Did you commit to one of those photoshoots but really it didn't suit you or your client base??
The images were oh…so..pretty!? But they look NOTHING like your business right now?
And now you have an image branding shoot bank full of mixed messages?
Messages that if you start posting on social media your clients will become confused?
Confused to who you are.. (business wise)?
Confused to wtf you are doing there?
In a location where they didn't expect to see you?
It’s so easy to become swept up in the moment when sold a brand photography shoot with multiple clients and one fixed lcoation. The photos look so pretty. The location is to die for, comtemporary and super swanky. But ask yourself do these photos actually suit your business and your personal brand? And do you really want the same branding loctation as all these other businesses?
Don't pose in a business suite for your branding shoot if you never use one.
Don't shoot in the city, if you are never seen there.
You will just confuse and alienate and diminish your visual impact.
This is why I NEVER commit to a vision with a new client BEFORE I have heard more than an overview and read their business Q&A content..and truly gone deep below the surface of the brand. And most importantly UNDERSTOOD it totally and visually.
Who are your clients?
And where do you undertake your business?
And what does this ‘look like’, a business suite, a farm, an office, a laptop screen at home etc.
And always what will you use these photos for?
And so onto the fabulous (this is widely believed and not just by me) and successful business entrepreneur Karen Davies, pictured above during her brand shoot London.
I wrangled with the brief. This shoot. Was the environment accurate?
I received Karen's completed business Q&A and huge amount of information that Karen and her team had supplied. I had read it all.
But something bothered me.
My head could not get around shooting in a dark and dramatic contemporary restaurant, with subdued, almost non-existent, natural light to make business photos for Karen, TPF. (The People Factor).
Business.. photos... shot... in... a... dark... London...restaurant.
Right or wrong?
The venue was GAUCHOS steak restuarant, beautiful, urban, stylish and contemporary and one of Karen's esteemed clients. In terms of client base, to use them in shoot locations, draws us closer into the world of our clients, clients. To make branding and business photos in this way is deeply accurate.
But business shots?
Should be in a board room?
In a business lounge?
Should be business, business, business, yes?
And not in a restaurant.. Doesn't this trivialise?
In most cases YES.
In this case NO!
Clients should be seen in their accurate environments and not a random hotel lounge or some pretty airbnb that has been selected for the aesthetic rather than its accurate visual content. It's the entire reason to why I research. Because I want your visual interpretation to be accurate.
I want it to ADD to your glory. I don't want it to TAKE from your power. And worse, CONFUSE your existing clients..
Karen Davies MSc is CEO, the company is The People Factor, an HR consultant- M&A, Restructures, Redundancy, training & development. Karen's main client base is steeped in high level hospitality, restaurants and food chains.
She/her team train in restaurants..
Conduct meeting in restaurants.
Run disciplinary's in restaurants (with clients employees) .
Hold meetings in restaurants.
Meet new restaurant clients.
Discuss mergers in restaurants...
So her branding shoot story was totally accurately sited in a restaurant.
