot into something that feels like you, not just like everyone else.