I’m often asked how to get started in brand photography. And to be honest, it isn’t as hard as you might think.

There are 31.7 small businesses in the United States…and guess what, they all could use brand photography. Anywhere they use copy…from their website, to their ads, to their social media, to their newsletters, to their mailings, to their networking, to their EVERYTHING….they also need great images to do the visual storytelling of their offers. Words are amazing…but what often makes us stop scrolling is the imagery. A picture catches our eye in a way that words never will. So while the copy is important, may I be bold enough to say that the images are what bring them in the front door. And honestly, as they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”! It should really be a beautiful marriage of the two…visual imagery and spot on copy.

As photographers, we have the skill that so many business owners need. We simply need to educate others on how we can be an asset to their business. Now this goes beyond snapping a few head shots…and while those are important too, brand photography is more than that. It is creating the who, what, when, where, why in visuals for your brand. We, as photographers, have to hone that skill of looking at and planning the photo shoot around answering those questions.

It’s a creative process that fuels my heart and soul, and I can teach you how to incorporate it into your photography offerings too. When you get to work with other creative small business owners, watching their love for what they do play out in front of your camera is so rewarding. Telling their story with your lens so that they can grow and serve in only ways they can do it…gosh…it’s so fulfilling!!!

Tip #1:

If you are wanting to get started in Brand Photography, my first tip would be to start building a portfolio showing that you can shoot this genre and can coach clients in planning their own branding session. Start by asking friends who have businesses or local businesses that you have a connection to. You don’t have to offer full and free sessions. You may do just enough to give them some great images and so that you are compensated for your time. But don’t stay in that lane for too long. Free does not pay the bills….I’m definitely not a fan of free or reduced rate photo shoots.

And if you are thinking that you don’t have business owner connections, then get in touch with friends that have amazing hobbies that SHOULD have a business (we all know friends like that)…and photograph them doing what they do best. For instance, maybe you have a friend that does hand lettering or makes earrings or is also a photographer…do a mini brand shoot for them. That shows off your skills in planning a shoot, capturing the moments and telling the story of who they are and what they do….and use that as a portfolio building moment.

Tip #2:

My second tip for how to get started in brand photography would be to network, network, network. So many of my professional connections are from other aspects of my life. We live in a very small town. Often times people say that you can’t do this or that because you live in a small town. I beg to differ. In our small coastal town, I have amazing clients that value who I am and what I do and pay me accordingly. You know why, because I place so much value on the “people” aspect of what we do. People matter first to me. Accolades, awards, publications, clapping hands…none of that matters to me. I care about the relationships I build along the way and the clients that I get to serve who trust me to show up and do a dang good job…and make them laugh and feel good about their time with me. If you are wanting to get started with brand photography, begin building relationships with people in your community, your surrounding cities, and our creative community at large.

Our little town has four stop lights…just FOUR! If you blink, you’ll miss us. But we have an amazing community and wonderful surrounding communities. I’ve had people come into our town to work with me and I’ve flown as far as California, DC, NYC, and Texas to work with clients. The sky is truly the limit with brand photography!!!

Tip #3:

As Steve Martin famously said “Be so good they can’t ignore you!” In fact, I’m reading a book right now by Cal Newport “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” (here’s the link) . It talks about why skills are more important than passion in the quest for doing work that you love. I think it really brings up a good point that you can love doing something…but is that where your skills and giftings are really found? And even your season of life?

For instance, I LOVE weddings and love. When I left the classroom to do photography again full time, I thought the only way I could make a “full time” income was by shooting weddings. I did a few weddings and my first destination wedding was at the Naval Academy. It was going to be so amazing!!! When I arrived at the hotel the day prior, I got a call from my parents saying that there had been a tragedy and a dear friend had suffered a life altering loss. I instantly wanted to rush home to our girls and our friends. But in that moment I knew that if I left, there would be no one to capture this once in a lifetime day for my couple because my husband was my second shooter for that wedding. It was in that moment that I realized I didn’t like being in a situation where I couldn’t rearrange or reschedule if I had to. I also realized that having my calendar booked out a year in advance with a Marine Corps husband and teenagers that had busy schedules simply wasn’t going to work. We never knew when a deployment was going to happen or surprise orders might come…I didn’t have the bandwidth or the season of life to be able to juggle all of that.

I let that dream go. My skill set and heart were not in alignment even though I was passionate about capturing love stories. But I did find a new skill set, something that works better for my calendar and I love even more!!! And the funny thing is that now my branding sessions bring in 2k-6k per shoot. Talk about more than replacing my teaching income. In fact, my recent branding memberships have equaled what I would have made in two and half months of teaching! Be so good they can’t ignore you. Know your skills and align them with your passions and you’ll succeed every time.

I hope these tips help you decide if you are ready to get started with brand photography. I’m now offering coaching packages for photographers who are looking to make a shift or a pivot. I can teach you all that you need to know to get started and be successful. Feel free to contact me here for coaching offerings