Not every photograph has the same job – it's important to understand the purpose behind a photoshoot and what will work best for your business needs.
A portrait can introduce the person behind a business, while product photography gives people a clear look at what you offer. Lifestyle photography takes this a step further by showing how a product, service or space looks and feels in the real world, bringing the different sides of your business together and giving people a more complete picture of who you are and what you do.
Brand photography is about capturing what makes a business itself. That could be the people, the workspace, the details, the way the team works or simply the moments that happen as part of everyday life. These are the kinds of images that can then be used across a website, social media, brochures and campaigns, giving a business a consistent bank of imagery to work with.
People and portraits are another important part of that. Professional headshots don't always have to mean standing against a plain background and smiling at the camera. A portrait can be taken in the workplace, on location or in the studio, depending on what feels right for the person and the business. The result can be much more natural and give a better sense of the person behind the role.
For businesses selling products, photography has a slightly different job. It needs to show the product clearly and capture the details people want to see; from materials and finishes to size, shape and features – but product photography doesn't always have to stop there: Lifestyle images can show the product being used or placed within an environment, giving people a better idea of how it might look and work in their own lives.
The same idea applies to businesses that don't sell physical products. Lifestyle photography can show a service in action, capture a team working together or simply communicate the atmosphere and personality of the business. Sometimes, seeing something happening is far more effective than trying to explain it in words.
The important thing is to think about what the photographs need to do:
Do they need to introduce your team? Explain a product? Show how something works? Give your website some personality? Are they providing fresh images for social media or needed to support a new campaign?
Once those questions are answered, photography becomes much more purposeful and an investment for you and your business.
At Luminary, we work across brand and lifestyle photography, products, portraits and people – both in our Belper studio and on location. The aim isn't simply to create a collection of “nice images” – It's to create photographs that you can actually use and that give you more options when it comes to communicating what your business does.
