If you’re wondering how to choose a brand photographer, you’re in the right place. 

As a brand photographer myself, I’ve learned exactly what goes into making sure the photographer you hire is the right fit for you. There’s a lot that goes into making a decision like this, but I promise it doesn’t have to be hard!

Keep reading to learn how to pick a brand photographer for your small business or personal brand. By the end of this post, you’ll hopefully be one step closer to choosing the perfect brand photographer for you!

How to choose a brand photographer: 7 considerations to make

Remember the purpose of your brand photos

First things first, it’s incredibly important to remember the purpose of your brand photos. Sure, your uncle’s best friend from work’s daughter-in-law might know how to work with a camera and take a pretty photo, but that’s not what is going to help propel your business forward.

Remember that brand photography has a purpose. Your photos are meant to help sell your product or service and make money for you and your business. You want to specifically choose a brand photographer that will actually help you reach your goal and create photos that won’t blend in with your industry.

Find an editing style that fits your brand

Many photographers will have a specific editing style that they use in their work. For instance, some photographers may have a darker, moodier editing style, while others might have one that’s more bright and saturated. (Don’t worry; you’ll find everything between those, too!)

If there is a specific editing style that aligns better with your brand, then it’s worth taking the extra step to find a photographer who works well within that style and already edits that way. Most photographers are going to always edit in their particular style, though you may find some here and there who will create a custom edit specific to your brand. If you’re ever unsure, just ask!

This may not be super important for every brand. For instance, if you’re running a coffee shop and your brand’s logo visuals (i.e. brand colors, typography, etc.) work well with multiple editing styles, this isn’t really a make-it-or-break-it consideration.

Look through their portfolio

One piece that I always recommend is to make sure you take the time to look through a brand photographer’s portfolio. This will show you how much experience a brand photographer has and will allow you to get a feel for their work.

Many brand photographers will separate out different clients, too, so you can see a set of photos from each specific brand. This will help you to see if the photos really represent each specific business.

To see an example, compare Corner Stone Tavern with Folklore Coffee in my portfolio. Even though both of these businesses are in the food industry, we were able to leverage their unique brand goals and upcoming marketing needs in their photoshoots, allowing them to have photos that stood out within the industry while showing off their food.

While looking through different brand photography portfolios, ask yourself these questions to get started:

• Do these photos seem unique?
• Do I really get a feel for what the brand is from these photos?
• Are the photos edited consistently?

Read past client reviews

This tip goes along really well with the last one, but always make sure to read past client reviews. I can tell you to check out my portfolio all day, but you’ll really get an understanding of how I work with clients and the transformations I’m able to provide by reading reviews. The same goes for other brand photographers!

You can often find client reviews either strewn throughout the photographer’s website or on Google. Just search for the photographer’s name, and you’ll most likely see a Google My Business listing with reviews like you would for most other businesses.

You can also always take this one step further and reach out to other businesses/brands that you saw work with the photographer if you’d like!

Think about location (or see if they travel!)

If you have a brick-and-mortar shop, odds are high that you’ll want most of your photos taken in that physical space. That’s why when it comes to choosing a brand photographer, you’ll also want to think about location.

I’m located in Lemont, Illinois, and service the Chicago tri-state area primarily. However, I also travel, which many other brand photographers do! So if you find a photographer you love who is located elsewhere, don’t lose hope – check out their FAQs or even reach out to them to see if traveling to you is an option. Keep in mind that most photographers will have an additional travel fee to help cover the cost, but this is completely normal. 

If you have an online business, such as if you’re a copywriter or web designer, then you won’t have to worry about location too much unless you have your heart set on taking photos in a specific place. You can make your own trip out of it and travel to the photographer if needed, wherever that may be.

Learn about how they approach creative visions

Every single photographer is going to approach creative visions and direction differently. It’s important to ask about how this is handled so that you know ahead of time.

If you know exactly what types of photos you want to take and you have a Pinterest board put together that perfectly captures the vibe that you’re going for, then you may care less about having creative direction help.

However, if you know the importance of brand photography but aren’t sure how to bring your business to life with visuals and don’t even know what types of shots you need to get, then you’ll definitely want a photographer who can help you with creative direction.
In my process, I help you with fine details like what to wear, what props to bring, what location you should choose, and I also help decide what photos we will take together. I really want you to feel in control and relaxed, and I’m here to support you!

Get on a call with them

Lastly, if you’re ever in doubt, just contact the brand photographers you’re thinking of working with and get on a call with them. Most photographers offer a consultation-type call that’s completely free where you can meet and learn more. This is your time to get all of your burning questions answered to make sure you’re the perfect fit for one another.

You can tell a lot from calls like this, and it will definitely help you to decide which photographer you should go with.

Now you know how to pick a brand photographer!

I hope that this post has helped you to choose a brand photographer that’s perfect for you and your business. I’m really excited for you to take this big step and get brand photos created for your business! If you’re interested at all in learning more about my brand photograph services, you can click here. I’d love to learn more about what you’re looking for and see how I can best help you.