Defining brand photography

Brand photography represents the media a company may use to represent their brand to an audience. The goal of brand photography is to supplement other brand signifiers like logos, colors, styles, and fonts to create a brand that can be readily interpreted by the public. For example, a coffee shop may have a very specific blue color they use for their logo. In keeping with brand standards, the coffee shop may attempt to replicate this blue color in the photography they create (in order to make their brand appear more unified).

The above photo (from the previously mentioned coffee shop example) may literally be interpreted as a picture of donuts. But at the same time, it also has aspects that reflect a coffee shop’s brand quite well. The blue overtones give off a feeling of relaxation—something a coffee shop likely would be aiming to do. Additionally, it entices people to want donuts, because let’s face it, nobody can resist them. That is brand photography, it’s the combination of feelings, emotions and thoughts that a company attempts to conjure up in the mind of their consumers.

Another valuable example that helps in understanding brand photography is the above image, posted on social media from Husqvarna. Of course anyone can recognize the picture shows a chainsaw. But what other elements are presented with it? The chainsaw is being used in the field; it has a grittiness that is reflected in the photo. Husqvarna could have chosen to use a photo of a brand-new chainsaw coming off the production line. But instead, the company likely would rather be associated with the gritty, in-the-field persona. This is brand photography—it’s the thoughts and association a company wants people to have with their brand.

Other forms of photography

But what makes brand photography different than other forms of media production like product photography and social media photography? We do have two other blogs going over both product photography and social media photography, but brand photography encompasses both these fields. The images that are used to sell a product or service, and the photos that a company puts on social media should all be in line with the company’s brand.