Weddings. A wedding is one of the most important events in a person’s life, and one that should be remembered. Of the important wedding planning questions a soon-to-be-bride must answer is “who will do our photography?”
When asked why people chose a certain wedding photographer, the answer is often “because I like their style.” What makes a photographer have a style? What makes their photos so special? After all, a wedding is a wedding, each one is already different.
While it is almost inevitable to consider photography when it comes to a wedding, many businesses see things differently. An often overlooked part of a brand’s visual identity is consistent photography, and how to use that photography as part of a visual identity in branding.
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What does it mean to have “branded” photos? Having a visually consistent, branded look means that all of the elements in your visual identity appear coherent. They look like they belong together. And in your company's visual identity guidelines, there should be a section that includes "on brand" photography.
How to Use Photography as Part of a Visual Identity
But what does it look like to have visually consistent, branded photos? How do I do that? First, you need to know your company. If your company is going for a clean look, then minimalist photos look best. If your company is going for an outdoorsy feel, then lifestyle images taken outside work better. Discover the image your company wants to portray.
When you find that out, Haute Stock gives some branding photography guidelines. With these guidelines, you can add your company’s branding and information to photos to make them consistent:
- Use brand fonts: using the same 2-3 fonts on your images and website
- Use filters and color overlays that match your branding: using the same filter or color overlay on photos makes them look like part of your brand
- Add your logo or web URL: adding this helps people know where the images came from
- Insert brand colors: if an image doesn’t contain your colors, make it. Do this in color overlays or text. Choose a primary and a secondary color(s), and then a color scheme and stick with these colors
- Choose neutral colored images: neutrals compliment almost any brand colors
- Use the same style: Some descriptors are bright, clean, modern, vintage, dark, grungy, classic, artistic, monochrome, or flat. Consistency is key: when you choose a style, stick with it. Another way to have the same style is to have images of similar subject matter. Think Nike or National Geographic. Nike's photos typically show motion whereas National Geographic features awe-inspiring pictures of nature.
- Use complementary layouts: if you are giving away or providing documents, including photos, make sure they are branded – incorporating all of the above
What Kind of Brand Images Do I Need?
Tarango Visual lists several categories of branded images a company should have. These include lifestyle/portfolio images, product photos, social media post photos, and stock photos.
While headshots are considered a necessity to some, they are a luxury to others. Miles Herndon advises knowing in which category your company fits. If you need a consistent brand image across social media platforms or your team is featured on a website, then headshots are crucial. However, if they’re not necessary or you won’t use them, then don’t splurge on them. A corporate photography style guide includes guidelines as to how these look.
Having consistent brand images is a great way to build awareness for your company and your products or services. These are just some ways to brand the photography for your company and website. What do you think? Are there any other ways to do this? Please let me know your thoughts below.
Consistent brand images are a great way to build awareness for your company, your products, and your services
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