How a photographer can add value to your photo shoot
Posted on 1st April 2021 at 13:08
Creative bespoke professional photography creates greater engagement
No matter what photography you are commissioning, you expect a professional photographer to have the right equipment and to know how to use it. However, good kit alone won't take great photos, and more specifically it won't take photos that express who you are or what you do. I believe that I add value for my clients by advising them on clothes, location, light and even how to hold themselves during the shoot. However, when it comes to the wider corporate photography, where a client is looking for content in the form of website photography and images for social media campaigns, that is where I can add real value. It is all about the messaging....for example the banner image above came about after I asked the client to tell me what he does for his clients. His response was that he supports them and stops them from going under: the goggles supported on the lilly pads are a perfect anolagy for that and are an image that will spark interest in the viewer who will wonder what the blog/post/page on the website is about.
1. Photography as a metaphor
When I'm talking to a client I'm always listening out for key words that they might say. I then start to think up how I would visually represent those words or concepts.
For example, here my client was an Intellectual Property Lawyer, who talked about how he works with businesses to lay their foundations. He believes that IP is one of the layers that are fundamental for a business to get right.
We talked around this and came up with the idea of a cake - either containing the right ingredients or having multiple layers to it...which he could talk about in terms of how he helps his clients.
So when we did the shoot, I took a cake to photograph...and he enjoyed the slice!
2. Translating words into photographs
What I do works across the sectors. It doesn't matter if I'm talking to someone in the professional services sector, the creative industires or the trades. Everyone has a message that they are looking to impart to their clients.
Here the concept was that when working with a business on their finances, it is a marathon not a sprint.
My client (an Outsourced Financial Director) used this type of language to communicate with this clients, primarily because he relates to it in his personal life as well, being a marathon and Iron Man fanatic! So it made perfect sense when doing his personal branding photography that we used his medals to depict his words.
3. Using people in messaging photos
I do often use the client themselves in the messaging photos. It may be that I do an artistic photograph, or an abstract image to depict the concept of our message, which may or may not include the person!
My client in this photograph had previously done a personal branding shoot and had been very pleased with the creative input and messaging photos that I had produced. So when he wanted to do some New Year messaging during the midst of the pandemic, he came to me.
We did a mini shoot specifically aimed at creating images that fitted his messages - this one was for a new year, new dawn, new hope for the future.
4. Professional photography is key
One of my clients is an expert in LinkedIn and she talks about unlocking the complexities of the platform for her clients, even promoting courses entitled 'The Key to LinkedIn'.
She has this necklace of a key which she loves and symbolises her work to her, so it felt perfectly natural to photograph it for her to use on a LinkedIn post when talking about how she helps her clients.
This concept can work across businesses and industries, and different images can be created around it to suit the particular business...did you see what I did with the heading on the section?
When undertaking corporate photography or a personal branding photo shoot, I always think outside of the box and come up with ideas that will fit with the brand and particular messaging for that client.
5. Eye catching images
Having a creative eye and mind means that whenever I'm on a photo shoot I'm always keeping my eye out for different elements that might add a little something for my client.
I saw this door whilst on one of my shoots and thought it was really eye catching and could be used by the client to message about whether his potential clients think there is a plank missing from their business.
It is really simple, but unless you are in the mindset to look out for these types of things, a photographer can be focused on just getting smiley images of their subject. I truly believe that for a professional photographer to add value they need to think laterally, be prepared to be creative and also to ask their clients to do things that they might not have considered during the shoot!
This might be bringing a prop along that has a particular message and be photographed with it...no matter how far away from their business it might appear at first consideration. Or it might be going with the flow when their photographer stops and takes random photos of things they are passing, like a bashed up old door!
The point of photographs like this are that they get the attention of the viewer who thinks: 'What is that all about?' - it intrigues them enough to start reading the strapline, which suddenly makes sense in the context of the business...and they read on.
A professional photographer that adds value
All of this only comes about by my delving deeper into the business, asking lots of questions, and then coming up with creative ideas on how we can use props or create images that have messages that are relevant to that particular business. They are then able to use the photographs in a whole host of ways to represent their brand and to visually articulate how they work or how they help their clients. This doesn't come from simply pointing a camera and shooting. The creative process behind my personal branding photography shoots or my corporate website photography takes time and effort. It is an area that I love and am very pleased that I have this ability to add value to my clients.
If you would like to find out how I could add value for you, then do give me a call on 07793 205155 or contact me
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