The Importance Of Building A Brand

A brand? What do you mean? I’m a photographer?! I asked my mentor. When I first started my photography career, I dipped and dabbled in many things, from food to family portraits to landscapes. It’s natural for our taste to evolve over time, and picking up little bits and pieces as we go along is all part of the process of making your work uniquely yours. One thing, however, I didn’t understand was that it was much more about taking a pretty photo and more about creating a brand. Have you ever noticed how some food and lifestyle photographers work all just seem to blend together? You can clearly tell who they learned from. This one looks theirs, and theirs looks like hers…it’s not often to see something fresh and unique. Think the same stack of brownies, white background, marble counter, with a little glass of milk on the side? You know the styles I’m talking about.

While there is nothing wrong with learning or applying what the food photography courses out there are teaching you (I’ve taken one of the main ones on the market; they certainly teach you the basics!), by no means does the journey end there. Make it yours. Make it feel like you. What can you incorporate into what you’ve learned that would make your work identifiable to you? That’s where the importance of being a brand versus a photographer comes in. Your distinct style and eye will bring in clients who are aligned with you rather than you having to pitch yourself constantly when, in reality, all they see is work that looks similar to what’s out there right now. Your signature style will be the foundation of your brand. The clearer it is, the more you will attract and repel clients to you. What do you stand for? What is your aesthetic? What is the story you want to tell through your photography? You will be free to be you and shoot within your world, not having to adapt and mold yourself to someone else’s or a client.

Having a solid and distinct brand that is apparent across all your channels, such as your portfolio, your website, your social media etc, will establish trust and recognition at the get-go for any prospective client. They know what they’re in for when they sign their contract to work with you because you have a consistence story, look, and feel in your photography. For example, brands who are looking for minimalistic, colorful, and playful are not going to reach out to me. Plain and simple. Nor do I want to work with them! We aren’t a match. My brand doesn’t resonate with their values or aesthetics. I find that the more we try to accommodate others, the more our work gets watered down and tepid. It lacks substance and depth. In the beginning, I said yes to many things, as one should initially, because you never know the opportunities that may arise, but there were times when I said yes that I knew in my gut this wouldn’t be a right fit. I tried my best, but in the end, I couldn’t deliver what they wanted because I had to reinvent myself and the way I work just to fit into what they are looking for. That was a big lesson for me.

Always stay true to you.

Always.

When we have a brand identity and values, we can always return to them when we’ve veered off the path.

You are not like everyone else.

Your style is not like everyone else’s.

You are you.

And that’s your superpower when it comes to building a recognizable brand.

The more you practice, shoot, and truly sit with why you do what you do, and what makes your photography special, the more your brand identity will unfold itself to you. In time, your distinct brand will make you irresistible to the right clients and brands. But first, you have to stop following the trends, whatever one else is doing, and shooting with the same old backdrops, light, or whatever it is. Before we can move forward, we must turn inward. And maybe, for the first time, you can step back from your camera and see what makes your work so special and unique.

If you’d like some additional support on getting clear about what your brand identity is, sign up for a 1:1 clarity call with me. I’d love to help you build the foundations for creating your recognizable photography brand. Send me an email below, and we can find a time to chat!