In an era where your online presence can be as impactful as your real-world interactions, using brand photography as another tool in your marketing belt is a necessity. Unlike traditional portrait photography, personal brand photography is about capturing the personality, spirit, and unique story of an individual. It’s more than a headshot; it’s your brand's visual narrative.
Defining Personal Brand Photography:
Personal brand photography focuses on portraying the goals, beliefs, virtues, and personality of a company. It's a strategic approach to visually communicate one's brand identity.
The Importance of Personal Branding:
When you are scrolling through your phone, a company has 3 seconds to catch your interest. As we always say, “first impressions are important,” and creating a compelling personal brand is indispensable. Our goal as brand photographers is to catch your audience's attention in that 3-second first impression and to make them want to follow you and your brand, purely based on your visual narrative.
Elements of a Great Personal Brand Photo:
Great personal brand photography hinges on authenticity, storytelling, and professionalism. The right lighting, composition, and location play a crucial role in telling your story. A portrait of the business owner and their workers can be used to create a sense of honesty, trustworthiness, and feel personal. Spreads are a great way to create quotes with visual support, fill in space on your page, and create an online presence. Product photography can make a huge impact, just by being consistent in lighting, tone, and mood. For example, if you were told to imagine the Apple brand, you will probably think of a white background featuring the newest phone. This is part of Apple's brand plan to look clean, neat, sleek, high-key, classy, and tech-forward. Working with a photographer to create a consistent photo narrative is a great way to emphasize your product as Apple has chosen to do.
Boosting Your Online Presence:
The realm of social media is constantly changing but two truths remain the same; nobody wants to read, and posts with images do 100% better than those without. Humans have a skill for receiving stories through visual narrative quickly and efficiently. Brand photography allows us to tap into the part of the brain that translates visual narratives. Think of brand photography like an earworm for your eyes. Rather than getting a jingle stuck in your viewers' heads, we want them to remember you because of what they saw.
Working with a Personal Brand Photographer:
Choosing the right photographer, like Amanda Swanson Photography, who specializes in personal brand photography, is crucial. A skilled photographer will not only capture stunning images but also guide you through the process of defining and expressing your brand visually. They will collaborate with you to plan the shoot, select locations, and advise on wardrobe choices that align with your brand.
We reflect with fondness a brand photography shoot with Nathalie Jackson, an Edmonton-based personal growth facilitator whose stunning home base features a yurt, temple, greenhouse, coal walk, and beautiful grounds with dedication to 1st Nations people (which can be explored with donations of tobacco to the land). It was a beautiful location, and after getting to know the owner, we were left to explore the grounds and photograph the different locations. We learned that they are a very nature-focused and earthy brand with a strong focus on helping others find and recenter themselves. We were able to portray all these values through their brand photos.
Brand photography is not just a trend; it's a powerful and essential tool in a fast-paced digital world. It's about crafting a visual narrative that captures your journey, highlights your unique strengths, and tells your story in a way that resonates with your audience.
Ready to elevate your brand with professional photos? Contact Amanda Swanson Photography today and start your journey towards capturing your story today.
