How to Connect with the Right Photographer for Your Business Project
You’re looking into, or at least interested in, getting some photographs made for your company, but it’s a bit confusing right? Where are you to look? What exactly are you looking for? When there are so many terms - team portraits, personal branding, visual marketing or promotional photography, corporate directory portraits - that photography studios use, everything can get muddled. (Not to mention, each of these terms have their own connotation.) So, where do we bridge the knowledge on both sides and connect your need with the right photographer? Well, that’s what we’re here to do; we want to clear up the confusion.
We’ve worked with companies as large as Lancome and Wells Fargo and as small one-person operations like Secret Sauce Podcast and Just Sayin’ Social that serve our little city of Winston-Salem. We know first hand that each company has its own needs for photography. If there’s one top Pro Tip we would share, it’s that clear and detailed communication about expectations and your needs is pertinent.
“Pro Tip : Clear and detailed communication about expectations and your needs is pertinent”
As we go through these definitions, it’s important to note that, in general, when we’re working with a company, we use the term “Corporate Photography.” This is the all-encompassing umbrella term for us. If you’re a business, big or small, you fall under this category.
Traditional headshot for a Wells Fargo corporate directory. | Winston Salem Photography Studio
1) Corporate Directory
The corporate directory is a compilation of headshots of each company member. These directories are often broken down into departments and are used internally to help distinguish roles, provide modes of contact and help people get to who’s who.
Style :
Corporate directories lend to traditional headshots, like the one you see here of this gentleman in his suit and blue tie on the grey backdrop. Style can vary depending on the company, however. Some companies prefer consistency and others desire for their members to show more of their own personality and style.
Team Portrait made for the Eastern Lancome leaders to be used in their marketing and in their internal company magazine. | Winston-Salem Photography Studio
2) Team Portraits
Team Portraits are meant to portray personality and company branding. These are often used externally for brands that value consistency. You’ll often find these types of corporate portraits on website About pages, Meet Our Team and any marketing that introduces new team members. Team portraits also typically include a group portrait of the entire staff - or, if you’re a large company, a team portrait of each department.
Style :
The style for team portraits is more dependent on branding than corporate directory portraits are. Many times there is a wide color palette or the incorporation of the company logo [if these portraits are done on location at your office.] Again, where and how you plan on using these portraits will indicate the best style for you.
A Personal Branding portrait for Just Sayin' Social, an online service that manages companies online presence, helping them market with their social media. As Just Sayin' Social is an online company, we curated and created the content of her office to fit her branding. | Winston Salem Branding Photographer
3) Personal Branding
Personal Branding Photography is often used for individuals and small businesses. These photographs and portraits highlight a company’s message and are often used internally, on websites and social medias, and also for marketing. Personal branding photography includes more than headshots and portraits. It brings your clients behind-the-scenes to get to know your business better; it can include lay flats for your Graphic Designer to utilize for social media; it shows the details of your work.
Style :
The style of Personal Branding is heavily dependent on the company’s brand colors and personality.
In the Personal Branding portrait below for Just Sayin' Social, an online service that manages companies online presence, we curated and created the content of her office to fit her branding.
Promotional poster for the Spring Theatre's production of The Secret Garden for which we created the portrait. | Winston Salem Photography Studio
4) Promotional Photography & Visual Marketing
Promotional photography and visual marketing are terms used for a specific project that are meant to promote something for or about your company - like a new product special, a seasonal offering or advertising for a new position within your company or even sharing about the expansion of your company.
Style :
Promotional Photographs and Visual Marketing are styled to fit your brand messaging and personality while also incorporating style elements that lend to the content and purpose of the promotion.
We worked with the Spring Theatre for their promotional photographs for their production.
We hope this helps clear up the differences between these categories of corporate photography and help you have more direction and focus when it comes to hiring the right photographer for your needs. If you have more questions or want to learn more about our services, feel free to contact us.