Brand vs Product: What does your business actually need.
If you’ve ever looked at a photographer’s website and thought:
“Do I need brand photography or product photography. What even is brand photography…i’m not a brand?”
You’re definitely not the only one.
There’s a lot of photography terminology out there, and sometimes it can feel like you need to know exactly what type of shoot you need before you even get in touch with a photographer.
You don’t.
The easiest way to think about it is this:
Product photography shows people what you sell.
Brand photography shows people what your business is about.
And sometimes, you need both.
Product photography: Show them what you sell
Product photography is all about your products.
The photographs might be clean and simple, showing exactly what the product looks like, or they might be styled with props, textures, colour and different backgrounds.
You might need photographs of:
Individual products
A collection or range
Products together
Close-up details
Different angles
Products being used
Styled or lifestyle images
Hero images for your website or campaigns
These photographs are particularly useful when your customers need to see the product clearly before they buy it.
Think websites, online shops, product listings, catalogues, social media, launches and marketing campaigns.
And product photography doesn't always have to mean a product sitting on a plain white background.
There are lots of ways to photograph a product depending on what you want your customer to see and how you want them to feel about it.
Brand photography: Show them the business behind it
Brand photography is a little different.
It’s not just about what you sell. It’s about the business behind what you sell.
The people.
The place.
The process.
The details.
The atmosphere.
The things that make your business yours.
That might mean photographing you doing your work, your team in action, your workspace, the details around your business, your products in context or the everyday moments that happen behind the scenes.
Because sometimes a potential customer needs more than a photograph of what they're buying.
They want to know who they're buying from.
What does your business feel like?
What goes into what you do?
Who is behind it?
What makes you different?
That’s where brand photography can really help.
So… which one do you need?
Well, it depends.
If you sell physical products online and your customers need to see exactly what they're buying, product photography is probably going to be a priority.
If you're a service-based business and you are a big part of the business, photographs of you doing what you do, meeting clients, working and showing your environment could be much more useful.
If you have a physical space, perhaps a cafe, salon, studio, shop, restaurant or workspace, photographs of that space can help potential customers understand what it's like to actually be there.
or
You might benefit from both.
Here's the thing…
I don't think you always need to put your business neatly into one box.
Your website and social media don't have to be filled with one type of photography
In fact, a mixture can often tell a much more complete story.
You could have beautiful product photography showing exactly what you sell.
Then a photograph of you making it.
A close-up showing the details.
A photograph of your workspace.
A photograph of the finished product being used.
A photograph of you.
Suddenly, your customer isn't just looking at a product.
They're getting a feel for the business behind it.
You don't have to choose
This is probably the biggest thing I want you to take away from this.
You don't necessarily have to decide:
‘‘Do I need brand or product photography?’’
Instead, ask yourself:
“What do I need my customers to see?”
Do they need to see your products?
Do they need to see you?
Do they need to understand how you work?
Do they need to see your space?
Do they need to understand what makes your business different?
Once you start thinking about it that way, choosing the right photography becomes a lot easier.
Because good photography isn't about having photographs for the sake of it.
It's about having the right photographs for your business.
And sometimes that means products.
Sometimes it means people.
Sometimes it means your space.
And sometimes, it means all of them.
So, what does your business actually need?
If you're not sure, that's exactly what a conversation with your photographer is for.
You don't need to know exactly what type of shoot you need, how many photographs you want or which photography terminology you're supposed to use.
Tell me about your business.
Tell me what you sell, what you do and what you want your customers to understand.
Then we can work out what photographs would actually be useful to you.
Because I don't just photograph what your business sells.
I photograph what your business is about, it’s really that simple.